A party that brings 65,000 people to town will alter many facets of our readers' everyday lives.

The commute will be longer, and so will the wait in the restaurant. For one week, we will be one of the most visible cities on the planet as Tampa graces the televisions of homes throughout the world when Republicans nominate Mitt Romney for president.

The Tampa Tribune plans to capture that spectacle with a coverage team that possesses expertise in the local, state and national arenas.

We've partnered with U.S. News & World Report and Cox Media Group to form a team that will give readers a behind-the-scenes look at the national political scene while following our state political figures as they rise to greater prominence on the stage of the Republican National Convention.

And perhaps the most vital component of our coverage will be the Tribune news staff as we comb the streets of Tampa while visitors pour dollars into the local economy and protesters rally in our downtown streets.

On the national side, U.S. News is sending a veteran team of reporters to Tampa with an eye toward bringing an unbiased perspective on the race for the White House.

The team will include veteran White House correspondent and author Kenneth Walsh, who will apply his decades of experience and deep sources to the challenge of analyzing what the candidates offer. Political reporter Rebekah Metzler will chase the top convention stories of the day, while "Washington Whispers'' writer Elizabeth Flock takes us into the smoke-filled rooms and closed-door meetings where the real deals are made.

"I can't think of a better paper for U.S. News & World Report to be teaming with in our coverage of the GOP convention in Tampa,'' Lowe said of the Tribune. "Their veteran editorial staff, knowledge of local politics and distinct voice will be a perfect complement to our coverage.''

The partnership with Cox Media Group will give Tribune readers a well-rounded report on Florida politics. One of its papers, the Palm Beach Post, is sending three veteran Florida political writers and a political editor to follow the Florida delegation and team with the Tribune to report on the state's top Republicans — from former Gov. Jeb Bush to state Attorney General Pam Bondi.

We're excited to show off our city to the world — and our first-class coverage to you.

Let the grand old party begin.