Political fundraisers may serve many purposes, my fellow partiers.
While a politician's chief concern at these soirees is generally stuffing the campaign war chest, parties also provide lawmakers with a chance to announce future campaign plans outside of the harsh glare of journalists' cameras, as Maine Gov. Paul LePage just did, or to show support for their partisan compatriots.
That's what New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his Mayors Against Illegal Guns PAC are up to as the Big Apple independent and the PAC he's underwriting continue to throw political muscle behind supporters of stricter gun control legislation. As reported by Buzzfeed, Bloomberg will play host July 22 to a $1,000-and-up benefit for Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va..
Manchin, seen at right,?has a complicated past with gun laws. The blue dog Democrat received campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association as recently?September 2012, but later clashed with the guns group over his role in spearheading Senate efforts to mandate universal background checks. Tossing in with Bloomberg likely means Manchin will be one of the NRA's chief targets should he run for reelection in 2018.
A New York fundraiser hosted by the billionaire mayor offers beneficiaries a chance to cash in on Bloomberg's Wall Street connects. Party Time records show that past honorees have included former Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine.
Now, on to what's happening this week on the political party scene.
Barrasso's season pass
Perhaps borrowing a page out of the Redskins' marketing strategy, some politicians are wagering that fervent supporters will pony up for a season pass.
At least that's what pols like Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., are hoping.
This Wednesday, Barrasso's Common Values PAC will throw an Italian wine tasting happy hour at the Rowland Tasting Room in Southeast Washington. Suggested contributions range from $100 to $1,000 for individuals and PACs, but for those who hold a "season pass," the event is free!
Such tactics offer politicians a means to get large, lump sum contributions from supporters, instead of relying on repeated requests. On the flip side, holders of a "season pass" get increased access to the recipient via 'free' access to fundraisers and retreats throughout the year.
This year's going rate for season tickets to Barrasso events was $5,000 for PACs and $2,500 for individuals, according to a March 12 invitation. We'll leave it up to you to decide whether it's worth the dough.
Obama Roundtable
When he's not touring South Africa or navigating the intricacies of healthcare reform, our Commander in Chief enjoys many of the same wholesome activities as any other red-blooded American, namely partying (or 'roundtabling' in this case).
Any fundraiser featuring the Leader of the Free World is sure to cost some serious dough. But, if you have an extra $32,400 lying around, you could join President Obama and 24 other lucky participants at an undisclosed location this Thursday for a roundtable discussion benefiting the Democratic National Committee.
Similar events in the past have gone for as much as $60,000-$100,000. So, just think of this as the half-off sale.
Google hangout
The tech industry is not known as a hotbed of conservative support.
Indeed, the leftward leanings of Silicon Valley were supposedly a?contributing factor to the Dems technological edge in the 2012 presidential campaign. That hasn't stopped Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., from throwing a lunch fundraiser this Thursday in Google's Washington office.
Influence Explorer data shows that the tech giant?tends to favor Democrats with its campaign contributions and PAC money. However, a quick search through the PT database reveals the illustrious search engine's Washington headquarters has served as the venue to at least five Republican fundraising events since September of last year.
Google's political action committee, Google NetPAC, has also served as host for at least four events benefiting Republican lawmakers.
If you have any other invitations to political fundraisers by Google, please share with us here (we also accept fundraisers involving Bing, if that's more to your taste).
Stick to your guns
Finally, if you need to blow off a little steam this Friday, grab your 12 gauge and join Idaho Sen. Jim Risch for a morning of skeet shooting and grub at the Prince George's County Trap & Skeet Center in Maryland.
Sen. Risch has the distinction of holding an A+ grade from the National Rifle Association and for $500-$1,000 for an individual attendee or $1,000-$2,500 for a PAC, you can see for yourself how good of a shot he is.
Bucking the stereotype that all such fundraisers are elegant affairs held at upmarket townhouses and glitzy hotels, the Maryland shooting range has been an exceedingly popular spot for such events over the past several years.
That's all for this week, folks. As always, if you come across an invitation to a political fundraiser, share the love and send it this way.
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