Pawlenty’s PAC event outgunned by NRA ‘Laser Shoot Out’

This week’s first fundraiser for Gov. Pawlenty’s new Freedom First committee conflicts with another event that sounds more fun, if you like shooting lasers.

As it enters the arms race to stockpile ammo for the next election cycle, T-Paw’s PAC might have picked a better night than Thursday for its Washington, D.C. debut, which is set for more or less the same time as a party the National Rifle Association is throwing for a Blue Dog Democrat from Pennsylvania.

“Please join the National Rifle Association for the New Laser Shoot Out honoring Congressman Chris Carney” announces the NRA’s invitation. “Be one of the first to experience the new laser shot technology at the NRA!” (presumably from the trigger and not the barrel end).

Freedom First could be out of luck if the donors he’s targeting choose lasers first. Attendees at the NRA function would have to ditch their camo in a hurry to make it to Freedom First’s $5,00 dinner and an earlier “Pretzels and Pints” mixer at 6 p.m. (pdf), where U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann and Minnesota’s other Republicans in Congress will co-host.

The NRA’s Shoot Out is from 5:30–7 p.m. at the organization’s headquarters. T-Paw’s dinner is about five blocks away, a good 10-minute walk (watch out for the missing sidewalks) to the home of John Milne and Debra Anderson, frequent fundraisers who hosted a dinner for former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman’s NorthStar Leadership PAC last year. Getting to the pretzel event would be no straight laser shot from NRA HQ either; it’s at a bar and grill that’s twice as far away.