Pence, M Rep

=new tag not implemented 419 vpencesee pence VPcapt 419
funny i thought of trump as indep of kochs, since they hated him? one said vote for hillary, but pence their midwest golden boy gov, and of course since trump swamp full of koch ppl early lewandoski?
==

In essence, Kerpen's modus operandi is the latter-day equivalent of the "Defund the Left" campaign embarked on by Howard Phillips, a founder of the religious right, during his short stint in the Nixon administration.

In addition to Glenn Beck and Americans for Prosperity, a less-noticed player in the health-care drama is Grassfire, another astroturfing outfit, which, <a target="blank" href="http://www.alternet.org/politics/141860/inside_story_on_town_hall_riots:right-wing_shock_troops_do_corporate_america%27s_dirty_work/">as AlterNet reported</a>, organized town-hall disrupters through its <a target="_blank" href="http://www.resistnet.com/">ResisNet</a> site. Grassfire is endosed by Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, who on September 4, called upon Van Jones to resign, citing Jones' "extremist views".

ResistNet is a social-networking hub for the armed patriot movement, as well as racists and paranoids of all stripes. (On the day we visited, we found one video comparing Obama to Hitler, and another featuring a preacher who called him "a half-breed MacDaddy" and called upon "white folks" to "riot in the streets.") Grassfire is also organizing its members for a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.grassfire.org/1112/targets.htm">ground assault on cap-and-trade</a>.

The Stop-Obama Alliance

===

Michael Pence has been a <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Republican_Party_U.S.A." title="Republican Party U.S.A." class="mw-redirect">Republican</a> member of the <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="United States House of Representatives" class="mw-redirect">United States House of Representatives</a> from <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:Members_of_the_U.S._Congress_from_Indiana" title="Category:Members of the U.S. Congress from Indiana">Indiana's</a> 6th District since 2001. The 6th District comprises much of eastern Indiana and includes all or portions of 19 counties (<a href="http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/in06_110.gif" class="external text" title="http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/in06_110.gif" rel="nofollow">map</a>). In the <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=111th_Congress" title="111th Congress" class="mw-redirect">111th Congress</a>, his colleagues elected Pence to serve as the <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=House_leadership" title="House leadership">Republican Conference chair</a>. [Bob is bundler for romney?]

<h2>Contents</h2>

[<a href="javascript:toggleToc()" class="internal" id="togglelink">hide</a>]</div>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Record_and_controversies">1 Record and controversies</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Environmental_record">1.2 Environmental record</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Illegal_immigration">1.3 Illegal immigration</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Earmarks">1.4 Earmarks</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Background">2.1 Background</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-3"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#2006_elections">2.1.1 2006 elections</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Money_in_politics">3 Money in politics</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Committees_and_Affiliations">4 Committees and Affiliations</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Committees">4.1 Committees</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-3"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Committee_assignments_in_the_109th_Congress_.282005-2006.29">4.1.1 Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Coalitions_and_Caucuses">4.2 Coalitions and Caucuses</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#More_Background_Data">5 More Background Data</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Contact">6 Contact</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Articles_and_Resources">7 Articles and Resources</a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Resources">7.1 Resources</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Articles">7.2 Articles</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#Local_blogs_and_discussion_sites">7.3 Local blogs and discussion sites</a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2>Record and controversies</h2>

<div style=" margin: 0.5em 0.75em 0.5em 0.75em; border-collapse: collapse; background: #dce8f8; border: 1px solid #5c79b5; padding: .25em .25em 0.25em .25em;">General information about important bills and votes for can be found in Congresspedia's <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Category:U.S._legislation" title="Category:U.S. legislation">articles on legislation</a>. You can add information you find on how Mike Pence voted by clicking the "[edit]" link to the right and typing it in. Remember to <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Help:References" title="Help:References">cite your sources</a>!</div>

<div style=" margin: 0.5em 0.75em 0.5em 0.75em; border-collapse: collapse; background: #dce8f8; border: 1px solid #5c79b5; padding: .25em .25em 0.25em .25em;">For more information see the chart of <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._House_of_Representatives_votes_on_the_Iraq_War" title="U.S. House of Representatives votes on the Iraq War">U.S. House of Representatives votes on the Iraq War</a>.</div>

Pence voted for the <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Authorization_for_Use_of_Military_Force_Against_Iraq_Resolution_of_2002" title="Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002">Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002</a> that started the Iraq War.<a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a>

