Obama expected to raise at least $3.6 million during Manhattan fundraisers
(CBS NEWS) WASHINGTON - With the help of former President Bill Clinton, Jon Bon Jovi, a bevy of Broadway stars and a hedge fund manager, President Barack Obama expects to raise at least $3.6 million for his reelection campaign during his seven-hour visit today to Manhattan.
Three days after doing a record six fundraising events in a single day on June 1 in Minneapolis and Chicago, Obama is attending three more campaign money events this afternoon and evening.
They include:
- a $40,000 per person event at the home of billionaire hedge fund executive Mark Lasry. The event helps the president tap into the deep pockets of Wall Street titans, even though he has been critical of their opposition to his efforts to impose new regulations on the financial and investment industries.
- a fund-raising gala at the Waldorf-Astoria at which rocker and supporter Jon Bon Jovi will perform. Some 500 contributors will pay at least $2,500 to attend.
- a "Broadway for Barack" concert at the New Amsterdam Theater, located near Times Square. Stars such as James Earl Jones, Stockard Channing, Neil Patrick Harris, Angela Lansbury, Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin, among others, are scheduled to perform. Some 1,700 supporters will pay at least $250 or more to attend. Usually, the New Amsterdam Theater is home to the Disney stage production of "Mary Poppins."
Among those attending the Bon Jovi and Broadway events will be three winners of the Obama campaign sweepstakes that were offered the chance to attend for as little as a $3.00 contribution.
Including these the three events, Obama will have completed 148 campaign fundraising events since officially filing as a candidate for reelection in April 2011. Funds raised at these events go to the Obama Victory Fund, which also supplies revenue to the Democratic National Committee and several state Democratic parties.
At the same point in his run for reelection, former President George W. Bush had done only 79 fundraisers.
Former President Bill Clinton is playing overall host to Obama's visit to New York. In a CNN interview last week, Clinton had praise for presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Clinton raised some eyebrows at the White House and the Obama campaign when he publicly disputed those who have demonized Romney's work as a venture capitalist. Clinton said "there's no question" that in terms of "performing the essential functions of the presidency, the man who has been governor and had a sterling business career crosses the qualification threshold."
But the 42nd president made it clear he fully supports Obama's bid for a second term and will help him raise over $3.6 million tonight.
Obama will be back in New York next week for more fundraising, including an event hosted by "Sex in the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
