Chris Van Hollen

Nancy Pelosi helped raise a cool $300,000 for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last night at the Upper East Side home of Dennis and Karen Mehiel, according to one of the guests, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney.

In addition to Maloney, who I ran into at a Women for Hillary event this morning at the Hilton, the guest list of elected Democrats included representatives Steve Israel, Nydia Velazquez and Chris Van Hollen.

Later today, Representative Joe Crowley of Queens will be reappointed as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Business Council, the fund-raising arm that reaches into the deep pockets of business leaders nationwide.

Crowley's fund-raising prowess was cited in the recent past by Charlie Rangel earlier as a reason to give him a seat on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.

It seems he still has the touch.

UPDATE: Crowley will also perform with his Bruce Springsteen tribute band in DC tonight. Details after the jump.  read more »

-- Azi Paybarah