Next Thursday, December 3, campaign donors will have the opportunity to sing “happy birthday” to Sen. Max Baucus, who as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has been at the center of the health care debate–and of health care donors, as reported here and here.

The invitation, obtained by the Washington Times, which reported on it here, shows how tantalizing and frustrating these invitations can be.

We know from our reporting and analysis  that Baucus is at the center of health care fundraising. However, this invitation gives no clue about who will attend next week’s event, even as the health care debate is front and center in the news.

Because senators report their contributions quarterly and even then are not required to file their campaign finance reports electronically, it will be months before we can look at contribution records to try to sleuth out who may have attended this event. While senators have the option to file electronically voluntarily, few do, and Baucus isn’t one of them.

Lobbyists representing Genentech hosted at least four fundraisers for members of Congress who used language drafted by the company for insertion in the congressional record, shows an analysis of invitations collected in Party Time’s database.

The New York Times writes “Statements by more than a dozen lawmakers were ghostwritten, in whole or in part, by Washington lobbyists working for Genentech, one of the world’s largest biotechnology companies.”

Lobbyists for Roche, which acquired Genentech in March of 2009, have hosted events for at least 26 members of Congress since the merger, according to Party Time data. FireDogLake’s Marcy Wheeler has identified 18 members of Congress (Dems here, Republicans, here) who relied on the Genentech language . At least four of those elected officials show up linked to the Genentech hosted fundraisers.

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) was scheduled to attend a breakfast fundraiser at the Phoenix Park Hotel on May 7.  The event was hosted by lobbyists David Jones and former Senate Finance Committee staff director James Gould, who count Roche as clients.

Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) held a fundraising breakfast at Bistro Bis on September 17. Lobbyist hosts included Darin Gardner and Anna Sagely, who lobby exclusively for Hoffman-La Roche,  as well as lobbyists Mat Lapinski, Chris Myrick, and Christine Pellerin, who have Roche on their client lists.

Darin Gardner and Christine Pellerin, legislative assistant to former Congressman Henry Bonilla (R-TX), also hosted Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) for breakfast at Bistro Bis, also in May of this year.

Finally, Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) held a cocktails and cigars fundraiser for Women Impacting the Nation, a project of her leadership committee Common Sense Common Solutions, on September 21. More than two dozen lobbyists hosted the event, four of whom represent Roche:  Darin Gardner, Christine Pellerin, Anna Sageley and Mat Lapinkski–the same lobbyists responsible for the Conaway and Poe events.

Also of note: Kevin Connor of LittleSis.org connects Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), co-sponsor to a pharma friendly measure in the healthcare bill, to the mess via former legislative aid Nick Kolovos, who now lobbies on behalf of Genentech. Mark Kadesh, former chief of staff first to Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) and Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), and now a Genentech lobbyist, was one of four hosts at a July 16 breakfast for Eshoo.

Click on the following individual names to see a full list of clients for each lobbyist: David Jones, James Gould, Darin Gardner, Christine Pellerin, Anna Sagely, Mat Lapinski, Chris Myrick, Mark Kadesh.

We’re rounding out September with six more health care related fundraisers including three events that were planned yesterday (and the parties I blogged about here and here). We now have invitations to at least seventeen health care fundraisers for the month.

Today, Jocelyn Hong is hosting lunch for Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN) at the 21st Century Townhouse.  This is Hong’s fifth fundraiser in eight days.

Matt Sulkala, David Thomas, Israel Klein, Paul Brathwaite and Laura Harper are just a few of the hosts listed on Rep. Glenn Nye’s (D-VA) “Young Professionals Birthday Beers” bash tonight at 201 Lounge.

Brathwaite and Klein (of the Podesta Group) represent Covidien–”a $10 billion global health care products leader.” Laura Harper represents Blue Cross Blue Shield and Matt Sulkala lobbies for industry group PhRMA. David Thomas, a lobbyist with Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti Inc, represents pharmaceutical companies such as Merck, AstraZeneca, Abbott Laboratories, Biogen and Forest Laboratories and PhRMA.

JD Derderian, who represents US Oncology, is hosting a reception for Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) at the Stanton Park Group offices on the 29th.

