Motion Picture Association of America Chairman Chris Dodd set off a firestorm of criticism last week when he suggested that Hollywood would withhold campaign money from President Obama and lawmakers who don’t toe the Hollywood line on online piracy.

Losing support of the entertainment industry would not be insignificant for the president: In 2011, DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg gave $2 million to Priorities USA, the super PAC backing Obama. Another major bankroller is Harvey Weinstein, co-founder of Miramax Films, who along with Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour last August co-hosted a $71,600-a-couple fundraiser for Obama at his New York home.

But so far at least, Party Time hasn’t detected any slowdown in the entertainment industry’s enthusiasm for the president, despite the White House’s decision to put the brakes on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Just a few days before the White House raised concerns about the legislation, which is being enthusiastically backed by the entertainment industry, Obama was raising funds at  the New York City  home of director Spike Lee.

In addition, Party Time records show a Feb. 7 Runway to Win fundraiser scheduled for the Obama Victory Fund 2012. Hosts for the event include: Wintour, actress Scarlet Johansson,  hip-hop moguls Sean Combs and Russell Simmons, singer Beyonce, and fashion designers Diane Von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs and Vera Wang. Party Time records also show a Jan. 9 reception fundraiser in DC featuring featuring singer-songwriter Sarah Bareilles. Both the fashion and music industries support SOPA.

Meanwhile, back in Washington, the SOPA debate has set off a $100 million lobbying war. Both the entertainment companies who back SOPA and the tech giants who oppose it have lined up blue-chip lobbyists who are regulars on the Party Time circuit.

Former Rep. Victor Fazio, D-Calif., now a lobbyist at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, represents AT& T, a proponent of SOPA. He was one of the hosts at a dinner fundraiser benefiting Democrats Win Seats, the leadership PAC of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., a SOPA supporter and the Democratic Party’s national chair. Reps. Karen Bass, D-Calif and Ted Deutch D-Fla., both SOPA supporters, and Reps. Adam Smith, D-Wash., and Bruce Braley, SOPA opponents, were listed among those scheduled to attend. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Senate Judiciary Committee member and one of the four co-sponsors of PIPA, has had several  fundraisers featuring lobbyists from tApple (has not formally stated a position on SOPA), the Motion Picture Association of America, Time Warner and Time Warner Cable.

And as we’ve previously told you in this space, companies backing SOPA have held several fundraisers benefitting Reps. Howard Berman, Adam Schiff, Joe Baca and Mary Bono Mack of California .

Not to be outdone, the tech industry, which sent a powerful message Jan. 18 about its distaste for SOPA on popular websites such as  Google, Wikipedia and Craigslist, has been well represented on the Party Time circuit.

Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., a member of the Judiciary Committee is one of the 27 co-sponsors of SOPA; on the day of the online protest, he issued a press release withdrawing his support, saying his constituents have “made clear” their opposition to legislation.   Alex Vogel of Mehlman, Vogel and Castagnetti, who once worked for then-Republican Senate Leader Bill Frist, was one of the four hosts for Griffin’s reception in early December of last year. Vogel clients include CC Media Holdings, eBay Inc., Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and Yahoo! Inc.  Yahoo! and eBay are opponents of SOPA. Also hosting the fundraiser were other lobbyists representing a range of communications interests, including some on both sides of the SOPA debate:  Marc Lampkin, who represents AT&T, Microsoft Corporation, Sony Corporation and Visa Inc. Kathryn Lehman, who represents Google Inc. and Verizon Communications, and Susan Hirschmann, who represents Comcast Corporation, National Cable & Telecommunications Association, Recording Industry Association of America; US Chamber of Commerce and Visa Inc.

Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas, the chairman National Republican Senatorial Committee and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee member, is another former backer of anti-piracy legislation who shifted his position.  Cornyn’s Alamo PAC had two fundraisers featuring a lobbyist from Clear Channel, Verizon Communications and AT&T, all supporters of SOPA. But after the online protest, the Texan took to  Facebook to share misgivings about the legislation those companies are backing.“Better to get this done right rather than fast and wrong. Stealing content is theft, plain and simple, but concerns about unintended damage to the internet and innovation in the tech sector require a more thoughtful balance, which will take more time,” Cornyn wrote.

