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Documenting the Political Partying Circuit
From the early hours of the morning until late in the evening, politicians are partying. Sunlight's PARTY TIME can help you find out who is partying, where and when.

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2010 Elections competitive races • POSTED - 09.27.10 BY Nancy Watzman

Ninety fundraisers scheduled over next two weeks

Ninety congressional fundraisers are planned over the next two weeks, including 34 for candidates running in close races, according to the Party Time database. The great majority of these events are in Washington, D.C. as candidates fundraise furiously during the last few days of this session. Party Time has logged 364 planned fundraisers since the start of September, and continues to add new fundraising invitations to the database as we receive them. Click here to see them all. To see a list of upcoming parties for candidates in close races, see below.

Some notable examples include:

  • Tomorrow Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., headlines this reception for David Schweikert, running in a closely contested race for Arizona’s fifth district.  Schweikert is one of the National Republican Campaign Committee’s (NRCC) “young guns,” selected for special help with fundraising and support, who also has the support of the Arizona Tea Party. His Democratic opponent, Rep. Harry Mitchell, will be raising cash at this reception on Sept. 30.
  • Tomorrow Republican and Tea Party candidate Ken Buck, who is challenging Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., fundraises at this reception at the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee (NRSC). Senate  Minority Leader Mitch McConnell R-Ky., and NRSC Chairman John Cornyn, R-Texas, are among the GOP Senate heavyweights headlining the event. The race has drawn some of the largest independent expenditures to date.
  • Several senators who are not up for re-election this year have planned fundraisers for their leadership PACs, likely to raise cash to spread around to other candidates who are facing tight races. Today Senate Majority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., raises cash at this dinner for his Senate Majority Fund. Hosts include lobbyists representing the American Bankers Association, US Oncology, and Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, as well as the National Mining Association PAC.
  • Tomorrow, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., is hosting this reception benefiting her America’s Leadership PAC at the offices of lobbying firm Cornerstone Government Affairs. Meanwhile, over at Charlie Palmer Steak, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., is hosting a dinner for his LEG PAC. Other senators with leadership PAC fundraisers on tap include Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., with this planned reception on October 6. Already passed is this breakfast on September 15 for KPAC, run by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.

Click here to download a spreadsheet of upcoming fundraisers for candidates in competitive races, based on Cook Report ratings.

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Partytime special interests • POSTED - 07.14.09 BY Nancy Watzman

GOP Senators seeking “majority makers”

GOP senators are seeking “majority makers” like former Bush Pioneer John Nau at their retreat at the Four Seasons for the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee (NRSC) in Jackson Hole August 14 – 16. “Majority Makers” may sound like a hopeful term these days for the GOP now that the Senate is 60-40 in Democratic hands; in fact, it is the NRSC’s donor club for those individuals who contribute the maximum possible of $30,400.

The weekend will feature several opportuities to hob knob with GOP Senatorial big wigs such as Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). It being Wyoming, there’s also golfing, fly fishing, horseback riding, and river rafting.

Also featured is a reception and dinner at the home of John and Barbara Nau in Teton Village. Nau is CEO of Silver Eagle Distributors, Houston’s number one Anheuser-Busch distributor. He was a “pioneer” for former President George W. Bush in both the 2000 and 2004 elections. In November 2001, President Bush awarded Nau with an appointment as Chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Nau also bundled campaign contributions for both Rudy Giuliani and Sen. John McCain in the recent presidential race, and he’s serving as finance chairman for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s (R-TX) bid for the Texas gubernatorial seat.

Overall, he and his wife Barbara personally have contributed more than $823,000 to federal candidates and PACs since 1989, according to Open Secrets. (See google spreadsheet here. Interestingly, the Naus in the past contributed $27,904 to Democrats, much of it during the years of the Clinton Administration. ) This includes a combined $60,800 to the NRSC this calendar year, establishing them as “majority makers.”

Nau was a 2008 member of the “chairman’s circle” for the National Beer Wholesalers Association, meaning he’d contributed the maximum possible to the organization’s PAC. The group lobbies on a wide range of issues, from tax policy to fuel prices to product safety.

If you want a room at the Four Seasons at the group block rate, you need to act quickly–the deadline is tomorrow.

Intern Josh Heath contributed to this post.

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PARTYFINDER™ Hints

Beneficiary: congressional candidate, lawmaker, or entity which collects funds raised at party

Host: person who is hosting party-often, but not always, a registered federal lobbyist

Venue Name: where the party is

Entertainment Type: type of gathering, such as "breakfast," "ski trip," "bowling"

Other Lawmakers Mentioned: lawmakers mentioned on invitation who are used as a draw for the event

Sunlight's Party Time is a project to track parties for members of Congress or congressional candidates that happen all year round in Washington, D.C. and beyond. (read more)

We also post information we receive about parties where members of Congress are expected to participate—such as convention or inaugural parties.

Since we don't hear about all the parties, you can also tell us if you know where the party is and we don't.