The place to be in Denver tonight is this concert featuring Kanye West, sponsored by the Recording Industry Association of America and a long list of companies, as well as the One Campaign. I’m heading there shortly to try my (so far) not so good luck at party crashing.

The Washington Post recently reported the House ethics committee ruled this week that House members and top staff are required to pay $90 apiece for tonight’s concert. However, the Senate committee said that senators and staff can go for free, because the event qualifies as a “widely attended event” under the new ethics law:

At a minimum, ethics lawyers said the industry will have to post signs warning House aides that they must pay the $90 fee and set up a booth to collect the money, or else the industry could face criminal charges from the Justice Department for knowingly giving illegal gifts to congressional staff members.

(Indeed, reported the Post, the House “blue dog” Democrats who attended a party on Sunday night were required to pay $22 apiece. Apparently that party included an open bar and a show by pop rocker KT Tunstall–I wouldn’t know, because a bouncer told me I couldn’t venture on private property.)

As for tonight’s event, of course the RIAA has a big agenda before Congress. The Center for Responsive Politics earlier this year reported how the recording industry is supporting a bill that would make radio broadcasters pay royalties to the recording industry in exchange for playing their songs:

The music industry’s spending is buoyed by its lobbying juggernaut, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which in the first quarter of 2008 has already spent $1.5 million on lobbying efforts, more than it spent in all of 2007. Since 2002, the RIAA has contributed to the campaigns of 17 of the 24 members of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property. These contributions total $115,070. Of those 17 subcommittee members, seven have come out publicly in favor of the bill (Reps. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), Stephen Cohen (D-Tenn.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Anthony Wiener (D-N.Y.), Berman, Issa and Conyers).

I’ll report back later.

Today began with Party Time being snubbed yet again, when the gatekeepers pleasantly but firmly turning me  and Gabriela Schneider, the Sunlight Foundation’s communications director, away from the brunch party at the Denver Aquarium thrown by former member of Congress Billy Tauzin in his role as president and CEO of PhRMA.

The pharmaceutical industry, of course, contributes heavily to congressional candidates–$18 million in the 2008 election cycle alone, 50 percent to Democrats, 50 percent to Republicans–and spends even more on lobbying.

My unpopularity continued throughout the day as I chased down a few leads that went, well, nowhere. Wrong addresses, that sort of thing.

The only consolation we have here at Party Time is that our work is at least popular with the press and in the blogsophere. Many reporters and bloggers are writing about the private party scene here in Denver and at the GOP convention next week in Minneapolis/St. Paul and citing this website. Look for a roundup later.

From the Center for Responsive Politics’ Sheila Krumholz, this great post on yesterday’s “financial literacy” forum here in Denver:

DENVER — For every star-studded concert and poker tournament when the sun goes down over the Rockies, there are dozens of mundane corporate events during the day that resemble what goes on in Washington nearly every other day of the year. While the setting is different — more Western-style décor, for one, and microbrews you won’t find on Capitol Hill — the sponsors, the guest list and the format are the same.

Such was the scene Tuesday at a daytime event sponsored by the Financial Services Roundtable, an influential alliance of the nation’s biggest banks, insurers, mortgage lenders, investment advisors, credit card companies. Billed as a “financial literacy” event, this was not an opportunity for average consumers to learn how to manage their money, despite Citigroup’s handouts asserting that “knowledge is your greatest asset” (a phrase the banking giant has registered to keep it as their own asset). …

Over a buffet and open bar (since it was not yet noon, mimosas and bloody marys were flowing), a few lawmakers and about 50 to 75 lobbyists and association staff mingled not far from Pepsi Center (but far enough that two cab drivers and two police officers were unable to find or suggest a path to the event through downtown Denver’s many barricaded streets). There were plenty of unclaimed nametags at the check-in table.

The Democratic members of Congress who were singled out at the event included Sen. Tom Harkin (Iowa), a member of the Senate’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship committee; Rep. Joe Crowley (N.Y.), a member of the House Ways and Means committee, which has jurisdiction over taxation issues; and the chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government-Sponsored Enterprises, Rep. Paul Kanjorski (Pa.). One lobbyist for the financial services industry confided that he’s worried about Kanjorski’s re-election chances. Perhaps that explains why the finance/insurance and real estate sector has contributed $755,000 toward Kanjorski’s 2008 campaign, making him one of the top recipients of money from insurers, credit unions, mortgage banks and brokers and hedge funds. Kanjorski and Crowley have received contributions from the Roundtable’s PAC in the 2008 cycle.

