In D.C., Buckhorn says of Occupy Tampa: “I didn’t let them occupy much of anything.”

In Washington today, Bob Buckhorn was asked the existential question about the Republican National Convention coming to Tampa this August, a question that could also be posed in Charlotte, host of this year's Democratic Convention. Is it worth $50 million of taxpayer money (for security) for an event that benefits a political party and which the outcome is already known?

"I don't know. Have they become archaic? There are some who would make that argument. Has the nominee been pre-decided? Clearly in both of these cases we know who the nominees are going to be. …but what I think what this does is energize the activists. And I think that's important."

But is it worth a total of $100 million dollars of federal tax money for both conventions?

"Good question."

Buckhorn was speaking before a live audience at the Newseum in Washington D.C. It was part of a live webcast hosted by Politico featuring the mayors of the host cities for this summer's political conventions. Charlotte's Anthony Foxx followed Buckhorn in being interviewed by Politico ace reporter Mike Allen.

This article appears in Jul 5-11, 2012.