Want a skybox perch to see John McCain speak at the Republican National Convention, passes to hot GOP parties that week, pampering from the concierge and private wheels to tool around town?
It's yours, for a price.
Committees raising money for California delegations to the national conventions are asking wealthy donors to make six-figure donations in exchange for VIP-level treatment and seats to witness history. The top-price ticket package: $500,000, to be a "presidential host" at the GOP convention in St. Paul in September.
"We would be honored to have you and your clients participate," a fundraising pitch from the California Democratic Party says. It offers a "convention chair" position for $250,000 that includes dozens of tickets to convention parties and coveted floor passes to see speeches in person.
Even for a quadrennial event known for attracting free-spending corporations and lobbyists, the price is eye-catching, particularly coming from state delegations rather than the fundraising groups that finance the national conventions. Candidates are under strict fundraising rules in campaigns, but national political conventions present a virtual open door for giving.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
