WASHINGTON, D.C. — When Al Franken travels to Washington, D.C., for Barack Obama’s inauguration, he’ll be making the most of his trip to the nation’s Capitol.
The comedian, turned Democratic pundit, turned politician will be throwing a fundraiser at the luxury Willard InterContinental Hotel this weekend to help pay for his campaign and recount costs before ringing in the new administration on Tuesday.
A guest list to the exclusive event was unavailable, but at least one famous attendee could be confirmed: Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead.
Weir is not scheduled to perform, but who knows, Franken is reportedly a very big Grateful Dead fan.
Willard Hotel and the Grateful Dead?
Well there goes any provincial images of standard Minnesota gothic…like an assembly at the American Legion Hall feasting on variations of the “hot dish”…some of suspicious and questionable origins.
Or a spaghetti feed accompanied by a mason jar by the cash register with a large post-it on the glass reading “Frankly for Franken’…and a crowd of round people of all ages; the family-of-man reconstituted; still wrapped in their down-filled jackets, sitting on metal folding chairs eating on paper plates that bend; but soothed by the consistant thumping repetition of classic umpa music?
I wonder if Franken’s grade school teacher will be in the crowd at the Willard bash?