Obama tells Hollywood supporters: I've finished 60% of my goals
President Obama rubbed elbows with some big-name stars like Eva Longoria and Will Smith at a pair of campaign events Monday night, telling his Hollywood supporters he's completed nearly two-thirds of his presidential goals.
"We've got so much work left to do," the president told some of his more glamorous supporters, at a fundraiser at the home of Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith.
About 200 people attended the event, each having paid at least $5,000 each to hear the president. Mr. Obama touted his accomplishments so far, such as health care reform, financial reform and ending the Iraq war -- receiving applause from the crowd for each point.
Remarking that he keeps a checklist of goals in his desk, Mr. Obama took out a pen and acted as if he were checking off some items on his list.
"We've got about 60 percent done," he said. "I'm pretty confident we can get the next 40 percent done in the next five years."
The president acknowledged "the economy is still hurting right now" and reiterated his point that Republicans should be supporting his $447 billion jobs plan. He also said he needs help getting an immigration reform bill passed. "We're going to have to mobilize and we're going to have to organize and we're going to have to tap into the best instincts of the American people in order to make it happen," he said.
Mr. Obama was introduced at the fundraiser by actress Eva Longoria, who said the president "speaks to the Latino community because he knows he's the president of all Americans."
Earlier in the evening, Mr. Obama attended a fundraising dinner at the Los Angeles home of film producer James Lassiter and his wife Mai Lassiter, where guests like actor Will Smith and basketball legend Magic Johnson were in attendance. About 40 people attended the event, at a cost of $35,800 per person.
"I've said this before - this election will not be as sexy as the first one,'' Mr. Obama told the more intimate crowd. "Back then it was still fresh and new. I didn't have any gray hair. Everybody loved the 'Hope' posters and all that. This time it's -we've got to grind it out a little bit. We've got to grind it out. But the cause is the same. And my passion is the same. And my commitment is the same.''
The president earlier in the day attended a fundraiser in Las Vegas, where he also unveiled measures aimed at stabilizing home prices.
Mr. Obama will cap off his visit to Hollywood on Tuesday by sitting down for an appearance on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno." He then travels to San Francisco and Colorado for three more campaign events.
By the day's end, Mr. Obama will have attended 64 fundraising events this year, with 60 expressly for his re-election campaign, according to CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.
