Former Social Secretary Julianna Smoot: "my job is done"... President Obama's second White House Social Secretary, Julianna Smoot, left 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue House in March of this year to become his Deputy Campaign Manager. She sent heady news via e-mail to re-election supporters today, as she unveiled the seating chart, above, for OFA's fundraiser "Dinner with Barack and Michelle."
Three lucky winners and their guests will dine with the President and First Lady Obama at an unspecified date and place, and Smoot dubbed the seating arrangement her easiest assignment ever.
"I've put a lot of dinners together for the President and Mrs. Obama," Smoot wrote. "Sometimes they've been for foreign dignitaries and heads of state. Sometimes they've included governors, artists, and musicians. The seating can get pretty complicated, but I have to say, this one was easy."
"So really, my job's done," she added.
Smoot asks for a minimum $3 donation. Her e-mail followed one earlier in the day from Reggie Love, President Obama's longtime personal aide. Love urged donors to "Get on that here," which translated into English, means make a donation to enter the contest.
"Dinner with Barack and Michelle" is the President's third time raffling himself off as a dinner date. He dined with the four winners of the first dinner contest in October at The Liberty Tavern, but has yet to dine with the four winners of the second contest. OFA this week released a new video of the Eater in Chief talking about the first dinner, which followed five previously released videos. The current contest closes on December 31.
Smoot's subject heading for her e-mail was "Where do you want to sit?"
The text:
XXXX --
I just saw the seating chart for Dinner with Barack and Michelle, and I thought you should see it, too.
The President and First Lady are right here. Where do you want to sit?
Take a look, then donate $3 or whatever you can to be automatically entered for a chance to win.
I've put a lot of dinners together for the President and Mrs. Obama.
Sometimes they've been for foreign dignitaries and heads of state. Sometimes they've included governors, artists, and musicians. The seating can get pretty complicated, but I have to say, this one was easy.
One table, six guests, and the President and First Lady.
So really, my job's done. The only thing that's missing is who the guests will be.
Click here to give $3 or whatever you can and be automatically entered for a chance for you and a guest to have dinner with the President and First Lady:
Love is in love with the dinner contest: "Get on that here"... President Obama's closest personal aide, "body man" Reggie Love, is leaving the White House before the end of the year. Today Love sent his very first fundraising e-mail for the 2012 campaign, touting the "Dinner with Barack and Michelle" contest. Love, 30, has spent four years with Mr. Obama, and his wide array of very intimate duties included Presidential food wrangling on the road, as well as dining with his boss--which is the point of his e-mail: "I've also eaten many, many meals with him," he writes. Thus Love is in love with the dinner contest, he says.
"I kind of love this "Dinner with Barack and Michelle" contest. You all have to do this," Love wrote. "Get on that here."
The subject line for the e-mail is also "You All Have To Do This." The faux homeboy vernacular is pretty goofy, given that Love is exiting Mr. Obama's orbit to finish a graduate degree at an Ivy League university. And typically "You All" is spelled "Y'all," isn't it? The goofiness can be credited to whichever OFA staffer wrote the e-mail, of course.
And the goofiness factor gets even higher as the e-mail touts the exclusivity of dining with Barack and Michelle.
"I know that dinner with Barack and Michelle is something that usually only happens with the girls, and no one else," Love/the OFA staffer wrote.
"You should know this practically never happens."
Just to point out the silliness of that statement, the guest lists for 2011's three State Dinners collectively had about 700 people, all of whom dined with Barack and Michelle. A couple hundred more people dined with Barack and Michelle at the President's 50th birthday party. And then there was the APEC Leaders Dinner, the Return State Dinner, the Bipartisan Dinner for Congressional leadership, the US Combatant Commanders dinner, and the Governors Dinner, which add a couple thousand more names to the list of people who have dined with Barack and Michelle, just this year.
Of course, those aren't the kind of intimate dinners OFA is promoting in its effort to woo "Everyday Americans" to drop cash into campaign coffers. Inviting guests to dine with the President at the White House would probably raise far more money, but that's off limits under federal election rules.
"Dinner with Barack and Michelle" is the President's third time raffling himself off as a dinner date. He dined with the four winners of the first dinner contest in October at The Liberty Tavern, but has yet to dine with the four winners of the second contest. OFA this week released a new video of the Eater in Chief talking about the first dinner, which followed five previously released videos. The current contest closes on December 31.
Three winners will each be allowed to bring one guest to the dinner, and they will all have to sign documents agreeing to be used in campaign materials.The assigned retail value of the prize package has jumped from $1,075 for the first dinner to $1,600 for the current dinner. It is taxable to the winners, and includes airfare and a one-night hotel stay.
The text of Love's e-mail:
XXXX --
You may know me as the tall guy who followed Barack everywhere he went.
As the President's body man for the last four years, it's been my privilege to help him with whatever he needs: making sure he's on time, finding some food when we're on the road, or playing a quick game of basketball (he won, mostly).
Of course, this also means I've also eaten many, many meals with him.
So first of all, I just want to say thanks for supporting the Obamas and being part of this campaign. It means a lot, not only to the President, but to all of us who've worked by his side.
Two: I kind of love this "Dinner with Barack and Michelle" contest. You all have to do this.
Get on that here.
You should know this practically never happens.
