The connection between Hollywood and the White House goes back to President Warren G. Harding, who was the first to use entertainers on the campaign trail, said Alan Schroeder, an associate professor of journalism at Northeastern University here and author of "Celebrity-in-Chief: How Show Business Took Over the White House."

"Democrats do exceedingly well in the show-biz community," Schroeder said. "Republicans attract the second-string, Hollywood Squares crowd."

» Read about parties planned for the DNC
» Tentative schedule for DNC parties (PDF)

Penny Parker is The Rocky's On the Town columnist, and is covering celebrity and Denver news for the DNC.

• KT Tunstall rocks Mile High Station
• Hot DAM! Farber firm throws a sweet soiree for 2,500
• Nuclia covering DNC, and that's no drag
• Farley paints Obama portrait
• PARKER: Here's your chance to veg out with the Peas
» More DNC stories from Penny Parker

Many major media outlets are writing about Denver and the upcoming convention. Below are links to a few key sites.

• DNC news from The Hill
• Convention coverage from StarTibune
• CBS4 DNC special section
• CNN politics page
• MSNBC conventions page
• Fox News election coverage
• New York Times DNC coverage
• LA Times campaign '08 page
• USA Today conventions section