An aspiring Norwegian bachelor or bachelorette? It'll cost you $100. Wannabe Lake Wobegon overachiever? That's $500. Humble Democratic staffer or English major? You can get in for $10. Special deal. Welcome to Garrison Keillor's "Lunch on the Prairie" fundraiser for Rep. Tim Walz Wednesday at Democratic National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Bard of the Prairie, who endorsed Obama in 2008, will be providing "remarks and insights," but potential Walz donors are being told not to expect a full Prairie Home Companion show. Doesn't matter if you're one of "Minnesota's finest" ($1,000) or a "young professional/rhubarb enthusiast" ($25). Keillor will be joining you for lunch, but not an entire show. Sounds like it could be something other than a quiet week for Walz, a bit of a prairie populist who came out of teaching four years ago to win a seat in Congress. Now his southern Minnesota district is being targeted by Republicans as a potential pickup opportunity in the fall – if the expected national GOP tide is high enough. The endorsed GOP candidate? State Rep. Randy Demmer. Only problem: Demmer reported just $19,424.63 in his campaign at the end of March. That's compared to $595,541 for Walz. Demmer might need to start casting about for his own bard.
