BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Democrat Barack Obama raked in $9 million at fundraisers on Tuesday night flanked by celebrities. But he stopped far short of celebrating.
The White House hopeful kept the tone of his remarks somber as he talked of the financial crisis that has cast a pall over the economy to an audience that included Pierce Brosnan, 
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jodi Foster and Jamie Lee Curtis.
“This should be a celebratory evening. We’ve got 48 days to go in a campaign, a campaign that started 19 months ago, at a time when a lot of folks thought we might not get here,” Obama told a reception of 800 people at the swank Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
“I’m not in a celebratory mood,” he said, listing recent events such as the financial turmoil, a deadly train crash in Los Angeles and Gulf Coast hurricanes.
Obama’s Republican rival, John McCain, mocked him for mingling with his “celebrity friends” while middle-class Americans were spending their time worrying about the economy.
At one reception, where donors contributed $2,500 a piece to Obama’s campaign coffers, singer-actress Barbra Streisand gave a rare singing performance.
At an earlier dinner of around 300 people at the Tudor-style Greystone mansion in Beverly Hills, donors paid $28,500 a plate to the Democratic Party and dined on beef filet, asparagus and salad with goat cheese.
Asking them to work hard to help get him elected, Obama said the financial crisis “has reminded people what’s at stake.”
“It’s reminded people that this is not a game. This is not a reality show,” he said and then added, to laughter, “No offense to any of you here.”
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
Photo credit: Reuters/ Tobias Schwarz (Barbra Streisand, shown in a 2007 performance in Berlin, sang at an exclusive fundraiser for Obama Tuesday night.)
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I’ve looked up who in Hollywood is helping Obama and I’m APPALLED! Obama is just a smooth-talking, deceitful, pretentious man, pretending he has what it takes to be Commander in Chief….a man who cannot even take a stand by voting yes or no!! I’m sickened by his cocky demeanor that is perfectly condescending and an insult to our intelligence. What ARE we coming to when the majority of Hollywood is going to play a part in putting this Socialist in White House????
- Posted by TAMERAI SAY we stand together and BOYCOTT Hollywood!!!
McLame is bush’s boy. He gonna do the same thing bush did. If you listen closely mclame is actually helping the rich get richer. So, when you say, “what about the middle class?” Mclame don’t care, he has ten (10) houses has he ever offered one out to anyone less fortunate-NO. so for all of us middle class, working class people-he’s gonna shake our hands and d*ck us at the same time. Heck, mclame’s wife’s outfit (head to toe) at the RNC was an estimated $300,000. SHow me a working class male or female wearing an outfit (head to toe)worth that. Mclame can’t relate. Oh, and “war hero” if he was a real hero-he wouldn’t have betrayed the US by giving secrets to the enemy. KNOW THE FACTS!!!!!!
- Posted by rickyObama isn’t taking public money, unlike McCain, so he has to raise money somehow. It is not any candidates’ fault that the system is the way it is, but unfortunately they have to deal with it and that means raising money. I understood the 66 million he raised in August wasn’t all going to Obama. I am a republican woman, but I cannot understand how anybody could vote for McCain-Palin. McCain is too old and seems to be senile or is definitely teetering on senility. Palin is nothing more than a clueless bimbo that the republicans picked (as I understand it McCain didn’t want her) who obviously wasn’t vetted properly, or I should say at all. She stumbled into politics because nothing else stuck. It’s embarrassing.
- Posted by tupto…If you earn over $250,000 a year, you can probably afford to pay a little more…
- Posted by MikeBYY
Who the h3ll are you to make that decision about MY hard-earned money? Maybe I can’t afford that. This increase will apply almost exclusively to small business owners who have to report revenues as personal income. So you’ll gladly increase taxes on people who, after paying wages, rent and supply costs, typically have very little left for themselves, because as you say they “probably can afford it.” That is awfully presumtuous.
But you liberals love practicing class envy, want people who do nothing to resent the evil rich (while unwittingly undermining the will of those who might otherwise be innovative), you pick a number that sounds like a lot and decide those people should be punished for not having the fruits of their labor forcibly removed by the far reaching hand of liberal politicians.
- Posted by MattWhat about the 5 million that McCain that raised the night before last. What is the difference?
- Posted by MikeT
4 million.
- Posted by MattKeep it up! The more angry and vicious you are, the more petty comments you make, the more you focus on superficial issues instead of substantive discussion, the more people will be glad to be on the other side.
- Posted by JanetHey Broke and Hurting, these people DO care.
- Posted by MikeBYYThey are the same people who raise money for Katrina, and money for AIDS. They are the ones who help the homeless and donate to good causes. They are in the entertainment and show business, which depends a great deal that people will have a few bucks left for entertainment after paying the bills, putting food on the table and a roof over their heads. Unfortunatly, it takes a lot of money to fight the lies and distortions that the Republicans have been throwing at all of us the last 8 years. If you are lucky enough to have health insurance paid for by your employer, you need to realize that McCain tells lies from the podium. He says he won’t raise taxes, and won’t increase payroll taxes, but then he says he wants to tax your health insurance benefits. That would amount to a family paying income and/or payroll tax on about an extra $12,000 per year. For those who earn the lowest incomes, it will be the biggest burden. If you earn $36,000 a year, it will mean you get taxed like you earned $48,000. That’s a 30% increase in your income tax. Of course, if you earn $250,000 a year, it amounts to only a 5% increase. IS THAT FAIR? McCain lies. Obama will cut taxes for those earning under $250,000 a year. If you earn over $250,000 a year, you can probably afford to pay a little more. He also is against these ‘gimmick’ tax increases like taxing your health benefits. Remember he’s the one that has promoted health care for EVERYONE!
28,000 per plate, raised 9 million in his trip to Hollywood. How much money between the two candidates have been spent. How about a fundraiser for the poverished people of the US. How about doing something to actually put some money back into the pockets of the people that are struggling to pay bills and put food on the table. How much fuel and tax payer dollars are being wasted on all the trips back and forth across the country by both candidates. How much green house gases ahave the two candidates contributed by their campaigns alone. How many people could have been fed bu what has been spent on the capign fiasco. If you can afford 28,000 on a dinner I’m not thinking that is someone who really cares if gas is over 4 bucks a gallon.
- Posted by Broke & Hurting