At John McCain's fundraiser tonight, a pin can be had for $2,300

Once upon a time, not all Republicans loved John McCain. One, cited in a 2001 New York Times story, was a fellow Arizona resident named Jack Londen.

''I'm so disappointed that John McCain was elected as a Reagan Republican but is acting like some kind of Democrat,'' Londen was quoted as saying. ''He fell in love with seeing his name in headlines with the Eastern liberal press.''

And what is Londen doing tonight? Opening his Phoenix-area home to McCain for a fundraiser headlined by President Bush.

Londen, no doubt busy making arrangements for the event, could not be reached for comment on his change of heart.

But the get-together he's hosting attracted an extra dose of attention because of a late change of plans. Originally, the fundraiser was to be held at the Phoenix Convention Center (which is a bit bigger than Londen's home), and pesky reporters wanted to know why it had been moved.

Some speculated McCain did not want to be photographed with the unpopular president, even as he received the benefit of Bush as a draw for the....

... Republican faithful, among whom he remains popular. Others had a different take.

"We believe that they canceled the fundraiser at the convention center and changed the venue to a house party because of poor ticket sales," said Dana Marie Kennedy, spokeswoman for the Arizona AFL-CIO.

Not at all the case, according to McCain spokesman Brian Rogers. He said the campaign "has a policy that fundraising events are closed press. To keep consistent with that policy, the campaign requested the event be moved to a private home. It's as simple as that."

Of course, that doesn't explain how the event got planned for the convention center in the first place. Mere details.

For a mere $2,300 check to the McCain campaign itself, attendees can receive a lapel pin promoting his candidacy.

But the Republican National Committee, which can accept much larger sums than individual candidates, is soliciting checks for as much as $140,200 from couples.

Ultimately, much of the money donated to the committee will be spent to help McCain, who trails Barack Obama badly in contributions that go directly into coffers that each candidate controls.

With the president's help, by contrast, the RNC has been much more successful than the Democratic National Committee in raking in the cash.

According to the RNC, Bush has held 19 fundraisers for the GOP in the first four months of this year, raising $36.6 million.

From Arizona, the president travels to Mitt Romney's spread outside Park City, Utah, where he will be the featured guest at another fundraiser benefiting the RNC.

--Andrew Malcolm

Photo Credit: AP

Comments

[Moe]

Is that pin you get for $2,300 a flag lapel pin by any chance?

[eric Raskin]

It is worth it , I will ask david giffen , goerge soros , penny pitskter , edgar bronfman. oh thats right they all gave millions to obama

[Aisley]

"...a pin can be had for $2,300"
What for? Is not like the pin head in chief has been good for something.

[Elizabeth]

Love the fact that Obama dissed McCain for having a fundraiser tonight. Not everyone is privy to $$$$ from the middle east as is BO. Let's not be blinded by oratory and vote for the man who will keep us safe.
McCain 08

[Jerry Lloyd]

Hmmmm, $2300 for a pin, aaaaa no thanks. That would the 2 mos worth of health insurance premiums for my wife and I. Think I will keep my health insurance!

[Elliott Eggleston]

Elizabeth: keep us safe by starting ANOTHER war? Keep us safe by screwing up the economy for another 4 years? Keep us safe by dithering on health care and the environment for another 4 years? Please, tell me how this lunatic will keep us safe.

[Jamespn1333]

Oh mama, it's Obama

No Pain, Go McCain

[Chuckee]

Love the fact that Obama dissed McCain for having a fundraiser tonight. Not everyone is privy to $$$$ from the middle east as is MC, and yet he still fails to raise a notable amount. Let's not be blinded by oratory and vote for the man who will keep us safe and clean.
Obama 08

[Kyle]

I'm sorry Elizabeth? I believe Obama is being funded by the millions of Americans that write him 25 dollar checks every month. You are confused, it is Bush who has made his millions from Saudi oil money, and McCain who married a millionaire half his age. But I guess ignorance is bliss. Obama didn't "diss" McCain for having a fundraiser, he "dissed" him for being the President's puppet, and trying to do it without having a picture taken. Gotta love it.

