Just More Words: What A Milestone!

Tonight, Obama Marks His 150^th Reelection Fundraiser

HEY, IT’S HARD TO BE PRESIDENT WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY PARTIES TO GO TO

After Tonight, Obama Will Have Attended Over 150 Fundraisers Since Announcing His Bid For Reelection On April 4, 2011. (Mark Knoller, Twitter Feed 6/1/12; Mark Knoller, “Obama Expected To Raise At Least $3.6 Million During Manhattan Fundraisers,” CBS, 6/4/12; Jonathan Easley and Amie Parnes, “Obama To Return To Los Angeles In June For Start Studded Fundraisers, The Hill, 5/11/12; “Obama Heads To California For Fundraising Swing,” The Associated Press, 6/6/12)

• At This Point In 2004, Bush Had Done 79 Fundraisers. (Mark Knoller, Twitter Feed, 6/6/12)

WHO BUT HOLLYWOOD SHOULD OBAMA INVITE TO COMMEMORATE SUCH AN OCCASION?

#149: Obama Starts His Day At A “Small Campaign Roundtable” Of Just 25 People Who Each Paid $35,800 To Be There. “Officials from the Obama for America campaign said on background that the president will head first to a ‘small campaign roundtable’ at the Landmark at One Market with just 25 people. Tickets for the sold-out event aimed at tech executives cost $35,800 per person, making the Obama campaign take there $895,000.” (Carla Marinucci, “Obama Popping Back Into S.F. For 2 Fundraisers,” San Francisco Chronicle, 6/6/12)

#150: At His Second Fundraiser, Obama Will Be Introduced By Baseball Legend Willie Mays. “Two weeks after his last fundraising foray to the Bay Area, President Obama is back Wednesday for a four-hour trip to pick up more than $2 million in San Francisco, prompting Republicans to criticize his many money calls to the region without events that are open to the public. California Gov. Jerry Brown, former Democratic National Committee Chair Tim Kaine and baseball legend Willie Mays, who will introduce the president, are expected to be among the crowd at the sold-out luncheon for Obama at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in the Merchants Exchange Building on California Street.” (Carla Marinucci, “Obama Popping Back Into S.F. For 2 Fundraisers,” San Francisco Chronicle, 6/6/12)

• Obama’s Guests Will Dine On “Coho Salmon” As Part Of A Menu Prepared By Credo Restaurant. “Democratic strategist and real estate developer Clint Reilly, who owns the Merchants Exchange Building, and his wife, Janet, president of the board of directors of the Golden Gate Bridge, are expected to be among the crowd dining on coho salmon – described as Obama’s favorite dish – in a menu prepared by Credo restaurant.” (Carla Marinucci, “Obama Popping Back Into S.F. For 2 Fundraisers,” San Francisco Chronicle, 6/6/12)
• “Ticket Prices Range From $5,000 To $7,500 For A Photo With The President And $50,000 For Co-Hosting Status.” (Carla Marinucci, “Obama Popping Back Into S.F. For 2 Fundraisers,” San Francisco Chronicle, 6/6/12)

#151: Obama Starts His Evening With A Beverly Hills Fundraising Gala. “President Barack Obama will soon have a new arena to test out his ‘evolving’ views on same-sex marriage — the annual LGBT Leadership Council’s gala, which takes place this year at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills.” (Anna Almendrala, “Obama LGBT Fundraiser: President To Attend LGBT Leadership Council Gala In Los Angeles,” The Huffington Post, 5/7/12)

