More wankers to attend DNC

Penny Parker:

The Creative Coalition [thanks, no breakfast for me this morning], a nonprofit organization that hosts 25 Hollywood types to attend and hold discussions on topical issues during the convention, has added to its roster Quentin Tarantino, Spike Lee, Susan Sarandon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Neil Patrick Harris, Dana Delany, Barry Levinson, Matthew Modine, Alan Cumming, Cheryl Hines, Rachael Leigh Cook and Wendie Malick. They will be joined by co-chairs Tim Daly, Kerry Washington, TV writer Tom Fontana and director/writer/producer Sue Kramer.

Doogie Houser and Matthew Mo--I mean, Quentin Tarantino and Spike Lee. Call us a cowtown now.

Also during DNC week, the CC will host a luncheon honoring actress Annette Bening and saluting the 14 women senators in Congress, along with issue-oriented lunches, dinners and receptions.

Also:

CROW TO FLY HERE: I have it on good authority that singer Sheryl Crow has been booked for a Red Rocks show exclusively for DNC delegates on Aug. 24, the Sunday before the convention begins.

Meanwhile, back in the real(ish) world:

The shortage of money plaguing local efforts to finance the Democratic National Convention played a role in the resignation of the top official in charge of volunteers — and concerns are growing that Barack Obama won't be able to help.

Sondra Williams, the director for the 12,000 volunteers who will be assisting Democratic leaders and delegates and others during the convention, resigned after 13 months with the host committee.

She left at the end of a training day for volunteer captains and directors held June 7.

"I was not empowered to do my job," said Williams, on loan to the host committee from the National Education Association. "And therefore I felt I just couldn't continue."

She wouldn't elaborate, saying she does not want to malign the host committee, but she said the group was tense over its cash-flow problems. The committee, charged with raising $40.6 million for the convention, missed its final deadline Monday by more than $11 million.

"We all had our disappointments around it, and there was a lot of stress on the fundraising people," Williams said.