For a $250 donation, partiers can cruise aboard a private yacht on the Potomac with Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa) and get access to three other GOP Appropriations Committee members:  ranking member  Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) and Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.).

These members of the powerful committee appear to scratch each others’ backs, often agreeing to show up at fundraisers for each other, according to several parties in the Party Time’s database. Just last month, Latham was billed as a special guest for Rehberg. Latham and Simpson were scheduled to attend Rep. Devin Nunes’s (R-Cali.) June “Sideways” wine tour weekend and their committee membership was listed on the invitation. (See below for other such back-scratching events.)

Tonight’s soiree — in celebration of Latham’s 62nd birthday — starts at 6 p.m. in Southwest Washington with a dockside reception, followed by a two-hour cruise, and then an “informal gathering” at Cantina Marina, advertised on its website as “the only restaurant on water in DC.”

To host the event, PACs are asked to shell out $2,500, individuals $2,400. To merely attend the event, a PAC can get two tickets for $1,000.

Renting the double-decker 100 foot yacht, dubbed “Celebrity,” from Capital Yacht Charters costs $2,100 (plus tax) for a two-hour cruise plus catering and beverage service, according to CYC’s website. Latham benefited from a similar event last year but it is unclear from his expenditure records how much the event cost him. His campaign hires Bellwether Consulting Group for its consulting, and has paid the group about $65,000 this election cycle. Latham reported paying Cantina Marina about $2,500 for fundraising meals last year, though the date listed is a month after the party.

Here is a list of all fundraisers for members of the the Appropriations Committee. And here are the recent invitations in Party Time records where one of these four amigos are listed as guests for fellow committee members:

*Simpson planned to bring cheer to Latham’s holiday party

*Lewis was billed as special guest for Simpson in March, and their committee membership was highlighted.

*Lewis was also a guest at Latham’s “Supper Club” series last year.

*In December, Latham and Simpson were draws on an invitation to fellow committee member Rep. Kay Granger’s (R-Texas) gathering.

This weekend, California Republican Rep. Devin Nunes’ political action committee, New PAC, will host the 2010 Sideways Tour, which promises an “unforgettable weekend on the California Coast” for those who pay anywhere from $5,000-$2,500 can “enjoy great weather, wine tasting and more”.

The film from which the fundraiser takes its name featured middle-aged men with quietly desperate lives gathering for interminable drinking, convenient philandering, and the occasional smash down by a motorcycle helmet or a naked chase along a wine country road from an angry husband.

NewPAC’s agenda is a bit more sedate: it includes a wine tour and at least two group dinners with Nunes and other special guests including Republican Reps. Tom Latham of Iowa, John Shimkus of Illinois, Kevin McCarthy of California, Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania, and Mike Simpson of Idaho. Guests must pay for their own travel and lodging, and are encouraged to stay at the award-winning Cliffs Resort on Shell Beach.

The invitation also advertises contributions of $5,000 for the New PAC Max Team which allows donors to attend any or all of the four 2010 New PAC events:  A Las Vegas Super Bowl party, the California Sideways tour, a Boston Celtics game and a Washington Dinner.

Nunes’ New PAC mainly funds House Republican congress members, as well as two Republican senators and the National Republican Congressional Committee. In 2008, New PAC contributed $5,000 to the legal defense fund for retiring Rep. John Doolittle, who was under investigation for his involvment with imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

The invitation does not say whether there will be any Merlot.

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.

This weekend features a couple of getaways from the city offered by lawmakers seeking cash for their leadership PACs.

Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) will be hosting a “Pacific Northwest Summer Retreat” at the Suquamish Clearwater Casino in Washington state. Guests can look forward to sailing, kayaking (with the Congressman!), gambling and a ‘legislative update breakfast.’ Contributions are to be made out to his New Apollo Energy PAC–named for the New Apollo Energy Act he and 14 other representatives introduced in the House on June 9, 2005.

The second fundraiser will be hosted by House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH), Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA). Contributions are to be made out to the joint fundraising committee Americans for a Conservative Course. The invitation states that all donations will then be equally distributed between the four leadership committees: the Freedom Project (Boehner), For America’s Republican Majority (Latham), the Next Century Fund (Burr), and the Republican Majority Fund (Chambliss).

This weekend looks to be chock-full of a variety of congressional fundraisers–the events include golf, baseball, a birthday cruise, a weekend escape to a casino resort, and last but certainly not least, the Elton and Billy concert at Nationals Park.

Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL) is hosting her 3rd All-American Chicago Weekend which includes a Cubs v. Cardinals game from the Wrigley Field Rooftops. The invitation doesn’t give an indication as to which rooftop, but I’d wager the Congresswoman’s events planner has at least considered the Wrigley Field Rooftop Club’s MVP Suite.

According to Wikipedia, the Honorable Tom Latham (R-IA) is turning 61 on the 14th. In honor of his birthday donors can chip in $250-$2,500 to putz around on a boat named “Celebrity.”

Next up, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) is offering to whisk his donors away to the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. Maybe they’ll have time to get in on a poker tournament while they are there. What’s a few hundred bucks after contributing the requested $2,000-$5,000 anyway?

Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) will be spending his weekend golfing and raising money near the beach for his First State Leadership PAC. $5,000 gets you in on the fun.

Finally, Reps. John Shadegg (R-AZ), Jean Schmidt (R-OH) and John Shimkus (R-IL) will be fundraising at the Face2Face concert on Saturday. I don’t want to beat a dead horse, so I’ll just ask that anyone who finds tickets on Craigslist email me, because $2,000 a ticket is a bit too rich for my blood and I would really love to go.

Congress is working pretty hard this week (see a few of the scheduled hearings here, here and here).  However, the busy work schedule isn’t stopping–or maybe it’s even inspiring–legislators to party hard in their free time.  For today’s date alone, June 16, we have 33 fundraising events in the Party Time database.

Perhaps the greatest similarity between all of these events is that, with only a handful of exceptions, the choice of venue and mode of entertainment sound, well, boring.  I enjoy shrimp cocktails and Maryland crabcakes as much as anyone else, but how many private lunch buffets in the Blue Room can one legislator stand? Some of our elected officials’ favorite venues are beyond tired.

There are a few legislators who are showing some creativity. Rep. Tom Latham (R, IA-4) is hosting a fundraiser at the Starfish Café. He’s asking for $2,500 from PACs and $1,500 from individual donors (and that gorgonzola pear salad looks like it might be worth every penny). Rep. Parker Griffith (D, AL-5) is hosting a dinner at Bobby Van’s Grill—his first event at this location according to our records. While his adventurism is surely to be applauded, it may be poorly rewarded according to one Washington Post reader review.

To round out this 33-fundraising-event day, Rep. Darrell Issa (R, CA-49) is hosting his 8th annual Issa Cream Event. He’s asking PACs for $1,000 and individuals for $500.  The invitation lists 13 additional House Reps. as “special guests”–which just goes to show that everyone loves ice cream. Or issa cream. Or whatever.