They began descending on Martha’s Vineyard yesterday, the most powerful people in the Democratic Party, and their big money backers, for a few days of schmoozing and fund raising and plotting the way to victory in November.

They came in quietly, at least as quietly as you can on chartered jets. Among them, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chairman Senator Charles Schumer, Senate majority leader Harry Reid, and about half the the party’s Senate contingent. But also here are others names less publicly known, like a relatively obscure House member from Ohio. And another name better known to aficionados of Saturday Night Live: Al Franken, a Senate candidate for Minnesota.

Their main objective is money. While the focus of most media attention over recent months has been on the phenomenal amounts drummed up for Senator Barack Obama’s primary campaign and more recently his presidential campaign, things are not going nearly so well for the party overall; the Republicans remain ahead.

So, even as worthy charities all over the Island — which is in truth not a terribly privileged place, except for a few months in summer — are reporting donor fatigue, this weekend will see a rash of exclusive cocktail parties, dinners, boat cruises and other activities all directed toward raising big bucks for politicians in other parts of the country.

There will also be issues briefings, with input from experts on campaign finance and ethics, for candidates.

The details are sketchy; organizers are after money and a chance to strategize for the coming election, but not publicity. The last thing they want is the national media following them here and getting in their faces.

For close to a month now, ever since information leaked out about the weekend, about 100 phone calls to various people connected with the Democratic Party have yielded nothing.

The Vineyard grapevine has borne more fruit.

The word is that some two dozen senators, including, as well as those already named, Barbara Boxer, Chris Dodd, Frank Lautenberg, Amy Klobuchar, John Kerry, Sheldon Whitehouse and maybe Edward Kennedy, plus at least some members of the House of Representatives, candidates, staff and security people will be on-Island and will attend functions at the homes of a number of well-heeled party supporters.

It appears the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown will be the center of the action.

Things kick off with a cocktail reception and buffet there tonight for 300-odd guests. There will be more cocktails the following night, and then people will head out to the various dinner functions.

It is not known if Senator Hillary Clinton is coming for any or all of this, but the hosts include some of her past big supporters, like, for example Betsy Sheerr.

Mrs Sheerr and her husband, Richard, are hosting the largest of them, with 70-odd guests, including three sitting senators and Al Franken, who should liven things up a bit.

Barack Obama will not be here this weekend, although there are unconfirmed reports he is coming in August. Senator Obama, along with other Presidential hopefuls Sen. Clinton, John Edwards and Mitt Romney came to the Island to raise money last year.

Possibly, having broken his promise to use public funds for his Presidential campaign, he also will be looking to raise as much as he can while he’s here.

But beyond the high profile people, one of the fundraisers this weekend will be for Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who represents the 11th district in Ohio. It will take the form of cocktails for a couple of dozen people aboard a charter catamaran in Edgartown.

Presumably the pristine waters around the Island are more attractive to donors than a sail around Lake Erie.

All this activity will put money in the pockets of Island hotels, caterers, boat and bike rental businesses, et cetera. But it also seems reasonable to assume the organizers hope to take more money out than they put in. Otherwise, they would not come here.