[Payam Jaan]

It is amazing, almost unbelievable, that after 8 years of Bush foreign policy, there're people who come out in support of John McCain. He promises to continue this same failed policy. What right do these people have to criticize what the democrats propose?? You failed. miserably. I am ashamed of this government.

[Dan Hanley]

With all due respect to his title as a U.S. senator, kindly allow me to be blunt in my remarks...McCain is a dangerous sicko that will destroy this country.

[trickyd]

Love the fact that Obama dissed McCain for having a fundraiser tonight. Not everyone is privy to $$$$ from the middle east as is BO. Let's not be blinded by oratory and vote for the man who will keep us safe.
McCain 08

Posted by: Elizabeth
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Well if we're gonna do that then we'll have to vote for Ron Paul cuz he's the only one out of all four that tells us the truth ... about the war, the economy, the Constitution, and our sorry a$$ foreign that is really more about world domination than anything else!

Ron Paul for President in 2008!

[Joe]

> You are confused, it is Bush who has made his millions from Saudi oil money, and McCain who married a millionaire half his age.

You forgot how Bush's grandpa (Prescott Bush) had all those business deals with the Nazis. Meanwhile, Obama's grandfather was out liberating the prisoners of the Nazi forced-labor camp Buchenwald.

But I guess that's another good reason why McCain doesn't want to be seen with Bush...

[payam jaan]

The republicans stole your tax dollars and sent your kids to die for no cause. Your blood should be boiling America.

[tom]

why do you think bush goes to saudi arabia all the time..duh..his family is tied into the oil in the middle east..or our you people still believing bush went into iraq to free the people..because saddam wanted to hurt his dad..saddam had wmd..are you still believing it..once a sucker always a sucker..bush does not even take care of americans..and mccain is the same..now..mccain wants us to go to war with iran for israel..this is against our national security..does anyone think this is a foolish foreign policy..1.4 billion arabs worldwide..14 million jews worldwide..this is a no brainer.

[john]

A PIN FOR $ 2003 ?? and I thought gas at $4.00/gallon was costly !!! All these BEGGARS (Presidential condidates)competing for the top job in the country. I would rather give a dollar to a poor kid in Africa and see the smile light up his world, than give alms to politicians. Better yet, contribute $$ to fighting Alzeimer's - that would help McCain soon

[Jay]

GO MCCAIN, Earn your support,
Typical Obama supporters; the republicans and democrats sent the soldiers to war for a cause Obama and his supporters will never understand. Obama gets pushed around by Hillary, just imagine how international leaders would wipe the floor with this guy, can't pull the race card everytime. NOBAMA

Anyone but OBAMA '08

[Joe]

> Typical Obama supporters; the republicans and democrats sent the soldiers to war for a cause Obama and his supporters will never understand.

That reason for the war you're talking about, would it have anything to do with this?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/27/mcclellan.book/

In excerpts from a 341-page book to be released Monday, Scott McClellan writes on Iraq that Bush "and his advisers confused the propaganda campaign with the high level of candor and honesty so fundamentally needed to build and then sustain public support during a time of war."

"[I]n this regard, he was terribly ill-served by his top advisers, especially those involved directly in national security," McClellan wrote.

We lost how many American troops due what they elsewhere described as a decision made because of Bush's 'gut feeling'... ?

[Diana in California]

Posted by Kyle / May 27, 2008 at 08:57 PM.

"I'm sorry Elizabeth? I believe Obama is being funded by the millions of Americans that write him 25 dollar checks every month. You are confused, it is Bush who has made his millions from Saudi oil money, and McCain who married a millionaire half his age. But I guess ignorance is bliss. Obama didn't "diss" McCain for having a fundraiser, he "dissed" him for being the President's puppet, and trying to do it without having a picture taken. Gotta love it."

*********************************************************************
Kyle: Do you or anyone really believe Barack Obama's campaign is being funded by millions of Americans writing 25 dollar checks? If you do, you are either naive or ignorant, must be the kool-aid. George Soros has been pouring millions of dollars to the Obama's campaign, and is one of his biggest contributors, along with moveon.org, and alot of other undisclosed shady contributors.

As for John McCain's wife, she is 54 years old, 18 years younger than him, not half his age. You must be bad at math. Senator John is not anybody's puppet, he is his own man, and that it why I will be contributing money and time to his campaign, because he's the best qualified to get us out of the Iraq war, and a bad economy. If Obama couldn't stand up to Hillary during the debates, how is going to fare against McCain or world leaders?

