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.

Check out our own Paul Blumenthal’s post on the Sunlight Foundation’s blog about how Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) skipped his own fundraiser last weekend. Paul does a great job of showing how Baucus’ leadership PAC, the Glacier PAC, is like a magnet for health care industry contributions. He concludes:

While Sen. Baucus has promised not to accept any more contributions from health care PACs, he is still willing to accept contributions from their lobbyists and executives. It will be interesting to see who showed up at the senator’s big summer weekend getaway, even if the senator didn’t make it there himself.

Today’s Washington Post analysis on the massive lobbying forces deployed by industry groups on the health care debate features numerous prominent lobbyists who have close ties to key lawmakers (Sunlight’s Paul Blumenthal blogs about it here). At Party Time we can treat you to a glimpse at the social calendars of some mentioned in the story who are also active on the congressional fundraising circuit:

• David Castagnetti, a former chief of staff for Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), whose clients include PhRMA and America’s Health Insurance Plans;

• Colette Desmarais, a former health care policy advisor for Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), who now lobbies for numerous health care interests at her job with Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti;

• Kelly Bingell, who also works for Mehlman Vogel Catagnetti, and formerly was chief of staff for Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR);

• Stephen Northrup, who worked for Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), and now lobbies for Wellpoint, one of the world’s largest insurance conglomerates;

• former Rep. Dick Armey, now a lobbyist for DLA Piper.

This was just a quick look based on the Post’s  story–we’ll be looking more at revolving door health care lobbyists who also party.

With half a dozen golfing fundraisers this weekend from Virginia to Montana, lawmakers must be hoping for good weather.

Reps. Ed Royce (R-CA), Glenn Nye (D-VA), and Tom Rooney (R-FL) will be hosting events involving golf in the Commonwealth of Virginia and they are asking for contributions ranging from $1,000 per individual to $5,000 per team of four. Nye’s event features “special guest” NFL hall of famer Bruce Smith. Senator Baucus (D-MT) is hosting his 10th Annual Fly Fishing & Golf event in his home state this weekend. He’s asking for contributions of $5,000.

Rep. John Larson (D-CT) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) will be splitting their time this weekend at the MGM Grand’s spa in Foxwoods and the Lake of Isles Golf Course to benefit Larson’s Synergy PAC. Donors can join them in North Stonington, Connecticut for contributions of $5,000.

Finally, Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) is offering PACs and individuals the opportunity to attend the US Open with him at Bethpage Black for $5,000 each.

Six golfing events in one weekend may seem like a lot—but if summers past are any indication of things to come, our legislators are just getting started.

Did you know Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) has a penchant for singing Johnny Cash songs–specifically, “Folsom Prison Blues”? Read all about it here, where newwest.com’s Robert Struckman reports on the a “Big Sky” Montana delegation party at the Democratic convention. Here is Struckman on the food–and the guests–at the party (he admits to being pretty hungry when he got to the party):

It was good stuff: a plateful of elk bison sliders was arranged next to crackers and cheese and other bite-sized fare. (Remember the “toothpick rule?”)

A waiter brought me another beer—the bar was wide open. And a few other scruffy attendees and I wolfed down those mini-burgers. (I took advantage of the cheese plates and nearby greenery—as well as huckleberry ketchup—to transform my bare elk patties into deluxe ungulate burgerettes.) Most of the attendees wore suits or other professional attire. Bingo, I thought. Lobbyists. I started asking people where they were from. Most were lobbyists. Not Montana. I did meet one actual Montana lobbyist, from PPL, the power company. Great guy.

The Colorado Independent also takes a look back at all the partying:

While many of those events were bare-bones, advocate-sponsored forums focused on issues, others were lavish, corporate-sponsored galas targeting members of Congress and other Democratic officials – everything from an AT&T-funded luncheon for the Maine, Vermont and Rhode Island delegations at the Pinnacle Club, a private event space high atop the Grand Haytt, to a gathering of Democratic attorneys general at the Ritz-Carlton, sponsored by AstroZeneca, a pharmaceutical giant facing numerous suits in federal and state courts.

Like many lobbying groups, the Poker Players Alliance sponsored events in both cities. To generate attention among many convention-related activities, the alliance brought along Hollywood stars. In Denver, for example, celebrities like Ben Affleck and Sarah Silverman were at the event. The alliance’s Web site does nothing to disguise the group’s intentions, saying it “is taking advantage of the concentration of delegates and members of Congress … to continue to lobby for the legalization of online poker.”

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