"Thank you to all my donors"

Cheers to the middle class!

Gov. John Hickenlooper’s inaugural party won’t look like any middle-class working man’s celebration. We haven’t seen a menu yet, but caviar and Dom Perignon aren’t much of a stretch thanks to the $400,000-plus donated to nonprofit event host, Colorado Up. The Denver Post reported some of the event details that include a cocktail hour and concert with The Lumineers. Somewhere in there the governor will say some vague words (that he’ll likely later deny saying – somebody get these on video).

We all know that political donors give large sums to both parties in alternative ways when candidates can’t accept the campaign money directly. Donors aren’t supposed to receive any special treatment (beyond the wine list, perhaps) for supporting the event, but something must have sparked the generosity bug during this election cycle: 13 donors each contributed $25,000 or more (Colorado Up won’t admit just how much more). In 2011, exactly three companies dishes out similar sums. That’s no small increase; this event is about as far removed as can be from the Dems so-called top priority: the middle class.

There are also over 40 — ahem —more stingy donors who gave at least $10,000, including Four Horseman club founder Pat Stryker.

For the “normal” people, dinner is $100 a pop. Proceeds will go to a festival founded by Hickenlooper himself, The Biennial of the Americas, and the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative. But first, the champagne!