Obama campaign soliciting birthday, wedding gifts in fundraising ploy

(CBS News) President Obama wants to wish you a very happy birthday - and as his gift to you, he'll let you donate a portion of your gift money to his reelection campaign.

A blog post on the Obama/Biden 2012 website on Friday announced the campaign's newest fundraising ploy - the "Obama Event Registry," which asks anyone with an upcoming birthday, wedding, or anniversary to "support the President on your big day" by asking for donation money "in lieu of a gift."

"Let your friends know how important this election is to you," the post reads. "Instead of another gift card you'll forget to use, ask your friends and family for something that will go a little further: a donation for Obama for America."

Replete with a section that allows anyone interested to create actual accounts for their registry, the site reasons, "it's a gift that we can all appreciate--and goes a lot further than a gravy bowl."