It takes this much money to eat with Barack Obama
Didja ever hold one of these $10 G notes in your hands?
Well, it took this bill....
...plus this bill....
...plus yet another $10,000 bill....
....plus four $100 Benjamin Franklins for a couple to have dinner with Barack Obama on Thursday night in San Francisco's Westin Hotel. And hundreds of Northern Californians lined up to do so. It better be an abundant shrimp cocktail for that price.
This is a newish administration that so quickly denounces the egregious excesses and appalling financial greed of corporate America. And was someone recently saying the country faces one of the most serious economic eras since back before even Joe Biden was born?
Apparently not these San Francisco Democrats, who also got to hear Speaker Nancy Pelosi, well, speak. (VP Biden, by the by, is in Nevada Friday doing the same campaign/money thing for happy Harry Reid, the embattled Democrat Senate Majority Leader.)
You'll be surprised to know that Pelosi praised the attendees as "a great collection of....
...intellectuals, entrepreneurial spirit, idealism (and) integrity." And, she told the president during her introduction, "They have a full appreciation for what you have done."
The speaker told the crowd that the major issue at hand is healthcare reform. But she said the reforms were not really "about the details of the policy, it was about something bigger. It was about our moral responsibility…social responsibility and the character of our country.’’
Obama was fresh from the long, comfortable 747 flight from New Orleans, which is a lot closer than Copenhagen. Obama held another town hall meeting in the Crescent City (details, video and transcript available here). According to the White House press pool report, the president seemed energized. And the night's haul of $3 million couldn't hurt.
Obama returned Pelosi's praise: "Having now known Nancy, I can tell you that, day in and day out, she faces down some of the toughest problems…and she doesn’t break a sweat. And she is willing to stare folks down and tell them how things are going to be.
The president predicted that it was going to take a long time to address the nation's vast array of problems, perhaps even longer than 36 months. Which coincidentally puts him right at the 2012 presidential election.
"We’re just getting started," Obama said. "Some of our opponents seem to think they can wear us out and I just want to be clear -- I’m not tired. I’m refreshed. We are not going to stop."Oh, BTW, for their $30,400 dinner tab, attendees also got a photograph with the president.
-- Andrew Malcolm
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Why is this news? This is a political fund raiser. People didn't go there for the food.
Posted by: Chan | October 16, 2009 at 04:52 AM
Seriously, you're getting worked up over a fund raising dinner? Really, how is it even remotely shocking that people would pay and the party would benefit? How is this news? There are so many more compelling political issues you could be talking about instead of rubbing peoples noses in the fact that some people can afford to donate large amounts of money. It would interesting if Obama was pocketing the money, at least that would be news. This is a waste of time, space and I can't believe you are getting paid to write this dribble. Poor effort Times, people expect more.
Posted by: B | October 16, 2009 at 04:57 AM
yes, politicians hold fund raisers with really wealthy people. write a real story.
Posted by: jgreatstone | October 16, 2009 at 05:02 AM
What do you mean it won't cost me a penny? What I find interesting is that the fundraiser brought in around $3 million. How much did it cost to transport and protect Obama to attend this event? Don't tell me it didn't cost me - and the other taxpayers - a cent.
Posted by: f farkle | October 16, 2009 at 05:16 AM
Repulsive to the point of inducing sudden and uncontrollable gastric discharge.
Posted by: THOMAS46 | October 16, 2009 at 05:54 AM
Perhaps if the last eight years of Republican nation building had instead been directed at building our own nation, the list of problems that needed to be addressed by this administration would not be so long, and could be completed sooner. Perhaps if the GodNo Party quit saying No and offered some constructive ideas to the needed solutions, the legislation could be formulated in a more expeditious fashion. And finally, the GodNo party could back the end to all private political fundraising and have Government funded campaigns, but that would be tooooo socialist. GodNO!
Posted by: Leon | October 16, 2009 at 06:26 AM
And we wondering why America keeps vote all these politician in office? obviously, they have so much money they can share with the poor.
