Dems and GOP team up to raise convention money

WE'VE MOVED! Democratic Convention Watch is now at http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com

Not sure this has happened before:

Looking for ways to boost fundraising for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Mayor John Hickenlooper has formed a strategic partnership with planners for the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.

Denver's host committee was supposed to have $7.5 million in the bank by Friday but said late in the day that it had only $5.5 million. ... Hickenlooper's spokeswoman, Marlena Fernandez Berkowitz, said Saturday that the mayor will team up this summer with St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman to make the rounds in several cities. St. Paul will host the Republicans in 2008. "It's a lot of money to raise," Fernandez Berkowitz said. "I think the good news is there are a lot of companies who are willing to contribute."

"I guess that means we're going to have to work harder," said Tom Clark, executive vice president with the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce and also the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp., of the money in the bank so far. "That's kind of disappointing that it's that number. ... But Denver's good for it."

The contract allows the host committee a grace period of seven business days to bank the extra $2 million. The host committee also was to have established a $19.5 million line of credit to cover any gaps in fundraising. The host committee hasn't set up that credit line.

The next fundraising deadline is Dec. 14, when the host committee must have deposited a total of $15 million. With the new commitments raised since the DNC announced in January that it would hold its convention in Denver, the host committee's pledges now total $27 million in cash and in-kind services.

I guess the joint fundraising makes sense, as some companies can give to both conventions and avoid the appearance of any partisanship.

But now we know the "real" deadline is another week away. And what happens when that "deadline" is missed? Probably nothing.

Update:

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said Monday that he and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, a "good friend," plan to collaborate on an event in Washington, D.C., to raise money for both conventions. "This will be a "Kumbaya" moment, not only for Republicans and Democrats, but also Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul," Rybak said. "There will be a whole lot of loving going on as long as we can raise a few million dollars for Minneapolis-St. Paul."

Rybak said he was unaware of two cities with major party conventions ever holding a joint fundraiser.