• Tickets For Obama’s Gala Fundraiser Range From $1,250 To $25,000. “Tickets for the June 6 event start at $1,250 and are still available. Prices top out at the $25,000 per couple tickets, which include name recognition in the event program, a photo with the President and preferred seating for two. Singer Pink is scheduled to perform that night. David Cooley, founder of West Hollywood hotspot The Abbey, is one of the hosts for the event, notes West Hollywood Patch.” (Anna Almendrala, “Obama LGBT Fundraiser: President To Attend LGBT Leadership Council Gala In Los Angeles,” The Huffington Post, 5/7/12)
• Glee Actor Darren Criss Will Perform At The Gala. “THR has learned that Glee star Darren Criss will replace Pink as the performer at the June 6 event.” (Tina Daunt, “Darren Criss Replaces Pink For Obama Fundraiser Performance, The Hollywood Reporter, 6/4/12)

#152: “After The Gala, Obama Will Attend A Fundraising Dinner At The Home Of Glee Creator Ryan Murphy. Tickets Are Selling For $40,000 Per Couple.” (Tina Daunt, “Darren Criss Replaces Pink For Obama Fundraiser Performance, The Hollywood Reporter, 6/4/12)

• Obama’s Two Events Tonight Could Raise As Much As $10 Million. “Taken together, the dinner and concert could raise between $5 million and $10 million more for the president’s reelection campaign. The latter total would put it in the same class as 2008’s record-setting one night event – a Barbra Streisand concert and dinner at Beverly Hills’ Greystone mansion.” (Tina Daunt, “‘Glee’ Creator Ryan Murphy to Host Obama Fundraising Dinner (Exclusive),” The Hollywood Reporter,5/10/12)

Stay Tuned, Unemployed America: There Are More Glitzy Affairs To Come

The Obama Campaign Is Holding A “High-Profile High-Fashion” Fundraiser In Chicago On June 12. “Tickets are on sale — and selling quickly — for a high-profile high-fashion Obama campaign fundraiser to be held in downtown Chicago next month. On June 12, celebrities, designers and the city’s fashion elite will turn out for a cocktail reception unveiling a new Chicago pop-up shop for Runway to Win, a fundraising effort from the campaign to re-elect President Barack Obama that features low-cost items from 27 designers.” (“Obama Campaign Fashion Fundraiser: Tickets On Sale For Anna Wintour, Iman Chicago Event,” The Huffington Post, 5/22/12)

• Obama’s Campaign Released A Video Invitation From Fashion Fundraiser Host Anna Wintour The Same Day As “Grim Economic News – A Jobs Report That Put An Exclamation Point On The Financial Struggles Of Average Americans. ” “Friday was a day of grim economic news – a jobs report that put an exclamation point on the financial struggles of average Americans. But it was also the day that President Obama’s campaign chose to put out a video appeal from Anna Wintour, the oh-so-fabulous editor in chief of Vogue magazine, inviting supporters to compete for a chance at a dinner with her, the Obamas and Sarah Jessica Parker in New York City.” (Michael D. Shear, “After A Day Of Bad Economic News, An Invitation From Anna Wintour,” The New York Times’ “The Caucus,” 6/1/12)

• “But The Timing Of The Video Of Ms. Wintour, Coming On The Same Day As The Jobs Numbers, Might Not Have Been Ideal.” (Michael D. Shear, “After A Day Of Bad Economic News, An Invitation From Anna Wintour,” The New York Times’ “The Caucus,” 6/1/12)

ABC’s Terry Moran: It’s “Tone Deaf” For Obama To Fundraise With Wintour As Unemployment Increases. MORAN:”There just seems to be something tone deaf about the Obama campaign’s decision, at the very moment unemployment is again on the rise, to enlist Madame Wintour as one of the hostesses of his fundraiser.” (ABC’s “Nightline,” 6/4/12)

• Click To Watch

Fox’s Chris Wallace Called The Wintour Ad A “Blunder.” WALLACE: “Here’s another blunder that you may not have seen. On the day, Friday, when all of the bad economic news came out, the Obama campaign decided that was the day to release a video of Anna Wintour. If you don’t know her, she is the editor of a fashion magazine, Vogue. Saying to people contribute to the Obama campaign and you can come to a big exclusive dinner in New York that Sarah Jessica Parker and I are hosting. Take a look at this.” (Fox’s “Fox News Sunday,” 6/3/12)

