Due to a huge fundraising shortfall for this summer’s Dem convention, please bring your own booze, balloons, ballots, buttons, butter, bologna, and anything else you can think of:

Rick Ridder, a Denver-based Democratic strategist who has helped the city’s convention efforts, said the shortfall is a significant concern. “Without a doubt, there was tentativeness on the part of a lot of major companies because they didn’t know who the nominee was going to be,” Ridder said. “And frankly, Denver is not a major corporate center. Many of the corporations who contributed to Boston (site of the party’s 2004 convention) just haven’t seen advantages to coming here.” Organizers have moved to cut a number of the cocktail parties and other events associated with the convention and are consolidating vendors to trim costs. Those efforts are likely to shave up to $3 million from the budget, they said.