Portland - Multnomah County Democratic Party officials announced the release of a small number of backstage passes for Friday's political fundraiser with speaker commentator Jim Hightower. Regular tickets for this year's Caffè Democratica dinner sold out "in record time," according to dinner chairman Shane Jackson. "These premium passes are the only admission available for those who still want to attend but don't have tickets. We sold the first 400 tickets in less than a week using the web site and only 20 volunteers." Jackson says the backstage passes are for sale only on the Multnomah County Democratic Party website. Many local, regional and state political officials are already planning to attend. Backstage passes include the opportunity to meet Jim Hightower in a relaxed atmosphere before his speech, as well as a backstage bar and a gourmet pasta bar. Jim Hightower is the best-selling author of several books, including Thieves In High Places: They've Stolen Our Country And It's Time To Take It Back, and once wrote "If ignorance is bliss, George W must be ecstatic." Hightower holds the unique distinction of being the first elected official, while Texas Commissioner of Agriculture, to lose his job to Karl Rove's "dirty tricks." Hightower now hosts a syndicated radio show and writes a hard-hitting yet humorous column that takes Washington's boneheaded politicians to task. Hightower is expected to share his opinions on recent Democratic election successes and the new Congress' first days in office. Also, he can be counted on to provide an interesting, lucid interpretation of Tuesday's State of the Union speech. Several special fundraising events are planned for this year's Caffè Democratica including a sales booth of Political Memorabilia, a 50/50 raffle and a Silent Auction. Among the many special items up for bid is a private concert by the internationally-known recording artists Brothers of the Baladi renowned for their Anatolian and Persian-styled World Music. The concert is valued at $7,000. There are many other items, including artwork designed specifically for this event. The final handful of VIP Backstage Passes are available only on-line at www.multdems.org