WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats flocking to their national convention in Charlotte, N.C., will spend this week hobnobbing with lobbyists, special interest groups and wealthy donors, just days after Republicans hosted their own party of all political parties in Tampa, Fla.
Delegates, elected officials and others attending the Democratic National Convention will have a slate of sponsored events to choose from outside the Time Warner Cable Arena, where the formal gathering is being staged.
In Charlotte as in Tampa, behind-the-scenes receptions and other exclusive events allow the political elite to mingle with donors and special interest groups in a way that's remarkable even by Washington standards.
Dozens of events are happening and scores of donors, lobbyists and corporate heads are mingling under a loosely regulated setting.