<h3>Environmental record</h3>

For more information on environmental legislation, see the <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Portal:Energy_and_Environment_Policy_%28U.S.%29" title="Portal:Energy and Environment Policy (U.S.)">Energy and Environment Policy Portal</a>

<h3>Illegal immigration</h3>

Pence's support for the President in the Republican version of amnesty has caused an enormous backlash in his district. Where has has previously been a "perfect conservative" Republican luminaries such has <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Phyllis_Schlafly" title="Phyllis Schlafly">Phyllis Schlafly</a>, <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Richard_Viguerie" title="Richard Viguerie">Richard Viguerie</a> and <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Pat_Buchanan" title="Pat Buchanan" class="mw-redirect">Pat Buchanan</a> have attacked him: In the words of the online <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/29/washington/29pence.html?hp&ex=1156910400&en=76d13c6eb2971a61&ei=5094&partner=homepage" class="external text" title="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/29/washington/29pence.html?hp&ex=1156910400&en=76d13c6eb2971a61&ei=5094&partner=homepage" rel="nofollow">New York Times</a> on August 29, 2005:

Mr. Pence — named last year’s Man of the Year by the conservative weekly Human Events — has looked to some conservatives like this year’s Benedict Arnold.

</blockquote>

His challenger, Democrat <a href="http://www.barrywelsh.org/" class="external text" title="http://www.barrywelsh.org/" rel="nofollow">Barry Welsh</a> has also essentially joined Pence's right-wing critics <a href="http://barrywelsh.org/?q=node/711" class="external text" title="http://barrywelsh.org/?q=node/711" rel="nofollow">against Pence's amnesty plan</a>.

Notwithstanding the Republican umbrage at Pence, the district is still regarded as safe by the Times.

<h3>Earmarks</h3>

Pence has long been an advocate of earmark reform. He voted against the $139.7 billion Transportation-Treasury spending bill in June 2006, and in favor of a series of amendments proposed that same month by Rep. <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Flake" title="Jeff Flake">Jeff Flake</a> (R-Ariz.) to strip other members’ earmarks from the federal budget. Pence, however, has secured several of his own earmark projects. He earmarked $500,000 for the “Transit Acquisition and Intermodal Facility Project” in his state, as well as $250,000 for construction of a park in Portland, Indiana. Pence also secured earmarks for inclusion in a fy2007 Labor-Health and Human Services bill. This included $200,000 for both Ball State University’s Center for School Innovation in Muncie, Ind. and to the Madison County Community Health Center in Anderson Ind. In addition, he also secured $100,000 for Ivy Tech Community College in Columbus, Ind. When confronted, Pence’s spokesman confirmed the projects, stating, “Mr. Pence stands by his earmark requests,” he said. <a href="http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=34357&dcn=todaysnews" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=34357&dcn=todaysnews" rel="nofollow">[1]</a>

<h3>Background</h3>

Pence was born June 7, 1959 in Columbus, Indiana. He was educated at Hanover College and Indiana University. He was a lawyer and radio talk show host before entering the House.

Pence is the head of the conservative <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Republican_Study_Group" title="Republican Study Group" class="mw-redirect">Republican Study Group</a> which recently pushed, successfully, for cuts to <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Medicaid&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Medicaid (page does not exist)">Medicaid</a>, <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Medicare" title="Medicare">Medicare</a>, and student loans.<a href="http://www.cbpp.org/4-6-06bud.htm" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.cbpp.org/4-6-06bud.htm" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>

<h4>2006 elections</h4>

Pence defeated <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Democrat" title="Democrat" class="mw-redirect">Democrat</a> <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Barry_Walsh&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Barry Walsh (page does not exist)">Barry Walsh</a> in the 2006 elections to retain his seat.

