Despite an absence of any "news," every political magazine and newspaper is rushing to publish special "St. Paul and Denver" editions for the political conventions. CQ, Roll Call, and The Hill are publishing on-site daily! Politico will be there! Local papers are throwing everything they have at the event! National Journal expects big things! Meanwhile, all the high-powered attendees will be getting drunk and occasionally checking the New York Times on their iPhones, and the smart reporters just stay home and make shit up. The real reason for the outpouring of journalistic effort:

"We make quite a bit of money," said John Fox Sullivan, CEO of Atlantic Media's National Journal Group, noting the public-policy advertisers eager to reach the influential attendees.

Gotta be able to afford that Olympics coverage somehow. [Ad Age]