Posted by: chiu | October 16, 2009 at 06:53 AM
Go Figure:
60% Employer-Paid-Insurance,
27% Govt. Care,
____________________
13% from 100% = 87% have Health Insurance...
In fact, 20% of the uninsured aren't US citizens!!!
(The Myth of the 46 Million / American Spectator)
So...--WHAT REFORM--...increased rates and waiting times!!!
Virtually all other Developed Countries have Single-Payer Health Insurance!!!
Single-Payer with $50 deductible after annual check-up is just what the Doctor Ordered (that's about $1 per month for 5 years)!!!
Posted by: Michael L. Wagner | October 16, 2009 at 09:06 AM
This is news? Where were you when Texas billionaires were throwing hoe downs and barbeques with entry fees much higher than the one you feature. The difference is that our current president is at ease with all sorts of Americans and can speak to them in an articulate manner, in full sentences. That he can speak to such diverse groups in one day (and he does this regularly) puts him light years ahead what we had to suffer for eight years.
Posted by: Jane Miller | October 16, 2009 at 09:12 AM
Disgusting considering California has 12% unemployment and neither Barack Obama nor Nancy Pelosi could be bothered to speak to any of the ordinary people here.
Posted by: Petra Meyer | October 18, 2009 at 02:16 AM
Hypocrites. Take the money from the rich to give to the poor so the poor can be coerced by the ACORNs to vote them in again. Take the money from the rich to give to the poor so the poor can be coerced by the ACORN's to vote them in again. Take the money...
Posted by: susan | October 18, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Tent cities in California, kids living in squalid garages - trying to do homework with NO lights, millions out of work, people (Martin Luther King Hosp) dying on the FLOOR of ER rooms, others dying when moneyed utilities computers turn off veterans (Michighan) electric. Some shared sacrifice eh? With the President spending an approx 10 million (Air Force One - and duplicate, C-130 for SUVS, limo etc, communications plane, army of staff) to champion Chicago (Denmark) for seven minutes. Michele, Oprah, gladiator sports stars, Daley etc went separately (our dime).
Trip to Grand Canyon, river rafting, on to Paris (with mom - the kids - makeup artist/ numerous aides, all on STAFF - with full benefits) for shopping, then London for the kids (Lion King) Russia - Italy. Designer duds , $540 sneakers, $6000 clutch bag, Wed night entertainment at White House, Super Bowl party with $150.00 per lb organic KOBE porterhouse steaks/ with the unemployed given SEVEN dollars a DAY for food stamps.
Then a rest with a $50,000 rental at Martha's Vineyard (Camp David too cheap?) which cost US millions with security etc. Meantime NO vacations for the electrical/carpenter unions (Detroit); what with Obama's car CZAR, Steve the RAT giving Citi Bank their 6 billion pension/health benefit money they'd paid into for YEARS. And now -gag, championing none other than MULTI Millionaire frozen faced Pelosi (voted for Patriot Act - appropriations for WAR - and GAVE away the Presidio to former KGB Gorbachev (veterans who moved into military housing got arrested. So much for the McKinney Act).
George Lucas etc. Her voting for NAFTA etc --what a shock her with her NON-union vineyards - restaurants. Her vote for No Child Left Behind/ has our kids dumbed down to mud with schools NOT given federal funds if they don't permit Army Recruiters on grounds/ and access to all their private info. There's nothing worse than the nouve riche/ especially when its NOT their money. In the midst of a Depression its Party Time.
I'm trying (I can't) to imagine Dr. King or Ghandi leading like this? Oops, you can't criticize least you be labeled 'racist' --with Bush you were unpatriotic. Guess we've just supposed to live under our bridges and shut up while a SMALL group (bankers, CEOs, political,) live it up on our STOLEN money. I'm disgusted.
Posted by: jude moriarty | October 18, 2009 at 12:43 PM