At fundraisers, Obama points to his record
SAN FRANCISCO - On a three-day west coast fundraising blitz, President Obama is defying pundits and critics who say he can't run on his record - at least selected portions of it.
"The month I took office, we were losing 750,000 jobs every month; last month we created 250,000 jobs," he told contributors last night. "We've now created 3.7 million jobs all across the country over the last 23 months."
He trumpets the growth of manufacturing jobs on his watch - and saving the auto industry from collapse - though he avoids use of the word "bailout."
"Slowly, steadily, as difficult as it's been," said the president, "we've started to see the economy rebound and recover. We've started to see people who were starting to lose hope see once again the possibilities in their lives."
What he doesn't mention are four years of federal deficits topping a trillion dollars or a National Debt at an all-time high of $15.3-trillion, amounting to 100 percent of GDP (if you include entitlement obligations.)
In speeches yesterday and today, the president is reminding supporters of the massive health care bill he enacted. He boasts about the repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy that now allows gays in the military to serve openly.
He also harkens back to the first bill he signed into law enabling women to use the courts to enforce equal pay for equal work.
Mr. Obama said the achievements he cited "should be a source of satisfaction - but it can't be a source of complacency - because we're not done."
In his remarks, he speaks of his agenda for a 2nd term - much of it outlined in his State of the Union Address last month. He admits many Americans are still struggling to move into the middle class or remain there.
"We've got so much more work to do," Mr. Obama tells supporters - whether at events requiring a $100 contribution or the legal maximum of $35,800 per person.
His first two events of the trip yesterday were staged at the lavish estate of soap opera executive Bradley Bell, executive producer of "The Bold and the Beautiful." The rock group Foo Fighters performed for 1,000 donors paying $250 to $500 each.
Afterward, Mr. Obama spoke at a big money dinner at which actors George Clooney and James Belushi were among the celebrity attendees.
Of the eight fundraisers Mr. Obama is doing on in California or in Washington State, only two are open to radio and TV news coverage. Five others restrict reporters to simple note-taking. And the one remaining event is closed to press coverage. The press ground rules are decided by the White House and the Obama Campaign.
Most of the costs of Mr. Obama's travel on this fundraising trip are paid for by taxpayers. It's an advantage every incumbent president has had.
Under Federal Election Commission rules, the president's campaign or party reimburses the government for a small amount, but nowhere near the cost of flying Air Force One cross-country and back. That runs to over $180,000 an hour, according to the Defense Department.
Despite repeated claims by Mr. Obama that his is the most open and transparent administration, the White House refuses to disclose the amounts reimbursed to the government by the president's campaign or party - or the precise formula used to calculate the amounts.