While Barack wants to do these dinners throughout his campaign, I know that dinner with Barack and Michelle is something that usually only happens with the girls, and no one else.
The fact that this dinner is with the two of them should tell you how much it matters to them to know that you have their backs out there.
I wouldn't let this one get away.
Donate $3 or whatever you can today to automatically be entered to win a spot at dinner for you and a guest:
"This campaign and this presidency is not just about me," says Mr. Obama in sixth video about his October dinner with four donors... President Obama's willingness to raffle himself off as a dinner date to raise funds for his 2012 re-election effort is one of the top White House food stories of 2011. On Monday morning, OFA released a new video clip of the President speaking about having dinner with four campaign donors in October at The Liberty Tavern, as he fulfilled his first meal commitment for the three different "Dinner with Barack" contests. OFA previously released five video clips from the first dinner. (Above: The President in the new video, looking very gray)
Having dinner with supporters "helps motivate me," the President says in the new video.
The four people the President dined with in October are so enthusiastic about Mr. Obama that one, Casey Helbling, a tech entrepreneur from Minnesota, named one of his children "Maxwell Barack."
"They've got their own struggles, they've got their own challenges, and yet they're still out there working on the campaign, working on the issues, trying to get their Congressmen to vote...that reminds me that this campaign and this presidency is not just about me," President Obama says in the video.
First Lady Michelle Obama has been added to the current contest, "Dinner with Barack and Michelle." Entries close on Dec. 31. Three winners will each be allowed to bring one guest. They will all have to sign documents agreeing to be used in campaign materials.
"In this previously unreleased clip, President Obama talks about why dinners with supporters mean a lot to him," OFA wrote. "After you've watched, make a donation to be automatically entered for your chance to attend the next dinner...We'll cover your airfare and the meal—all you have to bring is your story and your ideas."
The assigned retail value of the prize package has jumped from $1,075 for the first dinner to $1,600 for the current dinner. It is taxable to the winners.
President Obama has yet to dine with the winners of the second dinner sweepstakes. ##
Enter to win "a once-in-a-lifetime experience"... The newest e-mail from OFA for the "Dinner with Barack and Michelle" campaign fundraiser was sent today by Julianna Smoot, former White House Social Secretary and now Deputy Campaign Manager. The contest closes Dec. 31; three winners will be selected, and each can bring a guest. The President will be bringing his wife, who has been added to the contest to inspire donations.
"Tell us who you would bring if you won -- and why," Smoot wrote. "I hope you'll put your name in the running to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience with someone you care about."
OFA most recently sent an e-mail to potential donors from Wendi Smith, one of the winners of the first dinner sweepstakes, who called her meal with the Eater in Chief "one of the most significant experiences of my life." Smith dined with the President in October at The Liberty Tavern in Virginia, fulfilling the first dinner contest obligation. The President has nt yet dined with winners of the second sweepstakes.
The subject heading for Smoot's e-mail was "Your guest for Dinner with President Obama" (sic).
The text:
XXXXX --
Have you been thinking about who you'd bring to the next Dinner with Barack?
President Obama will be bringing Michelle to the dinner he's having with grassroots supporters like you. The best part? If you join them, you have a chance to bring a loved one along, too.
Tell us who you would bring if you won -- and why.
Maybe it's your spouse, your aunt who volunteers a few times every month, or your niece who's about to vote for the first time in 2012.
Whoever you choose, this dinner isn't just a chance for you both to meet the President and the First Lady, it's a chance to share a special meal -- to ask the questions you've been dying to ask, and tell the stories you think they need to hear.
I hope you'll put your name in the running to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience with someone you care about.
Let us know who you'd bring and why you want them to meet the President and the First Lady:
http://my.barackobama.com/Your-Guest
Thanks,
Julianna
Julianna Smoot Deputy Campaign Manager Obama for America ###
The Presidential meal was "one of the most significant experiences of my life," says contest winner... All winners of the "Dinner with Barack" fundraising contests had to sign documents agreeing to be used in Campaign publicity materials. Wendi Smith, one of the four winners who shareda meal in October with President Obama as he fulfilled his first dinner contest obligation, sent an e-mail to supporters this evening. It's the first from any winner, and urges entry in the "Dinner with Barack and Michelle" sweepstakes, the third fundraising dinner. (Above: Smith presents the President with a gift of her artwork)
Smith is described by the Campaign as "an artist and retired professor from Corydon, Ind." Her e-mail had the subject heading "My Dinner with Barack," and she hails her Presidential meal as "one of the most significant experiences of my life."
"To be able to talk to him in person, to connect with him across the dinner table, was very special," Smith wrote.
She's a longtime Obama supporter: "In 2008, I phone banked and canvassed for him near my hometown," Smith wrote. Still, her e-mail is about as interesting as "My Dinner with Andre," that ponderous Louis Malle movie that cinema enthusiasts like to hail as a masterpiece. The Campaign has created its own series of dinner movies: Five videos are here. In a postscript, Smith attached the photo at top of herself with the President. The Commander in Chief liked her artwork, she said. Smith asks for a donation of at least $3.
