MONEY HONEYS.(The Talk of the Town)

Last week, the big Republican donors who travelled to the Convention seemed determined to be themselves, starting curbside at the entrance to the Ritz-Carlton, where many of the major Party benefactors were holed up.

"We're called the Rangers, but I call us the Power Rangers," Bobby Kotick, a cocksure young L.A.-based C.E.O. (Activision computer games), said as he greeted some fellow-donors. "Hey," he said to a burly, tanned fellow alighting from a gleaming black Mercedes Maybach. "That yours?"

"They just gave it to me," the man said. "Because my business is connected."

"Rangers give the most money, so we have special exclusive parties," Kotick said, heading inside to the cocktail lounge, where the menu, obligingly embossed with an elephant, offered a "G. W. Bellini--peach vodka, peach schnapps, champagne," and a "Compassionate Conservative--Stoli Orange Vodka, passion-fruit puree, champagne." A basket of red, white, and blue tortilla chips was sitting on the bar.

"I have thirty-three parties to go to," said a donor named Richard Merkin (president and C.E.O. of Heritage Provider Network--health care for the major insurance companies). He had on a black suit like an undertaker's. "I'm going to another Ranger party, at the home of Steve Schwartzman, the investment banker, and I'm invited to a 'Friends-and-Family' of the Bushes party, and, of course, the party for Ah-nold," he said. "I'm invited to all the parties."

"For the three hundred thousand dollars you gave them, you should get more than one ticket to Ah-nold's party," Kotick said. "But I like to play both sides of the street. I also give money to the Democrats; I like to protect myself. I'm with them on pro-choice, and pro stem-cell research, but not on fiscal. I just don't want to pay taxes."

In the lobby, Holly (for Holland) Coors, the thin, blond doyenne of the Colorado beer outfit, had just returned from Madison Square Garden, where her son Pete, the chairman and former C.E.O. of Coors, who is running for the Senate from Colorado, had given a speech. Mrs. Coors, wearing a red St. John Knits suit and pink sneakers, stood in the center of a circle of Rangers. A rhinestone pin spelling out "bush 2004" was fastened to one lapel and a matching pin spelling out "coors 2004" was pinned on the opposite lapel.