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Pawlenty to Woo Washingtonians at Carmine’s Event

Likely Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty will hold a luncheon and political briefing for his Washington, D.C., supporters and others on Monday at Carmine’s restaurant in Penn Quarter, according to an invitation obtained by Roll Call.

The 12:30 p.m. event, organized by the former Minnesota governor’s Freedom First Political Action Committee, has a host committee more than two dozen strong and includes several prominent Washington GOP political figures and operatives.

Pawlenty has been quietly but actively wooing Members of Congress, D.C. lobbyists and other Washington political professionals to support a White House bid that will likely become official at some point in the next few months. A source familiar with Monday’s luncheon described the Carmine’s event as a meet and greet.

“A lot of people still have not met the governor and this is a chance to do so,” this source said.

On the host committee are former Minnesota Members, including ex-Sen. Norm Coleman and former Reps. Vin Weber and Mark Kennedy; current Gopher State Congressmen, including Reps. John Kline and Erik Paulsen; and former ambassador to Norway and wealthy businessman Ben Whitney, who served as executive director and finance chairman for the Bush/Cheney 2004 presidential campaign in Minnesota.

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