Three people will win the current dinner contest, and each can bring a guest: The President's "guest" is his wife. The dinner prize is fully taxable under IRS rules, and has an assigned retail value of $1,600. Entries close on Dec. 31. The President will dine on an unspecified date with four donors from the Campaign's second contest, the "Dinner with Barack II" sweepstakes, held during fundraising quarter 3, July-September.
The full e-mail text:
XXXXX--
My name is Wendi, and about a month ago, I had dinner with President Obama.
It was one of the most significant experiences of my life.
Click here to take that chance for yourself.
It all happened because I responded to a "Dinner with Barack" email in my inbox. I was planning on making a donation anyway, so I thought I might as well do it now.
When I got the call, I couldn't believe it -- and when I flew out to D.C. for the dinner, I really couldn't believe it. I'm just one of more than a million grassroots supporters of this campaign. But a few hours later there I was.
I never imagined that I would sit down for a conversation, let alone a meal, with the President of the United States.
If you've thought about entering but haven't taken the chance yet, I urge you to do so now. You never know what might happen.
And I hear the First Lady is going to be there for this one, too ... very cool.
Donate $3 or whatever you can today to be automatically entered to win dinner with Barack and Michelle.
I've supported Barack Obama for a long time, and in 2008, I phone banked and canvassed for him near my hometown of Corydon, Indiana.
To be able to talk to him in person, to connect with him across the dinner table, was very special.
I told him about my son and his college loans, my work as an artist, and asked him about public education -- I could tell that he was genuinely listening to each of us, even though I'm sure he had a lot going on that day, and his own family back at the White House.
When I got back home, I told my husband and friends that the President was exactly the man we all thought he was: modest, genuine, engaged, and very caring.
It's a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life. I'm so glad I decided to enter.
Join me by giving $3 or more, and start thinking about who you'd invite to dinner:
https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner
Good luck,
Wendi
Wendi Smith Corydon, Indiana
P.S. -- Here's a picture of me after signing a postcard with my artwork on it for President Obama. He asked if he could have one at dinner, but I thought he may forget about it when it was time to go. He didn't. The President made sure someone found a pen so I could sign it for him before he left. I wrote, "To Mr. President, with love and respect, Wendi Smith." ##
The Obama Campaign apparently wants to know which of your friends have been naughty or nice this year... In an afternoon tweet promoting the third fundraising dinner with President Obama--now known as "Dinner with Barack and Michelle," @BarackObama asked "Which friend do you think deserves a seat at the table for #DinnerWithBarack?" The accompanying link went to the flag-wrapped screen, above, a new addition to OFA's website, which encourages supporters to enter their friends' e-mail addresses.
The three winners of the contest are each allowed to bring a guest. The bar is pretty low for selecting "deserving" companions: Dining with the Eater in Chief and his incredibly popular wife can be had for a $3 donation.
The campaign recently advertised that it is looking to hire new staff to write its digital media missives. It can't happen fast enough: The word choices for campaign e-mails and tweets swing between boring, weird, and ominous.
"We're taking names," President Obama wrote when first announcing that he's raffling himself off as a dinner date for the third time. The phrase sounds more than a bit Orwellian, unless the President is Santa Claus, and checking his list twice.
First Lady e-mails about "Dinner with Barack and Michelle" fundraiser... America's most famous eaters are looking for dinner companions. President Obamaannounced via e-mail on Wednesday that his wife will be joining the lucky winners of the third "Dinner with Barack" campaign fundraiser, now renamed "Dinner with Barack and Michelle." Today the First Lady sent an e-mail wooing donors, too, asking for a $3 donation. The e-mail had the subject line "[Your Name Here], I want to meet you."
"I'm excited for the chance to meet you and whoever you decide to bring to dinner," Mrs. Obama wrote. "I really hope you give this a shot."
The third dinner raffle will have three winners, and each can bring a guest. The assigned retail value of the prize package has jumped from $1,075 for the first dinner, to $1,600 for the current dinner, which includes airfare and a hotel stay. It is taxable to the winners. The President dined with the four winners of the first dinner contest last month, and the Campaign has released five videos about the dinner. Mr. Obama has yet to dine with the winners of the second dinner contest. Entries for the current contest close on Dec. 31.
The text of the First Lady's e-mail:
XXXX --
I'm excited for the chance to meet you and whoever you decide to bring to dinner.
I really hope you give this a shot.
Give $3 or whatever you can to be automatically entered for you and a guest to have dinner with Barack and me:
"I'm bringing Michelle," President Obama announces... Update, Dec. 1: First Lady e-mails about dinner President Obama announced today that he's bringing his wife to the third "Dinner with Barack," a fundraising contest launched this month to raise money for his re-election effort. In a new twist for the dinner sweepstakes, the three winners will each get to bring along a guest.
"I thought I'd bring one, too -- so I invited Michelle," President Obama wrote in an e-mail to supporters. "She's in."
The dinner has been re-named "Dinner with Barack and Michelle," as can be seen from the promo graphic, above. The heady dinner can be had for just a $3 donation, Mr. Obama advised.
"Michelle and I don't get to spend as much time as we'd like with the people who are building the 2012 campaign," he wrote. "So I hope you'll take us up on it."
Vice President Joe Biden was added to the first "Dinner with Barack" contest in an effort to sweeten the pot, and it was re-named "Dinner with Barack and Joe." The President dined with the four winners of that contest last month, but Biden was out of the country, and missed the event. Mr. Obama has not yet dined with the four winners of the second "Dinner with Barack" contest.