• Wallace: “And This Is On The Day When We Find Out That The Economy Created Only 69,000 Jobs.” WALLACE: “Yes, don’t be late. And this is on the day when we find out that the economy created only 69,000 jobs. First of all, do you subscribe to Chip’s idea that the campaign is off to a shaky start, and if so, how big a deal.” (Fox’s “Fox News Sunday,” 6/3/12)
• Fox’s Juan Williams: “That Was Hilarious. That Looks Like A Parody… It’s Just Unbelievable.” WILLIAMS: “By the way, that was hilarious. That looks like a parody. It looked like the Romney campaign planted Dr. Evil in the house of Obama and he said, ‘you know on the day the grim job numbers come out let’s have someone who reeks of ornamental excess announce that the peasants can have a place at the table.’ It’s just unbelievable. I mean, so you know, just a mistake.” (Fox’s “Fox News Sunday,” 6/3/12)
• Click To Watch

The Obama Campaign’s First National Ad Features Sarah Jessica Parker And Aired During The MTV Movie Awards. “I can exclusively reveal that the Obama campaign will debut its first national television ad Sunday during the MTV Movie Awards. The spot features Parker inviting Obama supporters to her house for an upcoming fundraising dinner with the president. The Sex and the City star encourages people to enter a raffle to win two tickets to the shindig, cohosted by Michelle Obama and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, by donating to his reelection efforts.” (Marc Malkin, “Sarah Jessica Parker Campaigning For President Obama At MTV Movie Awards,” E! Online, 6/1/12)

• In The Ad, Parker Invites Viewers To Attend A Fundraiser With The President At Her Home On June 14. “‘The guy who ended the war in Iraq, the guy who says you should be able to marry anyone you want, and the guy who created four million new jobs, that guy President Obama and Michelle are coming to my house for dinner on June 14,’ Parker says in the ad. ‘And I want you to be there, too.'” (Marc Malkin, “Sarah Jessica Parker Campaigning For President Obama At MTV Movie Awards,” E! Online, 6/1/12)

Obama’s “Hollywood Glitterati” Are His Greatest Allies 

“Obama’s Popularity With Hollywood Glitterati Is Again On Display As His Campaign Mobilizes Its Vast Fundraising Apparatus To Amass Cash In A Campaign That Is Shaping Up To Be The Most Expensive In U.S. History.” (David Nakamura, “GOP Attacks Celebrity Support For Obama,” The Washington Post, 6/4/12)

• In 2012, Obama Has “Aggressively Employed Star Power To Open Pocketbooks, Build Buzz And, Perhaps Most Notably, Deploy Celebrities To Target Specific Constituencies.” “If Obama was the candidate of cool in 2008, when celebrities such as musician Will.I.Am produced viral campaign videos , he has even more aggressively employed star power to open pocketbooks, build buzz and, perhaps most notably, deploy celebrities to target specific constituencies.” (David Nakamura, “GOP Attacks Celebrity Support For Obama,” The Washington Post , 6/4/12)
• “President Obama Is Hardly Averse To A-List, 1 Percenter ‘Dynasty’-Type Spots For His Own Little Campaign Shindigs.” “But let’s get real: President Obama is hardly averse to A-list, 1 percenter ‘Dynasty’-type spots for his own little campaign shindigs.” (Carla Marinucci, “When It Comes To Fancy Fundraisers, Obama’s Had His Own Big List,” San Francisco Chronicle , 5/29/12)
• “Obama Has Drawn Support From Hollywood’s Biggest Names And Biggest Bundlers,” Including Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Tobey Maguire, Selma Hayek, Jack Black, And Barbara Streisand. “Obama has drawn support from Hollywood’s biggest names and biggest bundlers, including moviemaking titans Jeffrey Katz­enberg and Steven Spielberg. The fundraiser last week at Clooney’s house – for which the campaign also held a raffle for ordinary supporters – included actors Tobey Maguire, Jack Black and Salma Hayek and singer Barbra Streisand. The campaign walked away with a whopping $15 million, its largest single-event total, including the raffle and $40,000-per-plate tickets for 150 guests.” (David Nakamura, “GOP Attacks Celebrity Support For Obama,” The Washington Post , 6/4/12)

