Found, in the Republican National Convention Minneapolis St. Paul Host Committee’s filings with the Federal Election Commission over the last few days: big corporate donations (Target, Best Buy and UnitedHealth each gave more than $1 million) and a sizable sum left over unused ($4.7 million). Together with analyses of donors’ lobbying activities, they tell a tale about the costs and benefits of throwing a party for the national Republican Party.

Lost amid the news accounts and watchdog reports: some of the lesser line items that suggest their own story lines. Here are a few, after the jump.

Among the host committee’s expenses:

$112.36 to TLF Country Florist, South Bend, Ind. The date on this item: on Feb. 14, 2008. While the RNC played Valentine’s Day mischief with Barack and Hillary, was someone’s honey made happy at RNC expense?

$20,000 to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board for a “permit for media party.” Looks like there was a Republican big-tent windfall after all.

$50,000 to John Zweifel of Orlando, Fla., for “attraction exhibit expense.” Zweifel brought a 60-foot-by-20-foot scale model of the White House to the CivicFestevent in Minneapolis. Also listed: dozens of $2,500 fee refunds to exhibitors at the CivicFest flop.

Among the host committee’s smallest receipts:

$100 from well-heeled Republican donor (and two-time candidate in statewide elections in Minnesota himself) Wheelock Whitney of Maple Grove, Minn., George H. W. Bush’s chum from their prep days at Andover Academy. It’s an oddly meager donation to a $58 million convention fund for a man who’s given $50,000 to Republicans since 2002. Would he care that he covered the better part of someone’s Valentine’s flowers in South Bend, Ill.?