Following The Money In The Mile High City

DENVER—The official business of the 2008 Democratic National Convention, which kicks off in Denver Monday, is scheduled to run seven fewer hours than the 2004 meeting.

That’s seven more hours delegates can spend at parties paid for by special interests seeking favors from Congress, the White House and statehouses across the country.

From a Dave Matthews Band concert co-sponsored by brewer Molson Coors, to batting practice at the Colorado Rockies’ baseball stadium hosted by the telecom industry, the convention week schedule is packed with social events bankrolled by lobbyists.

For many delegates - often members of Congress and state lawmakers - the social events are the real reason to attend the quadrennial gathering—not the official speeches or platform debates.

To host it all, the convention committee will raise more than $40 million from at least 175 sponsors, including corporations, unions and others, said committee spokesman Chris Lopez.

“The partnerships from corporate America and local businesses help you succeed in staging the event,“ he said.

Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain worked to reform campaign finance laws during their time in the Senate. Despite that, the groups bankrolling their coronations are nearly indistinguishable from years past, according to campaign finance watchdogs. (See how ethics rules changes affect the convention parties here.)

Massie Ritsch, a spokesman for the Center for Responsive Politics, a group that tracks political spending, complains both parties are too slow to reveal who is paying for the conventions.

And, he warned, the system puts “the parties and candidates in debt to the corporate interests.“

The telecom industry, including AT&T and Verizon, sponsored events after Congress granted them legal immunity for their cooperation with the government’s post-9/11 warrantless wiretapping program. The industry has already given $2.2 million dollars to candidates this election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Other sponsors, like energy giant ConocoPhillips which has contributed $139,500 this cycle, stand to benefit if Congress removes a ban on offshore oil exploration.

Industry groups say their donations give them access to lawmakers to make their pitch.

The Solar Energy Industries Association gave $10,000 to the Democratic convention committee and will host an event showcasing solar technologies at Coors Field.

“We need to overcome the myth solar is not ready for primetime and it is,“ said Monique Hanis, a spokeswoman for the group that is seeking tax credits for investments in solar energy.

Some corporate interests are spending on political conventions for the first time. MySpace, the social networking site owned by media giant News Corporation, will operate a lounge called the ‘MySpace Café.‘

“It’s important that we have a strong presence,“ said Lee Brenner, the executive producer of political programming at MySpace. “This is where leaders of government, business and citizens all come together.“