“In Many Cases, The Obama Campaign Has Used Celebrities To Target Specific Constituencies,” Such As Eva Longoria For Hispanic Women. “In many cases, the Obama campaign has used celebrities to target specific constituencies. Eva Longoria, a campaign bundler who is a constant presence at Obama events, is popular among Hispanic women. Last month, Obama was introduced at a New York event by openly gay singer Ricky Martin, just days after the president expressed support for same-sex marriage.” (David Nakamura, “GOP Attacks Celebrity Support For Obama,” The Washington Post, 6/4/12)

“The Obama Campaign Sees Hollywood As A Powerful And Necessary Ally, Able To Both Raise Large Amounts Of Money And Also Speak Directly To Important Subgroups Of Voters.” “Yet the Obama campaign sees Hollywood as a powerful and necessary ally, able to both raise large amounts of money and also speak directly to important subgroups of voters who identify with the famous. On Monday, as his celebrity ties became an issue, Obama hosted rock star Jon Bon Jovi on Air Force One on the way to fundraisers in New York.” (David Nakamura, “GOP Attacks Celebrity Support For Obama,”The Washington Post, 6/4/12)

• “The Fundraiser With Wintour And Parker, For Example, Is Part Of An Effort To Appeal To Women.” “The fundraiser with Wintour and Parker, for example, is part of an effort to appeal to women; the reelection team next week is offering supporters a chance to win a raffle (entry fee $3) to attend the New York City event. In a fundraising e-mail to supporters Monday, Michelle Obama called Parker ‘a loving mom, an incredibly hard worker, and a great role model’ and added: ‘She’s one of those people you can’t help but admire.'” (David Nakamura, “GOP Attacks Celebrity Support For Obama,” The Washington Post , 6/4/12)

OBAMA’S CAMPAIGN CASH ISN’T HELPING THE ECONOMY

“Yet Obama’s Glamorous Elbow-Rubbing Carries Significant Risks As He Struggles To Convince Voters That He Is Focused Single-Mindedly On Their Economic Concerns.”(David Nakamura, “GOP Attacks Celebrity Support For Obama,” The Washington Post, 6/4/12)

• Charges Of Excessive Hollywood Elbow-Rubbing “Are Potentially More Dangerous This Time Given That He Is A Sitting President Responsible For Managing The Economy.” “Although Obama faced similar accusations in 2008, the charges are potentially more dangerous this time given that he is a sitting president responsible for managing the economy, rather than being just one of 100 senators.” (David Nakamura, “GOP Attacks Celebrity Support For Obama,” The Washington Post , 6/4/12)

Since President Obama Took Office, The Nation Has Lost 552,000 Jobs And The Unemployment Rate Has Increased From 7.8 Percent To 8.2 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 6/1/12)

• Moody’s Mark Zandi: “There’s Nothing Very Redeeming About This Report. It’s Pretty Ugly All The Way Around.” ZANDI:”Yeah, I know, Chuck, there’s nothing very redeeming about this report. It’s pretty ugly all the way around. The weak job numbers, the revisions, the unemployment rate. It was pretty, pretty weak.” (MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown,” 6/1/12)

ABC News: “The Nation’s Jobs Picture Dimmed In May.” “The nation’s jobs picture dimmed in May as employers added just 69,000 jobs and the unemployment rate ticked up to 8.2 percent, a continuation of a long, slow employment recovery that began 33 months ago.” (Susanna Kim, “May Unemployment Rises To 8.2 Pct,” ABC News, 6/1/12)

