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 more than $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 on income tax returns

$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 Aug. 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

Feb. 1, 2008 Date that AT&T was named the “official wireless service of the 2008 Democratic National Convention”

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 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

Kel Munger and Cosmo Garvin are reporters at Sacramento News & Review.

Kenny Be is a Westword cartoonist who has studied the 56 delegations headed to Denver for the Democratic National Convention for the past year.