Republican Fundraiser: On The Outside Looking In

Michele Bachmann will be there. So will Speaker of the House John Boehner, Congressman Erik Paulsen—who represents the Lake Minnetonka area—as well as the rest of Minnesota’s Republican congressional contingent.

Who won't be there? In all likelihood—you.

To get into today's Republican fundraiser, at Spring Hill Golf Club in Orono, you needed to cough up a cool $1,000 per plate to have lunch this afternoon. Joining Boehner's foursome on the course would cost you another $10,000. No word on whether a cart or caddy are included.

The fundraiser is more locked down than CentCom. First, an open checkbook alone doesn't get you in without the personalized invitation that came your way. Spring Hill Golf Club, itself, is a private fortress—ringed by thick brush, swamp and fencing. Even its Web site is gated. Today, patrolling sheriff deputies, Capitol Police and the Minnesota State Patrol have promised to arrest all trespassers on sight and without question.

No arrival or tee times have been made public. Protesters, bused in from Minneapolis and St. Paul, will be corralled into a designated area well out of sight and earshot of the incoming VIPs.

Hoping for an exclusive view, on Tuesday, I approached several private homes dotting the course, knocked on the doors and talked to the homeowners. I wondered whether they'd allow me a small, unassuming perch on their back decks or balconies today so I could photograph the action—or inaction, as the case may be. Those who responded told me no. In retrospect, I suppose I should have worn a tie with my Patch t-shirt.

Still, I'm certain people from around Lake Minnetonka will be on the inside today, dining with Bachmann, swallowing walleye at $200 a bite and sharing time in the sand traps with Boehner.

For you, I have a deal you can't refuse. Take photos of your afternoon with the Republican elite and post them at Lake Minnetonka Patch or our Facebook page. We'd love to have your mementos on our site. Today may set you back thousands, but contributing to Patch is always free.