My Birthday Party

I'm celebrating my birthday next week, and extending an open invitation to my readers ... specifically those who are prepared to make contributions from $1,000 to $10,000. That's completely made up. My birthday isn't any time soon, and my rates wouldn't be quite that high. My inspiration for this little ruse is New York Rep. Charles Rangel, who has written to lobbyists representing corporate interests before the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, where he is the ranking Democrat, asking for contributions from $1,000 to $10,000 "to underwrite" his 75th birthday party. "I would like to be able to list your name on the invitation," Rangel said in his solicitation. He admonished the lobbyists to "fax the attached response sheet back to my office as soon as possible."