<h2>Money in politics</h2>

This section contains links to – and feeds from – money in politics databases. <crpcontribdata>cid=N00003765&cycle=2006</crpcontribdata>

<table class="prettytable"><tbody><tr><th colspan="3">Links to more campaign contribution information for Mike Pence

from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org" rel="nofollow">OpenSecrets.org</a> site.</th></tr><tr><td>Fundraising profile:</td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00003765" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00003765" rel="nofollow">2006 election cycle</a></td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allsummary.asp?cid=N00003765" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allsummary.asp?cid=N00003765" rel="nofollow">Career totals</a></td></tr><tr><td>Top contributors by organization/corporation:</td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00003765" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00003765" rel="nofollow">2006 election cycle</a></td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?cid=N00003765" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?cid=N00003765" rel="nofollow">Career totals</a></td></tr><tr><td>Top contributors by industry:</td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/indus.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00003765" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/indus.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00003765" rel="nofollow">2006 election cycle</a></td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allindus.asp?cid=N00003765" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allindus.asp?cid=N00003765" rel="nofollow">Career totals</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/search_result.asp?mem=Pence%2C+Mike" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/search_result.asp?mem=Pence%2C+Mike" rel="nofollow">Revolving door profile for Mike Pence</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a href="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" class="external text" title="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" rel="nofollow">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</li>

<li><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/travel.asp?CID=N00003765" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/travel.asp?CID=N00003765" rel="nofollow">2006 privately funded travel profile for Mike Pence</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a href="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" class="external text" title="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" rel="nofollow">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</li>

<li><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/candlook.php?CID=N00003765" class="external text" title="http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/candlook.php?CID=N00003765" rel="nofollow">Personal finance profile for Mike Pence</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a href="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" class="external text" title="http://www.OpenSecrets.org" rel="nofollow">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</li>

</ul>

<h2>Committees and Affiliations</h2>

<h3>Committees</h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=House_Committee_on_Foreign_Affairs" title="House Committee on Foreign Affairs">House Committee on Foreign Affairs</a>

<ul>

<li>Subcommittee on Middle East and Central Asia -Ranking</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=House_Committee_on_the_Judiciary" title="House Committee on the Judiciary">House Committee on the Judiciary</a>

<ul>

<li>Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<h4>Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)</h4>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=House_Committee_on_Agriculture" title="House Committee on Agriculture">House Committee on Agriculture</a>

<ul>

<li>Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Livestock and Horticulture</li>

</ul>

</li>

<li><a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=House_Committee_on_International_Relations" title="House Committee on International Relations" class="mw-redirect">House Committee on International Relations</a>

<ul>

<li>Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations</li>

</ul>

</li>

<ul>

<li>Subcommittee on Task Force on Antirust - 18</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Courts the Internet and Intellectual Property</li>

<li>Subcommittee on Crime Terrorism and Homeland Security</li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<h3>Coalitions and Caucuses</h3>

<ul>

<li>Congressional Internet Caucus</li>

<li>Chair, Communications Taskforce, House Repubican Study Committee</li>

</ul>

<h2>More Background Data</h2>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=MIN10394" class="external text" title="http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=MIN10394" rel="nofollow">Background information on Mike Pence from Project Vote Smart</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=MIN10394" class="external text" title="http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=MIN10394" rel="nofollow">Interest group scorecard ratings for Mike Pence from Project Vote Smart</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/p000587" class="external text" title="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/p000587" rel="nofollow">Voting record for Mike Pence from the Washington Post database</a></li>

</ul>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=IN06&site=congressmerge" class="external text" title="http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=IN06&site=congressmerge" rel="nofollow">Information on Mike Pence from Congress Merge</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.vis.org/candlist/Candidates.aspx?pid=159" class="external text" title="http://www.vis.org/candlist/Candidates.aspx?pid=159" rel="nofollow">2006 Indiana CD 6 Candidate List from VIS</a></li>

</ul>

<a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> also has an article on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Pence" class="external text" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Pence" rel="nofollow">Mike Pence</a>. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GFDL" class="external text" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GFDL" rel="nofollow">GFDL</a>.

<h2>Contact</h2>

DC Office:

426 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515-1406

Phone: 202-225-3021

Fax: 202-225-3382

<a href="http://www.house.gov/formpence/IMA/contact.html" class="external text" title="http://www.house.gov/formpence/IMA/contact.html" rel="nofollow">Web Email</a>

<a href="http://mikepence.house.gov/" class="external text" title="http://mikepence.house.gov/" rel="nofollow">Website</a>

District Office - Anderson:

1134 Meridian Plaza

Anderson, IN 46016

Phone: 765-640-2919

Fax: 765-640-2922

<h2>Articles and Resources</h2>

<h3>Resources</h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://mikepence.house.gov/" class="external text" title="http://mikepence.house.gov/" rel="nofollow">Official website</a></li>

<li><a href="http://mikepence.com/" class="external text" title="http://mikepence.com/" rel="nofollow">Campaign website</a></li>

