RNC visitors invited to GOParty

AT AMORE COFFEE IN SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA, BREWS COME BEFORE VIEWS DURING THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION. SOT CATHY HAUSER, CO-OWNER, AMORE COFFEE: Even though we're staunch democrats – and even our republican governor occasionally comes in here – we really wanted to make sure that the welcome mat was out. CATHY HAUSER IS THE CO-OWNER OF AMORE. HER BUSINESS IS ONE OF MORE THAN 400 ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE GREATER MINNEAPOLIS-SAINT PAUL AREA OFFERING DISCOUNTS TO CONVENTION-GOERS THROUGH THE GOPARTY CARD PROGRAM. SOT TERESA MCFARLAND, SPOKESPERSON, 2008 MSP HOST COMMITTEE: The GOParty card was really a way to welcome the 45,000 visitors coming in from all over the country and all over the world and to give them a special incentive to get out and enjoy all the many shops, businesses, retail outlets that we have here in the Minneapolis-st. paul area. TEXAS DELEGATE TAMMI STURM IS USING HER CARD AT RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS AROUND TOWN. SHE SAYS THE DISCOUNTS MAKE HER FEEL AT HOME IN THE TWIN CITIES. SOT TAMMI STURM, TEXAS DELEGATE: We've had our little issues with protestors, but all the businesses are so glad to have us here and that makes us feel welcome. WELCOMING IS WHAT MARY LEONARD IS TRYING TO BE AT HER CHOCOLATE SHOP ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF SAINT PAUL. SHE'S ROLLING OUT A LINE OF POLITICAL CHOCOLATES, PROMOTING HER BUSINESS AROUND TOWN AND OFFERING A 20 PERCENT DISCOUNT TO GOPARTY CARD HOLDERS. BUT SHE SAYS, SO FAR, THE REWARDS HAVEN'T BEEN AS SWEET AS SHE EXPECTED. SOT MARY LEONARD, CHOCOLATIER, CHOCOLAT CELESTE: I haven't seen what I had thought that there would be and I'm hoping that that will change, but I certainly think that we can't compete against a hurricane and that it's understandable that it's not as much as we had anticipated. FOR THOSE WHO ARE GETTING OUT, THE GOPARTY CARD IS MAKING THIS GRAND OLD PARTY LESS OF AN EXPENSE AND MORE OF AN EXPERIENCE. SOT CHRIS DANIEL, TEXAS DELEGATE: I think there's a deal in there for Caves to go travel. I think I'm g...