• The New York Times: “A Dismal Showing.” “The United States economy gained a net 69,000 jobs in May, the Labor Department said Friday, a dismal showing that reflected mounting fears of a global slowdown. The unemployment rate rose to 8.2 percent from 8.1 percent in April.” (Shaila Dewan, “U.S. Added 69,000 Jobs In May, Jobless Rate At 8.2%,” The New York Times , 6/1/12)

The Washington Post’s Fact Checker: “The Worst Numbers On Record Occurred Under His [Obama’s] Watch” With Regards To Job Growth. “The president said that policies from 2000 through 2008 produced the ‘most sluggish job growth we’ve ever seen.’ perhaps so, but the worst numbers on record occurred under his watch.” (Josh Hicks, “Obama’s Remarks On Worst Job Growth: Did He End It Or Should He Own It?” The Washington Post’s “Fact Checker,” 5/21/12)

• The Washington Post’s Fact Checker: “Obama Comes In Either Last, Second-To-Last Or In The Bottom Half Among Presidents Since The Great Depression.” “But Obama comes in either last, second-to-last or in the bottom half among presidents since the great depression, depending on which way you look at the numbers.” (Josh Hicks, “Obama’s Remarks On Worst Job Growth: Did He End It Or Should He Own It?” The Washington Post’s “Fact Checker,” 5/21/12)

52 Percent Of Americans Disapprove Of Obama’s Handling Of The Economy, While Just 43 Percent Say They Approve. (NBC News/Wall Street Journal, 1000A, MoE 3.1%, 5/16-20/12)

66 Percent Of Americans Say That Barack Obama Has Either Made Things “Worse” Or “Not Made Much Difference” With Regards To The Economic Downturn, While Just 31 Percent Say He Has Made Things “Better.” (NBC News/Wall Street Journal, 1000A, MoE 3.1%, 5/16-20/12)

• 65 Percent Of Americans Expect The Economy To Either “Stay The Same” Or “Get Worse” In The Next Year, While Just 33 Percent Expect It To “Get Better.” (NBC News/Wall Street Journal, 1000A, MoE 3.1%, 5/16-20/12)

“The Proportion Of Americans In Their Prime Working Years Who Have Jobs Is Smaller Than It Has Been At Any Time In The 23 Years Before The Recession.” “The proportion of Americans in their prime working years who have jobs is smaller than it has been at any time in the 23 years before the recession, according to federal statistics, reflecting the profound and lasting effects that the downturn has had on the nation’s economic prospects. By this measure, the jobs situation has improved little in recent years.” (Peter Whoriskey, “Job Recovery Is Scant For Americans In Prime Working Years,” The Washington Post , 5/29/12)

• “This Measure Of Prime-Age Workers Captures More Of The Ongoing Turbulence In The Job Market.” “While the unemployment rate may be the most closely watched gauge of the economy in the presidential campaign, this measure of prime-age workers captures more of the ongoing turbulence in the job market. It reflects ‘missing workers’ who have stopped looking for work and aren’t included in the unemployment rate.” (Peter Whoriskey, “Job Recovery Is Scant For Americans In Prime Working Years,” The Washington Post , 5/29/12)

“More Than Half Of All The Jobs Created During The Past Six Months Have Been In Low-Paying Industries Such As Retail And Temporary Help, Joseph Brusuelas, Senior Economist At Bloomberg LP, Noted On Thursday.” (Mark Gongloff and Bonnie Kavoussi, “Job Market Recovery Led By Low-Wage Sectors,” The Huffington Post, 4/5/12)

• “The Jobs Are Lousy, And There Aren’t Enough Of Them.” “The job market these days is sort of like that old Catskills joke: The food is terrible, and the portions are so small. The jobs are lousy, and there aren’t enough of them.” (Mark Gongloff and Bonnie Kavoussi, “Job Market Recovery Led By Low-Wage Sectors,”The Huffington Post, 4/5/12)