With their national convention still two months away, Democrats are spending money like Saudi princes, alienating Denver merchants and ticking off the media.

Despite having four years to plan for the 2008 convention in Denver, the Democratic National Committee -- led by Chairman Howard Dean -- has created a host of embarrassing public miscues.

According to this report in the New York Times, the Democrats’ poor planning and reckless spending reads like a catalogue of incompetence.

First, they decided against frugality by renting top-notch offices and furniture at $150,000 a month. Then, Democrats kicked away big-money corporate donors by failing to tell them that tax-exempt donations were on-track for approval. Now, their plans to renovate the Pepsi Center for the convention are running $6 million over budget.

In an attempt to be environmentally friendly, the DNC announced huge plans to have an entirely “green” convention, working with Coors Brewing Company to use their ethanol by-product and spending vast sums on calculating the convention’s carbon footprint. Those expensive offices are strategically located in an Energy Star building at the intersection of Denver’s mass transit system so employees can bike and walk to work.

Trouble is, only three state delegations have signed on to cooperate with the environmental plan, dealing a major blow to an effort that’s already costing a fortune.

In a stunning PR blunder, DNC organizers located the media tent right next to the demonstration area, ensuring that live telecasts will have plenty of loud, anti-Democrat protesters as a backdrop.

Democrats are also apparently extremely picky eaters. So picky, actually, that local caterers have steered clear of the “28-page contract” demanding that only organic food be served in five different colors (including purple and blue) and that no fried foods be allowed to enter the building (except, presumably, in the pockets and purses of Democrats who just can’t deal with a menu that targets only one type of individual).

Meanwhile, Barack Obama’s campaign has reportedly grown annoyed by the setbacks, delays and budget overruns and has dispatched campaign members to Denver to help solve the problem.

Which is exactly what the Democratic National Convention needs, of course – more cooks in the kitchen. The major problem with functions and events organized by Democrats (not to mention legislation) is that they try to accommodate way too many ideas without focusing in on what they can accomplish most successfully right now. Perhaps the best advertising for why Americans need John McCain in the White House will be a poorly-run Democratic nomination ceremony.

After all, if Americans can’t even trust the Democrats to responsibly manage their own national convention, how in the world can they trust them to run the country?