The assigned retail value of the prize package has jumped from $1,075 for the first dinner, to $1,600 for the current dinner, which includes airfare and a hotel stay. It is taxable to the winners. Entries close on Dec. 31.
The e-mail had the subject line "I'm bringing Michelle."
The text:
Friend --
If you win a seat at the next dinner with three other supporters and me, you'll get to bring a guest.
I thought I'd bring one, too -- so I invited Michelle.
She's in.
Donate $3 or whatever you can to be automatically entered to sit down for a meal with Michelle and me.
Michelle and I don't get to spend as much time as we'd like with the people who are building the 2012 campaign.
But we are incredibly grateful for all you're doing, whether it's volunteering and having one-on-one conversations in your communities or chipping in what you can to help build the organization.
We're looking forward to the chance to thank you in person, so I hope you'll take us up on it.
Make a donation today to be automatically entered for the chance to join us at the table:
Obama Campaign releases five new videos from inside President's dinner with contest winners... President Obama this week announced the third "Dinner with Barack" contest to raise money for his 2012 re-election war chest. To build interest among donors, Obama for America released five new videos from inside the first contest dinner President Obama has completed, his meal on Oct. 27 at Liberty Tavern in Arlington, Virginia. The President's press pool was allowed into the dining room for less than one minute during the event for a rapid photo op, so the Campaign videos are the first extended look at what occurred as four "everyday Americans" broke bread with the Commander in Chief. The longest video is more than eight minutes long, and edited like a feature film. (Above, the President with from L Knight, Smith, Helbling, and Martinez).
The winners were Juanita Martinez, a retired teacher from Brighton, Colorado; Casey Helbling, a software entrepreneur and small-business owner from Minneapolis, Minn.; Ken Knight, aU.S. postal worker from Chandler, Arizona; and Wendi Smith, a retired professor and artist from Corydon, Indiana. Helbling is such a huge Obama supporter he named one of his children "Maxwell Barack," he revealed after the dinner. All had to sign documents agreeing to be used--without pay--in campaign materials. Each prize, taxable by the IRS, was valued at $1,075, and included air fare to DC and a one-night hotel stay for the guests. The prizes did not include make up and hair service for the winners, as they made their feature film debuts.
The dinner was just 70 minutes long; the guests declined the President's offer of dessert. The longest mini-movie, above, is titled "Dinner With Barack: Two Teachers, an Army Veteran, a Small Business Owner and The President." It's edited to build excitement, and shows the President's guests arriving in Washington and being wowed by the monuments, while discussing their thrill over the upcoming dinner with Mr. Obama. Then it transitions to the restaurant, and shows edited portions of the Presidential mealtime conversation. The other four videos are shorter vignettes of the table talk, edited by theme.
For the record, the President at dinner enjoyed the "Harpoon Caught Swordfish," which is regularly featured on The Liberty Tavern menu. It's served "Portuguese style," with white beans, sweet peppers, lamb sausage escarole, and Littleneck clam sauce ($22). He washed it down with iced tea, though his companions drank wine. Before this week's video releases, the four winners had previously dished about their dinner to various media outlets, as well as put out statements for Campaign HQ.
Above, in this 1:05-long clip, "Dinner With Barack: The Impact of My Father," the President is asked by one of his guests about the "negative impact" of not knowing his father, who left when he was a small child. It's the most moving of the videos.
"As I look back on my life, I only remember my father for one month of my whole life," President Obama said. "When I was ten."
His father, however, introduced him to all the things he became passionate about, the President said--among these basketball and jazz--and the absence made him realize how important it is to be a good father to daughters Malia and Sasha.
Above, in the 1:04-long "Dinner With Barack: A Typical Day," Mr. Obama discusses what might occur on any given day of the Presidency. The days are "packed," the President said, noting that he's "not a morning person." The last time he was awakened in the middle of the night for an emergency was for the Japan earthquake and tsunami, the President said, "probably around 3 in the morning."
"At 6:30, even if I'm really busy, I'll stop, go upstairs, and have dinner with the girls," the President said.
Above, in the 1:02-long "Dinner With Barack: Why Education Is important," the President and his guests discuss education issues, as the title implies.
Above, the final 52-second video is a teaser, billed as "Video Preview: Dinner with Barack." The President talks about the challenges of trick-or-treating in public with his daughters, now that he's Commander in Chief. Last time he "pulled it off," Mr. Obama said, was in 2007.
Other dinners... The President will dine at a later date with four more donors from the Campaign's second contest, the "Dinner with Barack II" sweepstakes, held during fundraising quarter 3, July-September. The winners' names have not yet been released. In an interview in September, Campaign Deputy Press Secretary Katie Hogan told Obama Foodorama that there was no way to determine how many donors have actually given money in order to be entered in the dinner contests; she said that donations for the dinner contests were not specifically tracked, which seems hard to believe. Donors for the second and third contests were and are automatically entered into the dinner pool, but that was not the case for the first dinner contest. Entering the contests without donating is/was possible, too.
The third contest closes on December 31, and will have three winners, each of whom can bring a guest. The Campaign is already heavily promoting the third dinner contest, and this week sent a Thanksgiving e-mail to woo donors.
