Political Parties: Journalists, Power Players and Free Booze

It's often alleged that political journalists are too cozy with the powerful sources they cover. Events in Denver will do little to dispel that suspicion, with politicians, lobbyists and journalists schmoozing and boozing together. Sometimes they even sponsor the same parties. Case in point: the jam-packed Politico/Glover Park Group party last night.

Politico is an emerging media empire in Washington and Glover Park is a preeminent, primarily Democratic lobbying and PR firm founded by a crew of Clintonites that used to be known as the "White House in Exile." Its clients have included Rupert Murdoch, PhRMA, Verizon, the American Bankers Association and firms in Colombia and Dubai. Packed mostly with veterans of the Clinton White House, like Clinton press secretary Joe Lockhart and deputy chief of staff Joel Johnson, the firm recently branched out by hiring former Mitt Romney spokesman Kevin Madden. A new Democratic Administration would assuredly be good for business, but Glover Park's not taking any chances.