<li>Maureen Groppe, <a href="http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060110/NEWS06/601100465/1012" class="external text" title="http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060110/NEWS06/601100465/1012" rel="nofollow">"Pence won't seek DeLay's post,"</a> IndyStar, January 10, 2006.</li>

</ul>

<h3>Articles</h3>

<ul>

<li>Stephen F. Hayes, <a href="http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/011/945usqnx.asp?pg=1" class="external text" title="http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/011/945usqnx.asp?pg=1" rel="nofollow">"Who'll Let the Docs Out? Bush wants to release the Saddam files but his intelligence chief stalls,"</a> The Weekly Standard, March 20, 2006.</li>

<li>Peter Cohn, <a href="http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=34357&dcn=todaysnews" class="external text" title="http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=34357&dcn=todaysnews" rel="nofollow">"Earmark foe collects a few for his district,"</a> Congress Daily, June 19, 2006.</li>

<li>Chris Floyd, <a href="http://www.chris-floyd.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=908&Itemid=135" class="external text" title="http://www.chris-floyd.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=908&Itemid=135" rel="nofollow">"Behind Bush's Nuclear Gift to Terrorism,"</a> Empire Burlesque, November 4, 2006. re <a href="http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Nuclear_weapons" title="Nuclear weapons">nuclear weapons</a></li>

</ul>

<h3>Local blogs and discussion sites</h3>

Corresponding article on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Pence" class="external text" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Pence" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia</a> and <a href="http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Mike_Pence" class="external text" title="http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Mike_Pence" rel="nofollow">Cause Caller</a>. (If Cause Caller link does not work, pick from its list of <a href="http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Senator" class="external text" title="http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Senator" rel="nofollow">senators</a> and <a href="http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Representative" class="external text" title="http://www.causecaller.com/wiki/Representative" rel="nofollow">representatives</a>.)

blog

<a href="http://proamlib.blogspot.com/2010/12/mike-pence-koch-cato-teaparty-c-street.html">http://proamlib.blogspot.com/2010/12/mike-pence-koch-cato-teaparty-c-street.html</a>

huffpo

he weekend of April 8th was a heady time for Mike Pence. On Friday, the Indiana congressman and soon-to-be candidate for governor nearly brought the government to a halt with his measure to defund Planned Parenthood, earning him darling status among social conservatives.

On Sunday, he told talk show hosts he wasn't sure if he'd be willing to sign off on a compromise reached to keep the government's lights on.

On Monday night, he dined in New York City with some of the Republican Party's most prolific donors and power players. It was an intimate, off-the-record dinner party hosted by conservative magazine The American Spectator, held for roughly 50 guests in a private room at Brasserie 8 ½, a sleek French restaurant in midtown Manhattan.

The previously unreported gathering is a window into the interwoven worlds of conservative fundraising, media and politics.

Dubbed “The Saturday Evening Club,” these monthly affairs are described in a 2010 American Spectator annual report as “bringing together 25 to 30 leading journalists for off-the-record, roundtable discussions over dinner with a significant public figure.”

But according to the event's guest list, obtained by The Huffington Post, surprisingly few of the attendees at the Pence dinner were actually journalists.

Instead, the majority were New York-based Republican political donors who, as of the appetizers, had yet to become donors of Pence's. The most prominent among them was the controversial billionaire and Tea Party-backer David Koch, who was seated at Pence’s right hand for dinner, a position equal to his stature: Koch’s family foundation is one of the largest donors to The American Spectator, which operates as a 501(c) 3 non-profit. The contributions to the Spectator are tax-deductible, meaning the dinner itself was subsidized by taxpayers. To Pence’s immediate left was Bob Tyrrell, founder and editor-in-chief of The American Spectator.

The fact that only approximately one fifth of the attendants were journalists relative to donors at the dinner raises questions about the real purpose of the “Saturday Evening Club," but representatives of The American Spectator declined to respond to numerous emails and phone messages seeking comment.

Pence’s choice of aides for the evening also suggests the event wasn't purely dedicated to intellectual pursuits: The lawmaker arrived with fundraiser Lisa Spies, director of his political action committee, and his chief counsel, Josh Pitcock. He also brought GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway, to whom his campaign paid $23,000 last year for market research.

Reached for comment, Pence's spokesman Matt Lloyd told The Huffington Post, "Mr. Pence was in town for a number of meetings. He was accompanied at these meetings by staff.”

