House Speaker Nancy Pelosi enters Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 11, 2009.
Love her or loathe her, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is coming to Lancaster County.
The Pennsylvania Democratic Party has landed the polarizing California Democrat to headline a "roast and toast" honoring Gov. Ed Rendell and its chairman, T.J. Rooney, here on Feb. 5.
Rendell is beginning the final year of his second four-year term, the maximum allowable under the state constitution.
"There is a special event for the governor and Chairman Rooney, thanking them for their service since 2003," party spokesman Abe Amoros said.
The event will take place at Lancaster Host Resort & Conference Center on Lincoln Highway East.
Pelosi's appearance here will launch the party's endorsement convention, an event that will make Lancaster County the hub of Democratic politics statewide, at least for one weekend.
Tickets to the roast and toast are $100 a person and $175 a couple.
But if you want to say a few words to and have your picture taken with the speaker, prepare to dig a little deeper. That'll cost you $2,500.
The following day, the party will endorse candidates in the five-way Democratic primary contest for governor and the hotly contested U.S. Senate primary race between Arlen Specter and Joe Sestak.
Pelosi, 69, of San Francisco, has been at the forefront of the health care reform debate. She is serving her second term as House speaker and is the first woman to serve in that leadership position.
The convention is the party's second major meeting here in as many years.
"We're certainly pleased and proud they have chosen to come to Lancaster again," said Bruce Beardsley, chairman of the Lancaster County Democratic Committee. "We hosted them well, and they've chosen to come again — and we're certainly happy to see the speaker of the House is coming, too."