Governors Riding The Martini Luge

This is the best story. From the Mason City Globe Gazette:

When the nation's governors, their staff members and the media are thirsty for a cocktail at receptions during the National Governor's Association gathering, their drinks may flow from a solid ice "martini luge," courtesy of vodka maker Ketel One.

The company ‘s "ice bars" and luges are part of an estimated $50,000 it has donated for events in Des Moines this weekend. And Ketel One is just one of the dozens of private donors and businesses kicking in $2.5 million for hospitality costs.

About 30 governors are expected to attend the four-day meeting, where leaders will discuss state strategies for economic development, education, health care, energy policy and transportation. But the event is not all work and no play.

Money raised by the host committee is spent on the social events during the conference, including a mini Iowa State Fair created just for the governors.

A "mini Iowa State Fair"? Just what does that entail? Midget animals? Just a whiff of barnyard ass smell? Thumbnail-sized funnel cakes? A two-foot tall Bill Riley?

And there's always a party pooper:

Meeting spokeswoman Monica Fischer said the committee is grateful for the sponsors' help in showcasing the state and providing hospitality.

She said Gov. Tom Vilsack played a large role in fund-raising for the event.

"The governor did a lot of the actual asking himself," Fischer said.

The committee has reported more than $1.7 million in cash donations.

Another $781,000 of in-kind contributions has been donated.

But not everyone is thanking the sponsors.

State Rep. Ed Fallon, a Des Moines Democrat who is running for governor in 2006, criticized the amount of money being raised and spent and called the meeting a "four-day conflict of interest."

"How could you expect such a conference to grapple with the real issues facing Americans regarding energy, transportation, communications, when you've got a conference that's basically bought and paid for by companies that are profiting from the current set of policies?" Fallon said.

It's good to see that Vilsack had enough time to review Evelyn Miller's DHS file before riding the Martini Luge.

Fallon's right. This is nothing but a huge, corporate-subsidized party for governors, staff, and ass-kissing reporters. But it gets worse:

Instead of cash contributions, some groups are lending the use of equipment or labor.

Motorola is providing three radio communication consoles for the event's central command, for a total in-kind contribution of more than $137,000.

Even Iowa Prison Industries, a division of the Iowa Department of Corrections, is pitching in. It built temporary walls in the convention complex where the meeting will be held and provided office equipment for the event.

Prison labor was used so that the governors could par-tay?

And check out the oversight:

Donations to the host committee are not subject to reporting requirements by the Federal Election Commission, even though the event is political in nature, said Steven Weiss of The Center for Responsive Politics. The non-partisan watchdog group based in Washington, D.C., tracks money in politics.

Contributors to the event clearly want to help Vilsack and the city put on the event and get into Vilsack's good graces, Weiss said.

"That's what makes the fund-raising so important, and that's why the donors are hoping he'll recognize their contributions to this event in order to make it successful," Weiss said.

Iowa law does not require committees like this one to report their fund-raising activities or spending either.

Vilsack didn't want sex offender and alleged murderer Roger Bentley to be disenfranchized, but the Iowa Legislature and the governor don't want to have any reporting of what's happening with this giant corporate-and-prison-labor-funded party. Totally frickin disgusting.