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Today, Pawlenty will raise cash in DC. Next month, he'll raise big money in Minnesota
By Rachel E. Stassen-Berger
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's is set to rake in the bucks for his Freedom First PAC in the coming weeks.
Tonight, he's got a "Pretzels and Pints" fundraiser and a $5,000-a-plate dinner event at the home of Washington lobbyist John D. Milne in the nation's capital. Minnesota Republican Reps. John Kline, Michele Bachmann and Erik Paulsen and former Rep. Vin Weber sent an invitation asking folks to "join them in honoring" Pawlenty at the event. Here's the invite. Hundreds of people are expected to attend the beer-themed event but the under-aged may be able to lift a glass to honor the man who says he hasn't decided to run for president yet. Spokesman Alex Conant notes: "We will be checking ids."
On Nov. 4 in Minnesota, he'll raise a lot more cash from a the official "kick-off" for his Freedom First PAC. The invite to that, which includes a long list of chairs, co-chairs and co-hosts, says the PAC "will provide Governor Pawlenty with the resources and infrastructure he needs to spread our conservative message in Minnesota and across America."
An original save-the-date note about the event suggested each event chair was asked to raise $100,000, each co-chair $50,000 and each co-host $20,000 but the sponsors are likely working in teams to raise the cash so counting them up and doing the math won't generate the actual amount the glitzy fundraiser will take in. Here's the invite to that $1000-$5,000 a-plate event.
Pawlenty's planned political travel schedule is actually pretty light in advance of that first week in November but then he'll start back up with a bang. He is to give a speech in Iowa on Nov. 7. That speech will be his first stop in the early caucus state and is yet another sign he's gearing up for a possible 2012 presidential run. The speech has drawn national attention and C-SPAN plans to broadcast it nationwide.
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