The state’s Democratic congressional delegation hosted a fundraiser this morning in Washington for Daniel Johnson, a candidate for the 10th Congressional District seat.

Johnson is challenging Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry of Cherryville in November.

The fundraiser was held at Tortilla Coast, a popular restaurant about a block from the House row of office buildings on Capitol Hill. Most tickets ranged from $250 to $1,000 a plate, though House staffers could get in for $100, reports Barb Barrett.

The event was hosted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and its chairman, Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, along with U.S. Reps. David Price, Bob Etheridge, Mel Watt, Heath Shuler, Brad Miller and G.K. Butterfield.

Of Tar Heel representatives, only U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre’s name was omitted. Spokesman Dean Mitchell said McIntyre was a host, but that the invitation was sent before the office’s official approval. McIntyre was not able to attend.

State Republicans jumped on the fundraiser as proof that Johnson is a Washington-backed politician. GOP Chairwoman Linda Daves today wrote Johnson a letter:

Only a few days after issuing a patently false press release claiming that your pockets have not been stuffed with cash from Washington liberals and attacking Congressman McHenry for pointing that out, I am shocked and appalled to discover that you are in Washington today for a fundraiser hosted by several liberal, Washington politicians.

You owe Congressman McHenry and the people of Western North Carolina an apology.

A piece of Dome trivia sent some readers on a weekend trip.

Bloggers with Scrutiny Hooligans, a left-leaning Web site based in Asheville, were intrigued by an item in our profile of Congressional candidate Carl Mumpower.

In the trivia section, we noted that Mumpower, a Baptist, owns The Church of the Little Flower, a Catholic church in Sodom, N.C.

In the ensuing road trip, the bloggers write that they learned that Mumpower bought the 40-acre property 13 years ago with an eye to convert it for weekend retreats, but his grandfather, a Baptist minister, insisted that he keep it consecrated.

So Mumpower spent "a good deal of time and money" fixing it up:

He has let many different people use the Church and the surrounding property for free - up until recently there were bi-weekly services held in the church, and a troop of local Boy Scouts have used the surrounding acreage for camping trips.

Mumpower is running for the Republican nomination to face U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler.