Who's Who at the Parties' Parties

Translation: If Clinton supporters feel slighted and file official complaints, Hoyer will have his hands full.

· Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin and Rep. Rahm Emanuel: These Illinois Democrats are co-hosting a "Chicago Night" party Tuesday at the Irish pub Fado. Why is this party so important? Because it's likely to be filled with key Land of Lincoln Democrats who've known Obama a lot longer than anyone else in Denver -- the folks who became supporters back when Obama was a no-name state senator in a hotly contested Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat in 2004.

If Obama were to win in November, Durbin and Emanuel -- his closest allies on the Hill -- probably would serve as an early-warning system should he encounter trouble with congressional Democrats.

Republicans Ruling the Twin Cities

· Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.): He's got the somewhat odd title of "temporary chairman" of the GOP convention. That's because the "permanent chairman" is House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio). Basically, the two leaders will co-chair the convention, but every four years the "temporary" and "permanent" title flip between the GOP's House and Senate leaders.

McConnell also is chairman of the Kentucky delegation, continuing his long-standing status as Bluegrass State Republicans' party boss.

McConnell, who is up for reelection in November, will get to speak on the floor at a time yet to be determined. But he did not receive one of the top prime-time slots, according to the speaking lineups announced by the Republican National Committee yesterday.

· Boehner: His clout at the quadrennial conventions has grown ever since he launched nightly warehouse parties at the GOP convention in San Diego in 1996. Boehner has not been officially associated with the parties since that year. But they have continued every four years under the banner of Warehouse Productions, run by lobbyists who are considered close to Boehner.

The show goes on this year with nightly parties in downtown Minneapolis, complete with performances by Boehner's favorite band, Duck Soup, a Texas-based group that is a regular presence at parties for Professional Golf Association tour events.

· McCarthy and Sen. Richard Burr (N.C.): This pair of Generation Next Republicans is running the platform committee, which often serves as the scene of internal party disputes on issues such as abortion rights. McCarthy, 43, is a freshman House member and Burr, 52, is a freshman senator, but both are considered policy wonks in their respective GOP conferences.

To fully open up the process, they started a Web site that serves as an electronic platform suggestion box. In an interview last month with washingtonpost.com's Ben Pershing, McCarthy said his goal was to create a platform that is "shorter, more principled and forward-looking." He added: "I think the vast majority of Republicans will like the outcome. That's my goal."

· Former congressman Tom DeLay (Tex.): Yep, the onetime House majority leader is gone but nowhere near forgotten. He retired in June 2006 amid numerous investigations, but what would a GOP convention be without DeLay?

In 2000 he leased a fleet of railroad cars and parked them outside Philadelphia's Wachovia Center for GOP members of Congress to use as getaway suites from the hustle and bustle of the convention floor. In 2004, he tried to lease a cruise ship and dock it close to New York City's Madison Square Garden as a base of operations for House Republicans, until questions arose about the image of lawmakers staying on their own ship instead of in the host city.

So on Sept. 1, convention kickoff night, DeLay's new organization -- the Coalition for a Conservative Majority -- is having one of the more exclusive parties of the week at the Aqua Club in Minneapolis. The event, featuring the rock band Smash Mouth, is a fundraiser for DeLay's organization and its party co-host, Citizens United. Private VIP rooms with "premium bars and bottle service" are available for the largest corporate donors.