HONOLULU - He may be on vacation, but Barack Obama still has money to raise and Hawaii — his birth place — is as good a place as any to do it.
The Democratic presidential candidate, who has been relaxing on the golf course and eating out in his sun-swept former hometown, raised $1.3 million at a fundraiser on Tuesday that was attended by 500 donors including friends and former teachers who once knew the 47-year-old as “Barry.”
“What makes this night special is the fact that there are so many friends here. Some of you I grew up with. Some of you taught me in class,” he told the crowd.
He praised the Hawaii spirit and joked that he had wanted to come to the islands during the Democratic primaries but his staff wouldn’t let him.
Now that he’s finally made it to Hawaii, most of the U.S. states have had an Obama visit. “Alaska is the last holdout — and I’ve got to get up there,” he said.
Not this week. The Illinois senator has two days left of vacationing before heading back to the mainland, the campaign trail, and the spotlight.
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
Photo Credit: Reuters/Hugh Gentry (Barack Obama walks out to give a statement while on vacation in Hawaii)
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While I’m an Obama supporter, I think Obama’s concern about the timing of this vacation was correct. Perhaps the idea was to demonstrate that he has American values, that he will ‘go home to see Grandma’ in the middle of a tight campaign. I think he has succeeded in handing another victory to McCain: it makes Obama look smug. Moreover, this vacation happened to coincide with the worst episode in Russo-American relations since the end of the Cold War. McCain is the hands-down winner in his mastery of the subject matter to begin with, and the idea of Obama lying around on the beach just now is twice as damaging.
- Posted by Andrea NovotnyWhile I’m an Obama supporter, I think Obama’s concern about the timing of this vacation was correct. Perhaps the idea was to demonstrate that he has American values, that he will ‘go home to see Grandma’ in the middle of a tight campaign. I think he has succeeded in handing another victory to McCain: it makes Obama look smug. Moreover, this vacation happened to coincide with the worst episode in Russo-American relations since the end of the Cold War. McCain is the hands-down winner in his mastery of the subject matter to begin with, and the idea of Obama lying around on the beach just now is twice as damaging.
- Posted by Andrea NovotnyOh no…he took a vacation and held a FREE PUBLIC RALLY for his supporters in Hawaii and held a fundraising event last night where he raised $1.3 million…a trip planned before Russia went into Georgia. Bush was so concerned about the invasion that he sat 2 seats away from Putin at the Opening Ceremony laughing and having a great time. Obama still gave his opinion on the matter from Hawaii. Hawaii is a state and if elected he will be our President too. There is no reason why he should always be on the mainland and never visit his family, friends, and supporters out here. McCain is campaigning in Detroit…He is not in Washington DC..does that mean he left DC at a bad time too? At least Obama visited here..that’s more than McCain will ever do! Cokie Roberts suggested he go to Myrtle Beach because it is not “foreign” like Hawaii…Isn’t a vacation still a vacation..and campaigning still campaigning…whether it’s done in Detroit, Honolulu, or Myrtle Beach?
- Posted by NPI’m a Barack supporter. He has every right to show up at his Grandmother’s home, especially after not seeing her for 18 months. His young daughters are allowed a vacation with their parents, even if the rest of Nation can not afford a holiday in Hawaii. GET OVER IT! As Phil Gramm says “stop whining!” Barack Obama is not the President. The President of the US was in China of all places looking into the eyes of the former KGB spymaster. You remember Bush said that he could trust Putin after looking into his eyes at the ranch in Crawford, Tx. I’M sure Vladimir told Bush he had Georgia on his mind. John McCain is a mental prisoner of war. As for Barack’s vacation, he knows that the election (the dirty part) is already underway. Better to bathe in the Pacific, now.
- Posted by Anne ArkeyNo wonder the Taliban think that they can win!
PERHAPS A VACATION FROM POLITICS WOULD BE BEST FOR BOTH WORTHLESS CANDIDATES.
DO AMERICA A FAVOR…..WRITE-IN RON PAUL FOR PRESIDENT.
WE’LL ALL BE GLAD WE DID.
RON IS “SHORT ON MEDIA STRINGS” AND STRONG ON “GOOD IDEAS”.
- Posted by ART