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., also once supported the anti-piracy bill but now opposes it. According to Party Time records, he had a fundraiser hosted by lobbyists Doyle Barlett and Becky Relic. Barlett represents clients such as Comcast Corporation, eBay, and the US Chamber of Commerce. Relic represents eBay. Another supporter-turned-opponent, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., had a fundraiser in which three of the hosts are lobbyists who represent Comcast, National Cable and Telecommunications Association, Time Warner Cable and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

There are a few lawmakers who have not formally expressed a stand on SOPA. One example is House Oversight Committee member Rep. Ed Towns, D-N.Y. At his 25th Annual Taste of New York fundraising event,  Towns had lobbyists representing both sides of the SOPA debate as hosts. Paul Braitwaite, a lobbyist for the Podesta Group represents Google, Time Warner Cable and the National Association of Broadcasters is listed as one of the hosts. The list of hosts for Towns event also included Roger Mott with Verizon Communications, Lyndon Boozer of AT&T, Matt Gelman of Microsoft and Jesse McCollum, a lobbyist with the Eris Group representing the Comcast Corporation.

Orange Julius – Today, Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., is scheduled to attend the National Orange Show Annual Awards Dinner in San Bernardino, Calif.  To join Baca at this event, tickets range from $5,000 for PACs to $99 for individual contributions. Baca’s fundraiser invitations appear frequently in the Party Time database.

Tuesday Moneymakers – Tuesday is a popular day to fundraise this week for several members of Congress. Legendary R&B singer Chaka Khan is the featured entertainment at an evening concert at the Birchmere, where Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga. plans to raise cash. Cost is $85 for a ticket from Ticketmaster; Johnson is asking donors for $1,500 for one ticket, $2,500 for two.Meanwhile, Reps. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., and Mike Quigley, D-Ill., are planning fundraisers at the Washington Capitals vs. St. Louis Blues hockey game. Stearns’ event is hosted by former Texas Rep. Jack Fields, now a lobbyist for the Twenty-First Century Group, along with an AT&T lobbyist, a Verizon lobbyist, and another with the Glover Park Group. Rep. Bill Owens, D-N.Y., will be hosting a seasonal New York Apple Harvest Reception at the National Democratic Club Townhouse. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C. plans to appear at a dinner fundraiser benefiting Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Tuesday night.

Race for Massachusetts - As the Massachusetts Senate race continues to heat up,  Sen. Scott Brown continues his fundraising efforts on Wednesday as he hosts a breakfast fundraiser. To join Brown for breakfast, tickets start at $2,500 for PACs and $1,000 for individuals.

Big Easy in DC – Bringing Louisiana flavor to the nation’s capitol, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D. La., will be hosting an evening filled with sweets and treats from the Bayou at her Capitol Hill home on Wednesday.

Tired of Turkey, Try Chinese Takeout – If people are tired of Thanksgiving leftovers, they can join Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., on Wednesday for Chinese Takeout. Hosts are lobbyists Dan Mattoon and Mike Zarrelli.

Texas Sized Breakfast – Originally scheduled for October 25, Rep. Silvestre Reyes, R-Texas, breakfast fundraiser has been rescheduled for this Thursday. Former Super Committee Member Rep. Xavier Becerra, R-Calif., is scheduled to attend as a special guest.

Tis’ the Season – As 2011 comes to a close, politicians are scrambling to raise money with holiday cheer. This Thursday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will be hosting a holiday party featuring Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. This fundraiser is to benefit a long list of “Frontline Members,” including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz.

Reps. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., Melvin Watt, D-N.C., and Heath Schuler, D-N.C. will also be hosting holiday themed fundraisers on Thursday. Sewell will be having a holiday cupcakes and cocktails reception; Watt will be hosting a “holiday sip” in the evening; and Shuler will kick-off winter with a Southern reception.

Rep. Gwen Moore, D- Wis.,  is hosting a holiday concert fundraiser featuring American Idol finalist and Wisconsin native Naima Adedapo this Saturday. Attendees can pay $75 for two tickets or $50 for one ticket.