Dinner with the President is the perfect holiday gift for family members, Obama Campaign advises... Update, Nov. 27:Campaign releases5 new videos from the first "Dinner with Barack" As President Obama was pardoning the National Thanksgiving Turkey on Wednesday morning, his 2012 Campaign operation sent out an e-mail to supporters, urging donations for the newly launched "Dinner with Barack" contest, the third sweepstakes offering an intimate dinner with the Eater in Chief. It was timed for Thanksgiving and holiday gift giving: The latest enticement for donors is that each contest winner can bring a guest. "Who do you want to meet the President?" asked Rufus Gifford, National Finance Director. (Above: A new logo for the contest)
"As you celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, look around the table and ask yourself: Who would you bring?" wrote Gifford. "It's hard to think of a better gift for your parent, spouse, child, or best friend than the chance to accompany you to dinner with President Obama."
The donation ask was $3. The assigned retail value of the prize package has jumped from $1,075 for the first dinner, to $1,600 for the current dinner, which includes airfare and a hotel stay. President Obama has completed one "Dinner with Barack" event with donors; he dined last month at a Virginia restaurant with the four winners of the first contest.
"I'd bring my mom" to the dinner, Gifford wrote. The contest closes on December 31.
The e-mail had the subject heading ""Who do you want to meet the President?"
The text:
Friend --
We just launched our next Dinner with Barack contest, and this time there's a big new twist: Each winner can invite a guest.
So as you celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, look around the table and ask yourself: Who would you bring?
It's hard to think of a better gift for your parent, spouse, child, or best friend than the chance to accompany you to dinner with President Obama.
To be automatically entered right now, make a donation of $3 or whatever you can today.
When you do, you'll be helping fund this campaign as we near a critical fundraising deadline at the end of the year -- just three days before voters in Iowa head to the caucus and the 2012 election formally kicks off.
President Obama wants to connect face to face with the people who are chipping in however they can to grow this campaign.
So this time we're asking the three people who win to bring along a guest: maybe your significant other, or the friend who first got you involved in this movement. I'd bring my mom.
Thanksgiving is a perfect time to start thinking about whom you'd pick.
So throw your hat in today with a gift of $3 -- and be automatically entered for Dinner with Barack:
https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner
Thanks,
Rufus
Rufus Gifford National Finance Director Obama for America ##
Retail value of dinner with President has skyrocketed..and this time, the three winners can bring guests... Update, Nov. 27:Campaign releases5 new videos from the first "Dinner with Barack" The global economy may be in hot water, but the value of dinner with President Obama has gone up. In an effort to raise funds for the 2012 re-election campaign, President Obama is for the third time raffling himself off as a dinner date, he announced today in an e-mail to supporters. While the President is a cheap date--dinner can be had for just a $3 donation--the assigned retail value of the prize package has jumped from $1,075 for the first dinner, to $1,600 for the current dinner, which includes airfare and a one-night hotel stay. As an extra enticement for supporters, the contest is now two-for-one: Each winner can bring a companion. (Above: The new logo for the new dinner sweepstakes)
"We're taking names for the next dinner starting now, and this time I want to add a new feature: If you win, you can bring a guest," President Obama wrote.
This time there will be three dinner winners, rather than four, for a total of six guests sharing a meal with the President. It's proved to be a popular fundraiser, but the phrase "we're taking names" sounds a bit Orwellian, doesn't it? As he notes in his e-mail, the President dined on October 27th at a Virginia restaurant with the four winners of the first contest. He has yet to dine with the four winners of the second sweepstakes, and the Campaign has not released their names. The current contest closes for entries on Dec. 31. The prize is taxable, and no donation is *actually* needed to enter the contest.
The e-mail had the subject heading "You and a guest".
The text:
Friend--
A few Thursdays ago, I had dinner with four Americans named Ken, Casey, Juanita, and Wendi -- the winners of the campaign's first Dinner with Barack contest.
I loved getting to know each of them.
We're taking names for the next dinner starting now, and this time I want to add a new feature: If you win, you can bring a guest.
Chip in $3 or more today to be automatically entered to win a spot for you and a guest at the next dinner.
The folks who this election is all about tend to fall under the radar of the D.C. pundits and traditional news media.
They're people like Juanita, who helped put her three sons through college on a teacher's salary while saving what she could for retirement.
Like Ken, a single dad who stood by his mother as she fought insurance companies while battling two forms of cancer.
They're like Casey, whose three young kids may not yet appreciate what courage it took for their dad to take a chance and start his own business.
And Wendi, an artist and third-generation teacher who canvassed, marched, and phone banked in Indiana in 2008, the year her home state defied the traditional electoral map.
These people weren't just there for themselves -- they were representing you, this movement, and the folks I go to work for every day as president.
These dinners are important to me because I want to spend time whenever I can with the people who sent me here. They're proving wrong the conventional wisdom that says campaigns should cater to Washington lobbyists and powerful interests. And they're an important reminder that this movement -- and my presidency -- have never just been about me.
I'm proud that we're choosing to run the kind of campaign where a dinner like this isn't just possible, it's a regular thing. And next time, I don't just want to meet you -- I want to meet someone else in your life.
Donate $3 or more, and start thinking about who you'll invite to dinner:
The Obama fundraising operation never lets a holiday go by without making a plea for financial support. Today is Vice President Joe Biden's69th birthday, and while it isn't (yet!) a national holiday, Campaign Manager Jim Messina sent an afternoon e-mail to donors suggesting a special celebration: Drop $20 (or more!) "to get your official Cup-of-Joe mug." Above, the mug as it appears on the OFA swag store website, complete with one of the Veep's favorite words, "literally," in the promo. "I can't think of a better way to honor the Vice President's birthday than for his smile to grace kitchen tables and workplaces across America," Messina wrote in his e-mail.
Made in the USA, the mug is a big *&%!$*# deal, isn't it? And a perfect accompaniment to the Obama Birther Mug the Campaign is selling. Unfortunately, unlike President Obama's mug, Biden's doesn't have his birth certificate on it. Or Biden's other *&%!$*# signature fave word, which would make it a best-seller.
The mug missive was Messina's second Biden birthday e-mail of the day. Earlier, he sent an follow-up to Dr. Jill Biden's e-mail request that supporters sign a birthday card for her husband. Messina asked for more signatures "before we deliver the card to the Vice President."
"Hundreds of thousands of supporters have already added their names and their good wishes. Joe's going to love reading these," Messina wrote.
Messina's coffee mug e-mail had the subject heading "On this day in 1942".
Click hereto see more Obama Campaign foodie swag, including a Biden can holder.
The text of Messina's mug e-mail:
Friend --
Joe Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on this day in 1942.
I can't think of a better way to honor the Vice President's birthday than for his smile to grace kitchen tables and workplaces across America.
Wish Joe a happy birthday -- donate $20 or more to get your official Cup of Joe mug today:
https://donate.barackobama.com/Cup-of-Joe-Mug
Thank you,
Messina
Jim Messina Campaign Manager Obama for America
##
*Expect 4-6 week delivery time of you actually order a mug.
Wednesday: President will make fifth dinner address to key constituency in less than two months... As the 2012 election race heats up, President Obama has amped up his attendance at gala dinners in Washington, DC. On Wednesday, he will make his fifth appearance at an awards dinner hosted by a group that is a key constituency for his re-election. The President will deliver the keynote address at the National Women’s Law Center’s Annual Awards dinner, held at the Washington Hilton. (Above: A screenshot of NWLC's Presidential announcement on its website)
Since Sept. 14, the President has spoken at gala awards dinners for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Foundation, for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT advocacy group, and most recently, at a dinner for the National Italian American Foundation. Each dinner had between 2,000 and 3,000 guests. Wednesday's dinner, as the photo logo above notes, is sold out, and that's been the case with all of the other dinners, too. More than 1,000 guests are expected to attend the NWLC dinner.
The President typically arrives at the dinners just in time to speak, and then leaves immediately after without dining. His remarks at each dinner have been tweaked to fit the particular audience, but all focused heavily on the importance of getting him re-elected to continue the work he's started during his first term in the White House.
First Lady Obama accompanied the President to the two Caucus dinners, but did not accompany him to his two other Fall dinner speeches. The NWLC dinner is not currently listed on Mrs. Obama's schedule for this week; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton keynoted the 2010 dinner. The President spoke at both Caucus dinners in 2010, and spoke at the Human Rights Campaign dinner in 2009, but skipped it in 2010.
The most powerful man on the planet has a 9.0% unemployment rate, with 15% of Americans on Food Stamps, and an approval rating of 44% among voters... Today is the third anniversary of President Obama's election in 2008, and he is spending it in Cannes, France, attending the G20 summit. This week, he was dubbed the most powerful person on the planet by Forbes magazine. The visit to Cannes is the President's fifth G20, his nineteenth foreign trip since taking office, his tenth trip to Europe, and his fourth visit to France. It comes as the US is struggling with high unemployment and fending off a recession. (Above: The President, Mrs. Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha in Chicago on Election Night)
Sen. Obama received 53% of the vote on Election Night 2008, trumping GOP candidate Sen. John McCain, who got 46%. Mr. Obama had 365 Electoral College votes to McCain's 173.
"If there is anyone out there who doubts that America is a place where all things are possible...tonight is your answer," Sen. Obama said during his victory speech in his hometown of Chicago to a screaming, ebullient crowd, many of whom wept with joy.
"Tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America."
The US unemployment rate climbed from 4.8% to above 7% during 2008. On this anniversary, US unemployment has dropped slightly after sticking at 9.1% for months, and for October was 9.0%, it was announced today, a figure the White House says "remains unacceptably high." The President's massive American Jobs Act has stalled in Congress, blockaded by Republicans, and he's started using Executive Orders to accomplish his policies. Thousands of protesters across the US have taken to the streets with the Occupy Wall Street movement. Food Stamps use has hit a record high, with about 15% of Americans using the federal food aid. Food prices will climb 3-4% in the next year, USDA recently reported.
The President faces a tough re-election battle for 2012, but during his news conference in Cannes today, he dismissed a question about Republican challengers.
"The least of my concerns, at the moment, is the politics of a year from now," President Obama said. "I'm worried about putting people back to work right now because those folks are hurting and the US economy is under performing."
On this anniversary, the President has far more gray hair, a topic he and First Lady Obama frequently joke about during campaign speeches, but his latest physical finds him fit for duty.
