State Democratic Party chairman hosting 80th birthday bash

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State Democratic Party Chairman John Burton is turning 80. And to celebrate, he and a couple of hundred friends will be partying at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. For $1,000 per ticket, you can join in the fun. The price for a table ranges from $10,000 to $50,000.

The event will raise money for the John Burton Foundation for Children Without Homes, which the former Senate leader established after leaving elected office to help California’s foster, former foster and homeless youth.

Attire, per the invitation, is “Burton causal. No black tie allowed.”

While Burton was known for his disregard of the Capitol dress code, that may come as a disappointment to the evening’s master of ceremonies, the famously sharp-dressed former Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. Actress Maya Rudolph is also listed as a featured performer.

The notoriously foul-mouthed Burton received national attention in 2011 for an appearance on Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show,’ in which he was bleeped seven times, prompting the show’s John Oliver to quip, “You curse more than a West Coast rapper.”

-- Anthony York in Sacramento