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Sens. Bob Bennett (R-UT) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) are closing out September with receptions on the 30th with at least 14 health care lobbyist hosts between their three invitations (you can find those lobbyists’ names below).

To see clients for lobbyists hosting events click on individuals’ names: Louis Dupart, JD Derderian, Laura Harper, Mark Rayder, Hunter Bates, Nelson Litterst, Jocelyn Hong, Matt Sulkala, David Thomas, Israel Klein, Paul Brathwaite, Adam Olsen, George Baker, Doyce Boesch, Rick Murphy, Bill Brewster, John Bode, David Jones, Joel White Erin Graefe, Beth Jafari,Billy Piper, Charlie Harman.

Lobbyists representing health care interests  hosted at least two fundraisers today, bringing the week’s total to eight. (See also my post yesterday.)

Jocelyn Hong hosted her third fundraiser this week–this time for Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY).  Her clients include Sanofi-Aventis and Schering-Plough Corp.

Five lobbyists who represent the pharmaceuticals giant Roche were listed as hosting  a breakfast for Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) this morning. Hosts include Darin Gardner, Christine Pellerin, Anna Sagely, Matt Lapinski and Chris Myrick. (You can find Roche’s lobbying expenditures here). The government relations firm that is handling the event also lists Roche as a client.

Lobbyists who represent pharmaceutical manufacturers and other health care interests will be hosting at least five planned fundraising parties for members of Congress today.

Jocelyn Hong, of the 21st Century Group, will be hosting two events–a lunch for Rep. Mark Schuaer (D-MI) and an evening reception for Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ).  Hong represents both Sanofi-Aventis and Schering-Plough.

There are two breakfasts and one dinner scheduled to take place today as well.  Patton Boggs’ lobbyists Ben Ginsberg, Ed Newberry, Darryl Nirenberg and Kevin O’Neil will be hosting Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) while  Cesar Conda and Manus Cooney will be entertaining Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) over breakfast.

Finally, Jeff MacKinnon, who represents Avantis, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Merck, will be hosting a Cafe 8 Dinner for Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA) at 6:30 pm.

In addition to today’s events, Steve Clark and Sam Geduldig (of Clark and Associates), who represent the likes of Ernst & Young and Barr Laboratories, held a dinner in Rep. Bill Posey’s (R-TX) honor last night at the Matchbox.

These six fundraisers–of the 16 total fundraisers featuring pharmaceutical lobbyist hosts we have in our database for the month of September, come on the heels of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America’s (PhRMA) rollout of a $150 million advertising campaign in support of the Baucus health care bill says Duff Wilson of the New York Times.

The drug industry’s trade group plans to roll out a series of television advertisements in coming weeks specifically to support Senator Max Baucus’s health care overhaul proposal, according to an industry official involved in the planning.

The move would be a follow-up to the deal that drug makers struck in June with Mr. Baucus [and the White House.]

President Obama has cited the deal with the group as signifying a new era of cooperation. But some critics say the advertising fund could be wielded against alternative approaches to health care legislation.

The industry’s support for the Baucus plan, critics argue, is a direct result of both Sen. Baucas’ and President Obama’s public support for an individual mandate. (See the text of President Obama’s speech and Senator Baucus’ “Framework for comprehensive health reform”)

A plan with an individual mandate and no public option is, as the Washington Examiner writes, the “Holy Grail” of reform for the health care lobby.

To see clients for lobbyists hosting events click on individuals’ names: Steve Clark, Ben Ginsberg, Ed Newberry, Darryl Nirenberg, Kevin O’Neil, Sam Geduldig, Cesar Conda, Manus Cooney, Jocelyn Hong, Jeff MacKinnon.

This post is first in a series on September fundraising efforts and the industries behind them.

The House Education and Labor Committee launched hearings today on the House version of the health care bill. Click here to see fundraising parties for members of the committee. Unlike the Senate Health, Education and Labor Committee, very few of these invitations include host information; however, of those that do, some feature health care lobbyists as hosts:

• On June 15, Dan Gans, whose clients include the Roche Group, was listed as a host for an event for Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY).
• A “health care industry breakfast” on May 13 at Sonoma for Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY).
• A lunch on April 22 for Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA) at the Dutko Group, a lobbying firm with clients such as America’s Health Insurance Plans, the American Hospital Group, and Hematech Inc.