On the President's third anniversary, the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for today shows that 19% of the America's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. 42% Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -23. The most recent Gallup Daily Tracking Poll, a three-day rolling average ending Nov. 2, finds that President Obama has a 44% approval rating among voters, and a 49% disapproval rating.
President-elect Obama's Election Night Speech, re-tooled as a Campaign Video for 2012:
In Louisiana, a focus on early childhood intervention...First Lady Michelle Obama will visit New Orleans today for an 11:00 AM Let's Move! event at the Royal Castle Child Development Center, the first nationally-accredited day care center in the city, which serves more than than 100 children. Mrs. Obama had two DNC fundraisers scheduled after in Houston, Texas, but the White House announced on Monday that these have been canceled.
In New Orleans, Mrs. Obama's event will "highlight the importance of building healthy habits at a very young age," said the East Wing. "The Louisiana Children's Museum conducts East Sleep Play, an 11-week program at the center with children and parents focused on healthy eating and learning about good nutrition and physical fitness."
The program is actually calledEat Sleep Play, and is an arts-based health curriculum that was developed at the Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) as part of a three-year pilot program to teach children, parents and caregivers how to eat healthy, get the right amount of sleep and lead an active lifestyle. CMOM staff have trained staff at the Louisiana Children's Musuem, who in turn have trained staff at Royal Castle Child Development Center.
In May of 2011, Mrs. Obama launched Let's Move Museums and Gardens, which focuses on using museums and public education facilities for her childhood obesity initiative. In June of 2011, Mrs. Obama launched Let's Move Childcare, which focuses on early childhood development.
One of the canceled Houston fundraisers Mrs. Obama was supposed to attend was at the River Oaks mansion of Laura and John Arnold, a billionaire and former Enron trader. Guests paid $10,000 to attend the evening reception, with couples paying $15,000. An earlier 5:30 PM reception cost $250 per ticket.
From The Liberty Tavern: Details on the Presidential table talk, the menu, the very bad dessert decision, and the guest who named his child "Maxwell Barack"... Update, Nov. 27:Campaign releases5 new videos from the first "Dinner with Barack" The four citizens who won Obama for America's first "Dinner with Barack" contest dined with President Obamalast Thursday at The Liberty Tavern in Arlington, VA. The gang, all donors to the President's 2012 re-election effort, have spent the ensuing days dishing to media outlets about their heady, rare date with the Eater in Chief. The President's culinary comrades were, from left in the above photo Ken Knight of Chandler, Ariz; Wendi Smith of Croyden, Ind; CaseyHelbling of Minneapolis, Minn; and Juanita Martinez of Brighton, Colo. Each comes from a state that is crucial for the President's success in 2012.
All had to sign releases agreeing to be used in future Campaign promotions. Over the weekend, Campaign HQ put out the first "official" statements from the "lucky folks" ("wonderful!" "exciting!"). There was also a promise of "more from our Dinner with Barack winners in the coming weeks." But before the dishing, the menu.
The Liberty Tavern creates seasonal, regional American cuisine, and the casually dressed President Obama enjoyed the "Harpoon Caught Swordfish," which is regularly featured on the menu. It's served "Portuguese style," accompanied by white beans, sweet peppers, lamb sausage escarole, and Littleneck clam sauce ($22). He also had the Tavern Salad, which is field greens with breakfast radish and red wine vinaigrette ($6). No wine for the President: He washed down dinner with iced tea.
Executive Chef Liam LaCivita also created some Presidential treats that aren't on the menu: He kicked the dinner off with an Obama Foodie Homage, delivering a special appetizer of five mini Chicago-style Hot Dogs topped with the mandatory green relish. The President loves his Chicago Dogs: In July, he settled an NBA bet with a Univision reporter with a big box of the authentic goodies sent from Chicago to Miami headquarters. The Dogs were also featured at the annual White House Congressional Picnic in 2010.
Dinner winners decline dessert... The foursome, astonishingly, declined the President's offer of dessert, apparently not realizing that this would extend their time with Mr. Obama. The rapid-fire dinner was just 70 minutes long, a quickie for a President who frequently has dinners outside the White House that last two to three hours. Mr. Obama arrived at the restaurant at 6:48 PM and was rolling homeward in his motorcade by 7:58 PM. Helbling, the Minneapolis winner, publicly bemoaned the bad decision on Twitter. (Above: Helbling and the President)
"The president offered us dessert at the end of the meal... None of us wanted it-what was I thinking! #DinnerWithBarack," Helbling tweeted.
"We got back in the van and all of us were kicking ourselves and probably will for the rest of our lives," Helbling later told US News & World Report. "We couldn't believe it; we had all turned down dessert with Barack Obama."
The dinner conversation... Helbling, a tech entrepreneur who runs a company called Software for Good, is such a big Obama enthusiast that he named one of his children "Maxwell Barack," he said, and revealed that the dinner conversation focused on "critical veterans, education, and economic issues." In his statement for BarackObama.com, he said the dinner "really blows your mind when you think about it."
Perhaps that's because the President revealed some deep secrets about White House life?
"I learned Obama's not a real early riser; he gets up at seven and then goes to the gym before reporting to the office," Helbling told USNWR. "And, he is rarely awaken from sleep for emergencies. The last time he had to go to the situation room in the middle of the night was when the Japanese earthquake was going on."