Whenever McCain mis-speaks, it's a sign of old age and alzeimers, so I guess that whenever Obama's mis-speaks or can't speak more than two or three words without pausing, and looks lost like trying to remember, it must be the long term damage effect of using cocaine and marijuana.

[tom]

if you do not talk to countries we disagree with..we will get nowhere..if mccain is elected..look for 350.00 a barrel for oil..since he will without a doubt bomb iran..mccain has already said he will stay in iraq for as long as it takes to win..6 years and we have not solved anything there..mccain if he ever does withdraw..which i doubt..will have bases there..mccain is no different then bush..except maybe more of a war monger.

[Steve]

Diana - So you think McCain is the best candidate to get us OUT of the war?!?!? He was instrumental in getting us INTO the war! It's you who's been drinking the Kool-Aid, for about 8 years, I'm guessing. And what makes MoveOn.org "shady"? And I enjoyed your broad brush "alot of other shady contributors" line. And I can't WAIT to see Obama debate McCain! McSame is going to get trounced as he stands at the podium telling all of America that he's going to "stay the course" with every failed Bush policy. If it doesn't work for Bush, how is McCain going to make it work? Just different packaging, my dear, and you're gobbling it up.

[barbara]

$2300 a pin? How many gallons of gas would that buy? Wait. Foolish me. The rich don't have to worry about that.
Of course, the fundraiser was off limits to the press, the poor, etc. Just another Republican good-old boys party with a trophy wife on McCain's arm.

[Kyle]

Diana: Time to pull your head out of the sand. Here are the numbers:

New donors in April: 200,000

94% of contributions were under $200

93% of contributions were $100 or less

77% of contributions were $50 or less

52% of contributions were $25 or less

Number of donors to the Obama campaign overall at the end of April: 1.475 million

As to your other jabber-jawing points... If you honestly believe that McCain is his "own man", I invite you to go to youtube and look at what he had to say in 2000 (when perhaps he was his own man) and compare it to what he has to say in 2008. He has changed his mind (or had his mind changed for him due to political expediency) on just about every issue that would make a reasonable person believe he is the "maverick" that you people would have us believe. His senate record shows that he parted from Dubya on only 10% of his votes. Wow.

As to his "qualification" to get us out of the war, I can only assume that you are woefully uninformed. His idea of foreign policy is to rattle his saber at Iran (Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb bomb Iran, look it up), and an open-ended war in Iraq. I watched his fairy tail speech about how the work will look in 2013 (after his campaign decided that his hundred or maybe a thousand years in Iraq might not win the election), and I fail to see how the same foreign policies that Bush uses will somehow engender different results. But as long as he will "never surrender", I guess that is "ending the war". HA!

You think he will fix the economy? He himself has said that the he "doesn't know the economy as well as he should". The reason our economy is in the toilet is because we spend trillions of dollars in a country we have no business being in, while we buy oil from more countries that hate us (and we call allies).

Honestly, I can't wait to see the McCain and Obama on the same stage. Judging by what I've seen so far, Obama will debate the issues, and McCain will call him a Stupid-head. Case and point: McCain is supposed to be the "champion" for veterans, and yet he opposes a bill that would bring the GI Bill up to date. Obama calls him on it, and McCain says that since he didn't serve in the military, he can't talk about veterans benefits. Hmm... Sounds like someone doesn't want to answer the question.

[Joe]

> Kyle: Do you or anyone really believe Barack Obama's campaign is being funded by millions of Americans writing 25 dollar checks? If you do, you are either naive or ignorant, must be the kool-aid.

I'm not Kyle, but yes, I believe that. Mostly because I sent them $25 and because I can fact-check that via the FEC which confirms that Obama has tons of small donors like me. I don't know where you got your information, but it's completely and utterly wrong and I have proof:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/04/10/small_donors_play_huge_role/

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/summary.php?id=N00009638

I can provide MANY more links if you want them. What's your proof to the contrary? Some blog?

The only Kool-Aid being drunk around here is the people who think that McCain is different from Bush after embracing every single one of the Bush administration's mistakes, starting with the war in Iraq.