Everyone Loves a Freebie

By Richard Woodbury and Ian Judson

You're a big-city mayor. You want a political party to hold its convention in your town. One (or both) of the party-site selection committees is coming to evaluate. What do you do? Bribe them with gifts! Here are some of the items that site selectors have been given. --Richard Woodbury and Ian Judson

BY BOSTON (seeking the Democratic Convention): Palm Pilots; silver Paul Revere bowls; Rockport shoes

BY DENVER (Democratic): An autographed Broncos football; stuffed toy buffaloes; a cell phone; a putter

BY INDIANAPOLIS (G.O.P.): A video of Hoosiers; an Indy race-car helmet; a polo shirt with the G.O.P. 2K logo

BY LOS ANGELES (Democratic): Getty Museum books; Universal Studios T shirt; a DreamWorks cap

BY MIAMI (Democratic): A beach towel; CDs featuring local music; cigars; suntan lotion

BY MINNEAPOLIS (Democratic): Wild rice; chokecherry jelly; the book How to Speak Minnesotan; presidential nesting dolls

BY NEW ORLEANS (seeking either convention): A music box with a model of the French Quarter

BY NEW YORK CITY (G.O.P.): A crystal bowl from Tiffany; an N.Y.P.D. tote bag; a Joan Rivers pen; a Rangers jersey with each delegate's name affixed

BY PHILADELPHIA (seeking either convention): A miniature Liberty Bell; Tastykakes; a Flyers jersey

BY SAN ANTONIO (G.O.P.): Sheets bearing the G.O.P. logo and the slogan "San Antonio, an idea to sleep on"