A tale of two parties

MILFORD, N.H. -- Tonight over 3,000 Democrats are meeting for a fund-raiser that is the largest in state party history.

Barack Obama will be there. So will Hillary Clinton, Bill Richardson, and Dennis Kucinch. John Edwards sent his wife and decided to campaign at a town all event.

While there is a lot of attention to this fund-raising dinner -- broadcast nationally on C-SPAN -- it is important to contrast this night with what will happen later this weekend.

The state Republican Party wanted to have a blow out fund-raiser themselves. They do need the money. Until its current chairman the party was in debt and hardly could hire more than a few staff.

At this blow-out fund-raiser John McCain is not scheduled to attend. Nor are Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee or Rudy Giuliani. Nope. Just Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter.

At a time when many in the national media are focusing on the difference in caucus turnout in the parties in Iowa, there are differences in New Hampshire as well.