Read more over at www.opensecrets.org.

Members of Congress mingled with lobbyists, corporate lobbyists and executives and members of the media at a reception at the Ritz Carlton thrown this morning by lobbying powerhouse Akin, Gump ($17.8 million in lobbying business in 2008 alone) honoring the legendary Vernon Jordan, senior counsel at the firm and a power broker in Washington, DC.

The attendees? Lots of corporate types. I saw nametags for Dow Chemical, Google, Amgen, Capital One, Tyco Electronics, Walmart, AT&T, Bank of America, Medtronic, Liberty Mutual Group–and that’s just a small sample.

Among the members of Congress who were there: Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) , Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA). And many more were invited–check out the attached photo of nametags.

There were also lots of members of the media: Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, Time Magazine, among others. And they even let me in, a convention first for me. I was there with Jim McElhatton, a reporter from the Washington Times.

The fare? Strictly finger food, clearly designed to comply with the “toothpick exemption” in the new ethics law. Doughnut holes. Little ceasar salads in shot glasses. Fruit salad. Coffee, orange Juice, water.

“You’ll notice the absence of forks,” said Jordan, in the speech he gave as part of the reception. “I must admonish you not to try to eat the food with spoons served with the coffee.” That got a chuckle.

I asked Rep. Waxman, who had been in conversation with somebody–didn’t get the name–from Medtronic, why he came. He said he was an old friend of Jordan’s. As to why he was talking to someone from Medtronic?

“They can do it from here or they can do it in my office,” he said.  “We were talking about an issue where we were on opposite sides. They didn’t convince me and I didn’t convince them.” Waxman is certainly known as a watchdog in Congress, conducting investigations that take on formidable interests.

We also spotted Rep. Israel speaking with Jim Mahoney, a public affairs spokesperson for Bank of America.

While the event clearly was more open than others I’ve tried to attend here at the Denver convention, what was also notable was who was not there. I didn’t see any representatives of public interest groups–consumer, environmental, or otherwise. It was clearly a corporate-Congress-media type of event. It provided yet another chance for powerful folks to mingle with other powerful folks here in Denver this week.

Edited to add: Check out the Washington Times story on the affair here.

We’re just back from a party thrown by Qwest CEO Ed Mueller at the Denver Art Museum’s Palletes restaurant. Designed to be a “widely attended event” under the new ethics law, according to the invitation, apparently it wasn’t so widely attended that they were prepared to allow me in. (To meet the “widely attended” loophole, the event must have at least 25 attendees who are not members of Congress, and there must be some official business for the lawmaker attending, among other conditions.)

Johanna Hoff, a spokesperson for Qwest, politely explained to us that the event was “private,” that she really didn’t have any details about what they were serving or who was on the guest list. I mentioned that since the invitation specifically said the event was designed to be “widely attended,” it seemed like some members of Congress would be attending, but again, she pleaded ignorance.

She confirmed that yes, Qwest is supporting both the Democratic and the Republican conventions, because the company considers both Democrats and Republicans alike to be its “customers.”

We got some great footage on video , which will be available via our twitter account-www.twitter.com/SFPartytime as soon as Qik.com comes back up.

Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos explains why he won’t be going to a hot party at the Beta nightclub tonight sponsored by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, National Association of Chain Drug Store, ClearChannel, Federation of American Hospitals, Duke Energy, US Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Home Builders,  American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (Coal industry front group), Lockheed Martin, Daimler, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, and Verisign.

Check out this great post by Ari Berman of The Nation on last night’s party at Brownstein, Farber. He actually got in!

Steve Farber is arguably the most important man in Denver you’ve probably never heard of. Farber is the chief fundraiser for the Democratic Convention here and a partner with one of the fastest-growing lobbying firms in Washington and most-connected out West: Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, Schreck. A number of his clients happen to be sponsors of the convention, including UnitedHealth Group, Comcast and AT&T, the latter the ubiquitous “official wireless sponsor” of the Democratic convention.