California Dreamin’ – Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., will be at Honorable Tom Reynold’s 19^th Annual Pebble Beach Golf Weekend starting Dec.2-4. The cost is $5,000 per PAC and $2,500 per individual.

Ski Weekend- Sen. Lisa Murkowski will be in Deer Valley, UT for the First Tracks Ski Trip. Murkowski has raised cash while skiing before.

For the complete list of fundraisers this week, check out Party Time.

While all eyes are on the supercommittee this week as their deadline for identifying budget cuts fast approaches, a few of the lawmakers on the panel still have some time on their hands for fundraising.

This week, there are eight fundraisers planned either benefiting a supercommittee member or where they are playing host. Rep. David Camp, R-Mich., was scheduled to host a fundraiser for Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Texas Monday night at Charlie Palmer Steak while Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., will be hosting an event for Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas on Tuesday. The nine-term congressman may be facing a primary challenge in March against State Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio if the Texas Legislature passes its redistricting map. So far Castro has raised more than $500,000 since announcing his candidacy for Congress.

Rep. Jim Clyburn’s, D-S.C. will be hosting a breakfast event on Wednesday to raise money for his Leadership PAC and another fundraiser at the restaurant Art and Soul, the Politico reports. Rep Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., is scheduled to attend a breakfast Tuesday morning at the Democratic Club.

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., has a breakfast fundraiser planned on Wednesday, Nov. 16, according to the National Journal and later that evening, he will be having a 50^th birthday celebration at Sonoma. GOP Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wy., Dan Coats, R-Ind., John Cornyn, R-Texas, Jim DeMint, R-S.C.,  Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, are scheduled to attend. Lastly, Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., will be hosting an event for Sen. Orrin Hatch on Thursday.

Since the creation of the panel at least seven members have accepted money from lobbyists, including Camp, according to the Washington Post, Camp took in the most contributions — “$707,000 for his campaign and $180,000 for his leadership PAC.”

Although, only Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., announced that he would stop raising money, other members have said they would not schedule any new fundraising events. For a list of all supercommittee fundraisers see here.

Deficit panel-watching lobbyists throwing fundraiser for Orrin Hatch. Four lobbyists at Capitol Tax Partners, all with previous posts on the Senate Finance Committee, are hosting Hatch, R-Utah, the ranking Republican on the committee, for breakfast on Thursday. One of them, Lawrence Willcox, also used to be the senior advisor to the deficit panel’s Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and another, Lindsay Hooper, worked on the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984.

The super committee is considering tackling tax reform, and Capitol Tax Partners lobbies on tax issues for some of nation’s biggest banks, the Federation of American Hospitals, and Amgen, all with stakes in the super committee’s work. Last week, Hatch and the Finance Committee Republicans submitted their formal recommendations to the panel, focusing on Medicare and Medicaid cuts.

Scott Brown hopes third event is a charm. For the third time in eight days, Brown, R-Mass., will hold an event catering to D.C. insiders and this one, being at The Dubliner, might just be Irish-themed. The Wednesday pub reception is for his leadership PAC, and seeks between $250 and $2,500 per head.

Brown will likely be apart of one of 2012’s most closely watched Senate races, with the leading Democrat in the race being consumer advocate and Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren, who is popular with liberals.

The Realtors’ PAC is keeping busy, hosting at least its fourth congressional fundraiser this month. On Thursday it’s Sen. Kay Hagan’s, D-N.C., turn. NAR’s PAC wants to ensure that the super committee lays off the mortgage interest tax deduction, which was cut by the Senate’s Gang of Six in its deficit plan.

Qualcomm officials fete Feinstein. The company’s VP for Government Affairs, Greg Farmer, is opening up his home for a Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., fundraiser Thursday, which also features another company lobbyist, Holly Fechner. Among the issues on the telecom company’s radar is allocating more spectrum for mobile broadband, which President Obama has proposed in his American Jobs Act and the super committee is reportedly considering.

Feinstein faces re-election in 2012, and recently injected $5 million of her own into her campaign after a political consultant embezzled nearly $4.7 million from her account.

Thursday’s breakfast asks for between $1,000 and $5,000 from donors.

If Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, can’t play golf for himself anymore, why not play for others?

