President Obama headed home after L.A. visit

President Obama wrapped up his two-day tour of California on Friday morning after flying by helicopter from the Beverly Hills area to LAX -- an attempt to avoid the traffic snarls that angered commuters during a previous trip.

Democratic officials did not reveal the size of Obama's fundraising haul during his Western swing, which included "town hall"-style meetings at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto and at a renewable-energy company in Reno, Nev.

But he attended three fundraisers in the Los Angeles area Thursday -- mingling with Steven Spielberg,  Gov. Jerry Brown and actors George Clooney, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson at a final private dinner at Tavern in Brentwood.

Tickets to the three events ranged from $100 to the maximum legal limit of $35,800. Proceeds will be split between the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

The president was interrupted at a San Francisco fundraiser Thursday morning by protesters, who sang a song criticizing the treatment of a soldier who has been accused of giving classified information to the WikiLeaks website.

Protesters also gathered along the presidential motorcade's route to a rally Thursday in Culver City, but the president was met by an enthusiastic crowd of more than 2,500 who gathered at a sound stage on the Sony Studios lot.

The visit was intended, in part, to stir enthusiasm among contributors and volunteers who fueled his  2008 effort. The president acknowledged his supporters have suffered some disappointments and setbacks over the past 2 1/2 years, but urged them to renew their efforts for his 2012 campaign. 

"I want you to think about all the unfinished business that lies ahead," Obama told supporters in Culver City. "I want you to be excited about the next 18 months, and then the next four years after that."

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Photo: President Obama steps off Marine One to board Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. Credit: Jim Young / Reuters

Comments

[Michael]

These 2 days- likely cost the taxpayer several million dollars, in light of advance security, the bringing in of 9 helicopters, the bringing in of limousines, all CHP staff blocking roads and their saleries, the FBI, Secret Service, Air Force staff costs and so forth.
Meanwhile- Obama talks of spending cuts- nothing more paradox. What a farce .

[EJK]

If he went by helicopter to LAX this morning, why were streets in Century City still closed? The commute was a nightmare this morning.

[H]

I'm non-partisan but Obama is the only real candidate that seems to be educated and not a media shill. Donald Trump and Sarah Palin are high school prom queen and king nominees to the media. You can't run the US with people like this.

Later in history the GOP will try to erase this time and say it was a joke never to be intended as a serious endeavor.

[smoon]

Home?
His home is in Illinois
He is headed to Washington DC or Illinois
Please clarify in the headline....
as he is a guest at the White House for most likely less than 2 more years...
The story did not clarify where he was traveling to next - is it Illinois where his home is?

[Coop]

Goodbye!

Oh, and you can send all of us tax payers a check for what your campaign trip cost us. Or just add it to what you already have done to the national debt, and let the next few generations worry about it.

Good job with the traffic jams! GWB used rolling road blocks on his visits and never caused 4 hour delays. Good work Barry!

K, Thanks!!!

[talia]

I'm sorry, however, your story is inaccurate. Traffic was screwed up for hours while his royal highness' staff blocked traffic on the westside for more than an hour.

As for the president..why isn't he here to address jobs issues? A man who makes more than a million dollars a year should not be preventing good working folks such as myself from getting to a job, and almost getting fired because he's here at a $35K dinner hanging out with celebrities.

Not to mention the fact that he and that cow of a wife have spent million's of our tax payer dollars on vacations to Paris, golfing trips, vacations to hawaii.

I would like either he or the DNC to reimburse me for my docked pay for 3 hours of work that I missed while dealing with road closures.

[Stay Hydrated Get Focused]

Does any one else wonder how many ppl paid the "maximum legal limit"? =\

[jimsr]

tour of state? visit? how about fund campaigning u liberal hacks!!!!

[Fred]

Wouldn't it be cheaper (and easier for the rest of us) if these clowns just all flew to Washington and handed in their checks?

[Joe Smith]

It took me 2 hrs to drive 2 miles yesterday. What a hassle.

[Bob/San Diego]

Given the nature of talia's comments, I'm glad he/she spent time in a traffic jam. They deserved it.

[blackone]

He shouldn't visit here. It gets way too trafficky.

[valwayne]

Massive corrupt spending, massive debt, S&P downgrades the outlook for the AAA credit rating of the U.S., gas is moving over $5 a gallon and maybe much higher, the economy is slowing, we are stuck in a useless, endless, costly, unauthorized war in Libya, the Middle East is in chaos, our friends feel betrayed, or adversaries are moving to take advantage of Obama weakness and incompetence, and what is Obama doing? Well he's out raising money in Hollywood for his reelection campaign. He can't be bothered with any little thing like Presidential Leadership, UNEMPLOYMENT, a failing Economy, or War!

[John]

Don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out!

[Louis]

One word: helicopter. Learn to use one Mr. President.

[PS]

He is the president and his security is definitely a part of tax payer money. At least he did not start a war and bring down the economy with his reckless time as a president. Don't understand why we in LA always want to complain about traffic. If he takes the road, people complain about traffic. If he takes the helicopter, people complain about the cost! And if a person earning 35k is mad for being late at work, then he/she should have been prepared for it and left early. Obama's itinerary was published about a week in advance.

[lolo]

Streets in Brentwood were closed this morning and employees were stuck in the same area for an hour. How can you say it was not bad traffic and hub bub when it was? He should have left last night instead.

[Jack Davis]

Only "more than 2,500"? Probably slightly more, otherwise it would have been "more than 3,000." Not much of a turnout, so maybe "the thrill is gone." Will have to ask Chris Matthews what's running up his leg these days.

[jbwalker]

"That cow of a wife?" What!!?? Talia get you HASS back to work .

[Jim in Los Angeles]

I wish I could have seen our President on this visit; my two daughters especially want to see and vote for him. One of my great youthful memories was to see John F. Kennedy in person when he landed at Point Mugu Naval Air Station. I'll never forget that encounter with history.

[steve rodriguez]

@ H - Obama's not a media shill? Obama was invented by the media! His life or presidency is not a reality show, it's a pre-fabrication!!!!

[boughtandpaidfor]

he is by far the biggest sell out. the deal with farma the banker buddies 4 more years will give the elite what is truly left of the wealth in this country sell out sell out sell out

[Peter G]

To all of you idiots who scream about the dollars these trips cost, stop it. ALL POLITICIANS spend extravagant amounts of money on campaign trips. Once a candidate even announces his nomination, he gets secret service protection so stop trying to make it seem like this is out of the ordinary. If candidates didn't visit, you would complain that they don't care. When they do, you complain about the traffic, blah, blah, blah, You are all a flock of fools who can't be satisfied if you can't complain about something.

[boris8]

This was not done at taxpayers' expense, people. The Democratic National Committee reimburses the local police and the govt. for Air Force 1. And Obama did make 1.7 mil last year because he wrote a book that a lot of people bought. So he's entitled to a vacation in hawaii, paris, wherever. His 1040 also says that he gave lots of those $$$ to charity. And they didn't use the Bush-era rolling roadblocks because there are a lot more threats on his life than there ever were about GWBush. All those gun-carrying folks who believe that he's a foreign-born Muslim socialist: Blame them for the traffic tie-up because they're the ones who (indirectly) caused it.

[HappyJack]

Good riddance, all the socialists in the state of California need to find a new country to live in and have this worthless clown lead you!