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This article was published on 08.21.08

In 1992, the Democratic and Republican national convention committees took in a whopping $8 million, combined, in private money. You’d think that would buy all the hooch, hors d’oeuvres and balloons that you could possibly want to throw a really bitchin’ political party. But this year, the two conventions are expected to rake in over $110 million in corporate donations. From AT&T to Google and Kraft, from Morgan Stanley to Lockheed Martin, big business is slapping their logos on official DNC tote bags and throwing swank private soirees for delegates and VIPs. Bad for democracy, you say? Nah, that’s just good business.

$60 million	Estimated total cost of the Democratic National Convention in Denver
$16.5 million	Amount paid by taxpayers through the presidential campaign fund checkoff
$5.5 million	Estimated cost of using INVESCO Field at Mile High Stadium for Sen. Barack Obama’s acceptance speech
“The Diaphragm”	Nickname used by INVESCO executives for the Denver stadium because of its resemblance to the birth-control device
125	Number of bloggers credentialed for the convention (as of August 11)
30	Number of bloggers credentialed for the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston
1831	First political convention held—by a third party, the Anti-Mason Party, in Baltimore
1832	First Democratic National Convention, also held in Baltimore
0	Number of bottles of water at committee-sanctioned events: The committee is mandating that all food service be completely green.
February 1, 2008	Date that AT&T is named the “official wireless service of the 2008 Democratic National Convention”/td>
July 9, 2008	Date that major telecommunications corporations, including AT&T, were granted retroactive immunity from prosecution for civil-rights violations under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
2,118	Delegates required for nomination
2,229.5	Number of delegates pledged to vote for the nomination of Sen. Obama
$340 million	Amount raised for Sen. Obama’s campaign as of July 29
$272 million	Amount spent on Sen. Obama’s campaign as of July 29
$122,000.45	Amount spent per delegate for Sen. Obama’s nomination
$8,083	Amount spent per delegate for President Bill Clinton’s 1992 nomination
$12,536.24	Amount spent per delegate for President Bill Clinton’s 1992 nomination, adjusted for inflation
$6 million	Amount donated to the Democratic National Convention’s host committee by Qwest Communications, the convention’s single largest donor
$6 million	Amount Qwest donated to the Republican National Convention’s host committee
43	Miles of cables that the DNCC has run to set up its systems
$50 million	Amount of a federal grant to Denver for convention security
$947,364	Amount spent by Denver police for surveillance cameras for the convention
88	Number of Mark IV launchers with pepper-spray projectiles purchased by the Denver police to assist with crowd dispersal

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