Booted from the GOP primary earlier this year, Bennett (along with senior Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah) will be fundraising in Park City this weekend anyhow, though not for himself but for the GOP’s North Dakota senate candidate, John Hoeven. After hitting the ‘best’ golf club in Utah, the party-goers are off to the vacation home of prominent health care lobbyist Jeff Kimbell, a past host at Bennett and Hatch events and a member of President George W. Bush’s transition team advisory committee for the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the Party Time invitation.

Bennett had long planned to be in Park City this weekend  for his annual August fly-fishing and golf campaign event. Unfortunately for him, “Flies and Drives” likely flew away soon after he lost his party’s nomination. In June, the Bennett campaign would not confirm whether ”Flies and Drives” was on. Now it is off, organizers told Party Time.

But it seems that the party animal — Bennett made the top 5 in Party Time’s database last year, including eight events at Capitol Hill eatery Charlie Palmer Steak – couldn’t resist a good fundraiser, 18 holes, and Kimbell’s ski lodge-esque home with views of Park City Mountain, which is available for rent at $700-per-night, according to the website. An email sent to Kimbell had not been returned at the time of posting.

Now, on the same day Bennett was supposed to hold his event, popular Gov. John Hoeven, the easy favorite to take the seat held by retiring Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., will be bringing in campaign cash. Hoeven and Bennett share the same fundraising consultants — the Bellwether Group — as listed on the two invitations. The Utah senator has paid the group nearly $50,000 this cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The day’s events include an intimate $1,000-per-person golf outing where just three foursomes will be playing at Park City’s Glenwild Golf Club. Then the group is off to a $500-per-head reception at Kimbell’s home.

As for life after Congress, Bennett, 76, seems a bit lost right now, telling the Salt Lake Tribune he wants to be productive — “I don’t want to go off and make ships in a bottle, collect stamps or something of that kind.” The DC Party circuit certainly won’t be the same. Charlie Palmer Steak will miss his presence, and the $16,500 spent there this election cycle.

Two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the same committee that began the confirmation process for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan Monday, were featured speakers of a June 22nd “Judiciary Roundtable” fundraiser benefiting the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, were listed on the invitation for the event, which was limited to 30 seats at $500-$1,000 per person or political action group. Those who gave $15,000 a year to the NRSC could attend for free.

While this event isn’t included in Party Time’s search for invitations by committee, since Cornyn and Hatch were not the beneficiaries of the fundraiser, there have been at least eight other campaign fundraisers for  the 19 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee between today and May 10 – the day President Obama announced Kagan as his nominee. They include:

• A breakfast this morning at for Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. Tickets cost $1,000 per PAC and $500 per person.
• A June 24th lunch for Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., at Charlie Palmer Steak to benefit Wyden’s Senate campaign. Tickets cost $500-$5,000.
• A June 22nd reception for Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, at The Monocle Restaurant. The numerous hosts listed  included the American Health Care Association PAC. Tickets ranged from $500-$2,500.
• A May 20th breakfast for Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. Tickets ranged from $500-$1,000.
• A May 19th “Margaritas and Mariachi” at the National Republican Senatorial Committee offices for Sen. Cornyn’s ALAMO PAC. Hosts include the American Society of Anesthesiologists PAC, the Home Depot PAC, and the Verizon Good Gov’t Fund. Tickets cost $250-$2,500.
• A May 19th $1,000 per person “Bagels with Ben” fundraiser for Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md.
• A May 13th fundraising dinner hosted by Sen. John Kyl, R-Ariz., honoring Republican politicians currently running for Senate. They include Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt now running for Senate, Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk now running for the Illinois Senate, former Colorado Lt. Gov. Jane Norton now running for Colorado Senator, and former Representative and Bush cabinet member Rob Portman now running for Ohio Senate. Also listed was Senate Minority Leader Mitch MCconnell, R-Ky. Tickets cost $3,000-$5,000 and benefited the Road to Senate Victory Committee 2010.
• A May 12th reception at for Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa. Tickets cost $1,000-$5,000, and the event was billed as the final event before Specter’s Democratic primary, which he would go on to lose to Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak. Hosts included lobbyists Shannon Finley and Tony Podesta.