Those of you who followed our exploits on twitter.com/SFPartytime will know that as I suspected, I’m not so popular when it comes to convention parties.

Last night Gabriela Schneider, the Sunlight Foundation’s communications director, and I met up with a crew from Inside Edition, which was doing a piece about the Baca golf fundraiser I blogged about yesterday. (The story should air tonight.) Our first stop was the lobbying firm Brownstein, Farber party at the Denver Art Museum. It had all the appearances of an elegant affair. Well coifed and dressed folks chatting outside the entrance in the cool evening, not paying much attention to the riot police who were grouped nearby.

Stephen Farber, lobbyist and lead organizer of the convention for the Denver Host Committee did a photo op outside before entering. Alas my rendition is too blurry to include here. And for anyone who doubted that members of Congress were invited need only look at this sign in front of the building. I went up to the other side and asked if I could go in and was told, quite pleasantly and politely, “no.”

Next stop was the Blue Dog party sponsored by AT&T and Genworth Financial, out in what seemed to be an industrial wasteland by the Pepsi Center. Fitting with the surroundings, the bouncers there were, well, rather thuggish. I was told in no uncertain terms that I was not even allowed to stand near the entrance, since that was private property. When I demurred from moving, a police woman walked over to me, said, “So YOU’RE the self professed party crasher?” and told me I had to stand over on public space. So Gabriela and I complied.

We weren’t the only ones who tried to get into the Blue Dog party and failed. Inside Edition didn’t get in. Neither did folks from Crooks and Liars or Jane Hamsher from Firedoglake or Matt Stoller of Open Left.  Neither did reporters from CQ or the AP, at least not while we were there. There was also a demonstration by Code Pink, although I don’t believe it was their object to go in the party, but rather to flaunt their pink and sing protest songs.

Well, today is a new day. We’re off soon to the Big Tent. More later.

In the “why not play some golf with lobbyists while we’re all here,” department, Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA) played golf today with supporters at Colorado’s Buffalo Run Golf Course.

One of the hosts was Lyndon Boozer, a lobbyist for AT&T. Boozer and Baca are avid golf players. Golf Digest included them both in its 2008 list of the top 200 “senators, representatives, appointed officials, lobbyists and other power brokers [representing] a Washington golf scene still vibrant despite post-Abramoff limits on golf as entertainment.” (Baca likes to play golf while fundraising, thus this April fundraiser at a Miami golf resort.)

In 2006, Baca was one of 26 House Democrats who sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission “praising AT&T for its commitment” to win approval for the AT&T – Bellsouth merger, according to Technology Daily.

The group was scheduled to move on to a reception at the Oceanaire Seafood Room in downtown Denver from 5 to 7:30 p.m., ending just in time for folks to scoot over to the Blue Dog reception – Baca is a blue dog –at 8:00 pm sponsored in part by—AT&T.

Over at the Center for Responsive Politics, a post giving folks the scoop on the Blue Dogs, who are being hosted at a party tonight sponsored by AT&T and Genworth Financial. From the post:

The Blue Dogs’ fundraising advantage has been in their ability to capture pro-business interest groups that usually swing Republican, while simultaneously receiving money from left-leaning ideological groups. So far in the 2008 election cycle the Blue Dog PAC has raised $2.3 million from individuals and corporate and union political action committees, anchored by health care ($455,800) and finance ($440,500), two sectors that traditionally have leaned right. The finance sector includes business interests such as banking, investments and real estate. The Blue Dogs’ appeal to business interests also contributes to their gains in health care, where their PAC is strongly supported by the PACs of pharmaceutical companies ($144,500). The PAC also benefits from being members of the party that has declared health care a priority in this election cycle. As such, contributions from doctors’ PACs make up about $201,000 of the PAC’s total receipts. The Blue Dogs pulled another major fundraising coup in wooing the agriculture sector. Since 2000, agribusiness money has broken almost 3 to 1 in favor of Republicans. Despite this, close to $150,500 of the Blue Dog PAC’s receipts come from America’s farmers’ PACs.