“The dinner on April 11th was exactly as it was billed – a meeting of journalists, opinion makers and business leaders," Lloyd added. "No money was raised during that dinner and Mr. Pence was not a candidate for Governor at that time."

The fundraising distinction Lloyd makes is critical. In early April, Pence was facing a unique challenge when it came to shoring up funds for his upcoming gubernatorial race. Indiana state law bars candidates for statewide office from directly fundraising while the state legislature is in session. Pence, like any other statewide office-seeker, was forced to wait until the legislative session adjourned in late May before he could accept donations to his gubernatorial campaign.

Lloyd said that Pence used his House fundraising account, the Mike Pence Committee, to pay for his travel.

Also traveling from Washington for the dinner were Republican party power brokers Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, and Alfred Regnery, the publisher of The American Spectator and founder of Regnery Books, which publishes works by conservative authors.

Seated around the table were dozens of GOP donors: From Wall Street came Steve Grasso, director of institutional investing at Stuart Frankel; private wealth manager George F. Russell, Jr.; former Republican National Committee staffer-turned-hedge fund manager Mina Nguyen; corporate lawyer Mario Kranjac, whose small firm won a lucrative contract to advise the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (“SIGTARP”); and Thomas Lehrman, the co-founder of the Gerson Lehrman Group and a former George W. Bush administration appointee.

Lehrman has personally donated more than $238,000 to various GOP candidates and committees, and Kranjac has given nearly $10,000. Grasso donated $5,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2008, but then gave $1,500 to Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-Wisc.) PAC in 2009. Clearly, these financiers have deep pockets, but according to FEC records, at the time of the dinner none of them had donated money directly to Pence.

Also at the dinner were two one-time Republican candidates, former New York Lieutenant Gov. Betsy McCaughey, and investment adviser David Malpass. Malpass mounted an unsuccessful GOP Senate primary bid last year for Sen. Kristen Gillibrand’s (D-N.Y.) seat. Both Malpass and McCaughey have donated to Republicans, but not to Pence.

Two politically generous heiresses in attendance stood out from the crowd. Mitzi Perdue, the widow of chicken-magnate Frank Perdue, is a major GOP donor in her own right. FEC records show that another guest, Annenberg heiress Elizabeth Kabler, has contributed almost evenly to both Republicans and Democrats. Like the other guests, they were not Pence donors at the time.

K Street was represented at the table by communications group Porter Novelli’s Peter Pitts, a senior partner in the Global Health Practice, as well as Andy Antrobus and Ken Cole, two Pfizer lobbyists. Cole was a longtime General Motors lobbyist who joined the pharmaceutical giant last year. Pfizer’s political action committee has consistently contributed to Pence's campaigns, and already gave him $2,500 this year. Pfizer also sponsors The American Spectator, having donated more than $10,000 in 2010.

An Indiana-based lobbyist Charlie Hiltunen of Third Way Advocacy was also in attendance. Hiltunen gave Pence $300 last year, according to FEC records.

One of the most interesting guests was conservative book agent Alex Hoyt, whose firm Alexander Hoyt Associates serves as the exclusive domestic rights agent for Regnery Books. Pence’s spokesman denied that Pence is planning to write a book, but if he does, Hoyt would be a natural choice to represent him. Hoyt's newest client is Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.)--much like Pence, a politically ambitious, conservative House member. Hoyt was reportedly shopping Bachmann’s upcoming book to New York publishers in late May.

Other notable dinner guests included representatives of two conservative New York think tanks--the Manhattan Institute and the Hudson Institute--whose constituencies and fellows overlap. Manhattan Institute scholars at the dinner included Myron Magnet, Heather MacDonald, and Brian Anderson. American Spectator’s editor-in-chief, Bob Tyrrell is an adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute. Betsy McCaughey is a former fellow at both the Manhattan Institute and the Hudson Institute. Another guest, Charles Brunie, is former chairman of both the Hudson Institute and the Manhattan Institute. Koch’s family foundation has supported both institutes.

The journalists in attendance all represented conservative outlets: Approximately a half-dozen guests were employees of Fox Business Network, as well as The Wall Street Journal writers John Fund and Robert Pollock, and syndicated Scripps Howard columnist Deroy Murdock.

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/15/mike-pence-holds-top-secr_n_877693.html?view=print&comm_ref=false">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/15/mike-pence-holds-top-secr_n_877693.html?view=print&comm_ref=false</a>

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