A self-proclaimed lobbyist for an alternative health organization–who left a prominent conservative group more than a decade ago under a cloud of financial mismanagement–is hosting a fundraiser next week for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Grassley, who recently earned fame for his tweets on health care, has a reputation as a strong crusader for drug safety. But he has also has championed policies favoring the alternative health industry, which some consumer critics charge is not adequately regulated by the federal government.

Sam Brunelli, who works for the Whitaker Health Freedom Foundation, the political arm of the Freedom of Health Foundation, and his wife, Robin Read, are feting Grassley at a breakfast on June 24 at the Capitol Hill Club. The Foundation, headed by Dr. Julian Whitaker of dietary supplement fame, states it opposes the government and the pharmaceutical industry whenever they “suppress the truth about alternative medical therapies and/or nutritional supplementation.” Read is president and CEO of the Foundation for Women Legislators, which includes Dr. Whitaker on its board. The Freedom of Health Foundation did not return a call inquiring about the event.

Brunelli is introduced as a lobbyist on the organization’s Web site, here; however there are no official records of his work at least as a federal lobbyist here, according to lobbyist disclosure reports. The most recent available tax forms filed by the Whitaker Health Freedom Foundation, the political arm, claim a budget of just $34,000 and make no mention of payments to staff. (See the organization’s 1998 990 form here.)

Brunelli formerly served as executive director of the conservative group the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which works to advance conservative state legislators. He left the group in 1995 over charges of mismanagement and personal enrichment, according to a 1995 National Journal report.

Grassley goes to bat for alternative health care therapies

Grassley has earned a reputation as an active watchdog of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pushing to strengthen the agency’s regulation of pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices and arguing for tough conflict-of-interest laws for researchers. Indeed he won an award this year from the National Research Center for Women & Families because “his willingness to challenge the FDA has saved the lives of adults and children by helping remove unsafe medical products from the market.”

However, Grassley also has long been a supporter of alternative health care therapies and has enjoyed support from the “health freedom” movement, which opposes strong regulation of supplements.

In 1994, Grassley co-sponsored a law championed by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act. This law established the U.S. Food and Drug Administation’s (FDA) authority to regulate dietary supplements–but as a food rather than a drug. This means supplements can be marketed without any requirements that they first be proven safe or effective, as pharmaceuticals must be.

After much national attention about the dietary supplement ephedra, which was linked to injuries and deaths, Congress in 2006 passed a law to require that dietary supplement manufacturers report adverse effects–which passed the Senate by unanimous consent. (Public Law No: 109-462). However, the FDA still lacks the resources and authority to protect consumers from unsafe dietary supplements, according to a May 2009 GAO report.

Grassley has also earned plaudits from the alternative health community for co-sponsoring legislation to permit doctors to use any treatment a patient wants–including unapproved therapies or medications. (S 2618, 2006). And he’s gotten cheers from the American Chiropractic Association for serving as “one of chiropractic’s strongest allies.”

In 1998, the senator co-sponsored legislation to expand an alternative health care program at the National Institutes of Health; the new office became known as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.  (S. 2420, funded as part of omnibus spending bill, H.R.4328) Since 1999, the office has spent $2.5 billion on studies exploring such topics as the effectiveness of ginkgo biloba for improving memory and shark cartilage for treating cancer. (Neither proved any better than placebos).

Grassley has managed to secure some money from the center for projects in his home state of Iowa. In 2007, he announced that the NIH office was giving $191,672 to Drake University for a project called “Reproductive and Behavioral Effects of Genistein,” which is exploring whether soy products eaten by pregnant women have a harmful effect on male fetal development. Another grant, for $110, 592, went to the Palmer College of Chriopractic in Davenport, for a project called “Expanding [Evidence Based Medicine] and Research Across the Palmer College of Chiropractic.” In 2002, the senator helped steer $110,250 to the University of Iowa to study the “neurobiology of joint manipulation induced analgesia,” as reported by the Associated Press. (Translation: that means pain relief from manipulating the body rather than using drugs.)

Unlike Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT), who are also champions of the alternative health industry, Grassley has not collected large amounts in campaign contributions from the nutritional and dietary supplement industries in the past, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

[Intern Josh Heath contributed research to this post.]