"The most memorable part was when he talked about his day & at 630 going upstairs to have dinner w/Michelle and kids. I could relate," (sic) was another tweet from Helbling.
Helbling also tweeted about the dinner to his hometown chief, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who not uncoincidentally, since Minnesota is a crucial electoral state, was last week one of the eight Mayors invited to attend First Lady Obama'sfood desert summit in Chicago.
"He was very thankful for your early support!" Helbling tweeted to Rybak, and also tweeted "tonight at #DinnerWithBarack President Obama mentioned how great of a guy you are!"
"Cool!" the Mayor tweeted back, and asked what the President ate.
Mr. Obama tossed his own tweet into the mix after the dinner.
"This dinner is important because I'm only president thanks to the work of millions of Americans like the four I just met. —BO," the President wrote on @BarackObama.
A big security detail... Ken Knight, 48, of Chandler, Arizona, is a mail carrier with a route in Tempe, and it was his mother's $10 donation in his name that got him to the dinner, he told Arizona Central. Knight said he was worried that his "colorful past" might kill his chances of meeting the President. The dinner winners had to pass background checks, and Knight said he is a recovering alcoholic, almost five years sober, and "admits to past use of a few illegal substances that he feared would negatively influence the Campaign's decision about selecting him."
Nope: Knight, who bills himself as extremely liberal and a longtime Obama supporter, got in. The President and his guests ate in an upstairs dining room in the restaurant, and unlike at many other Presidential dinners, there were no other patrons present. There were, however, many members of the President's security detail.
"There were dozens of Secret Service, but they made it really calm and casual for us. It wasn't as crazy as you might think. It was a lot of fun," Knight told Arizona's KTAR radio.
Still, Knight was dubious when he first got the call from Campaign officials saying that he'd won, which occurred in July.
"They said they needed to run a background check and asked for my Social Security number and birth date," Knight said. "I thought it was a scam. They spent the next 10 minutes trying to convince me of who they where." He finally set his suspicions aside and gave them his information.
The Dinner Winners' statements put out by Campaign HQ... There was no "official statement" released from Knight, but the three other winners were quoted as follows on BarackObama.com, which titled the blogpost "This Is The President Of The United States Sitting Next to Me." (Above: The surprisingly low res photo tweeted by Campaign HQ)
Juanita Martinez, who is a retired teacher: "It was wonderful, delicious, exciting. I don’t have the words. I had the swordfish, and they had the best dinner rolls. The President was so eager to meet us. He asked about our states and our families. Every now and then I had to take a moment and think, ‘This is the President of the United States sitting next to me.’"
Wendi Smith, who is a retired professor and artist: "It was wonderful. There was all this anticipation, and the whole day was spent in preparation for our dinner, so all of us were anxious and excited and our heart rates were way up there. But he came in and was just so wonderful at making us feel relaxed and calming us down. In the first few minutes we all went 'Oh, okay, we can do this.' He introduced himself to all of us and really listened to what we had to say. He made sure each one of us got to say something. He was very humble and modest and just exactly the guy I thought he was."
Casey Helbling: "He was a little shorter than I was expecting—I was expecting him to be really really tall for some reason. He was really charming and easy to talk to. And it was like we were just having a normal dinner, just a couple people sitting around a table having a meal talking about the issues. We were joking that it would have been a totally different vibe if we had just gone to the White House and met him in his office. We were completely wide open on questions—we could ask whatever we wanted. It was cool and down to earth, but he’s still the President—so it really blows your mind when you think about it."
The dinner fulfilled the first of two dinner contests held to drop cash into the President's 2012 war chest, and Thursday was the first time the names of the winners were revealed. Though the contest's Official Rules stated that their names would be posted online in July, it never happened; the Campaign ignored its own rules. The dinner was supposed to be "Dinner with Barack and Joe," and include Vice President Joe Biden, but on Thursday he was leading a Presidential Delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a condolence trip that was scheduled after the Crown Prince died. The Campaign promised that Biden would telephone the four winners.
The date of the second dinner has yet to be announced.
An AP video, shot during the less than 50 seconds the President's press pool was allowed in to observe the proceedings, before any food or drink was served:
The prize was worth $1,075... In addition to the dinner, the winners received a round-trip coach-class airfare and one night's hotel stay as part of the prize. The Campaign pegged the "approximate retail value" of the package at $1,075, with the meal priced at $100, airfare at $700, and the hotel stay at $275. This is taxable income for the winners under IRS rules.
*Top photo by Getty-pool; second by Photo by Obama for America; Helbling photo by AP
President's four dinner companions came fromstates crucial to 2012 election... Update, Nov. 27:Campaign releases5 new videos from the first "Dinner with Barack" Update, Oct. 31:The menu & the winnersdish on their group date with the President On Thursday evening, President Obama spent about 70 minutes at The Liberty Tavern in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, with the four lucky winners of the "Dinner with Barack"contest, who flew in from around the US to claim their prizes. They arrived by motorcade at the Halloween-decorated restaurant at 6:48 PM for the outing that fulfilled the first of two Campaign contests in which the President raffled himself off as a dinner date to raise funds for his 2012 war chest. (Above: The President with the winners, from L Knight, Smith, Helbling, and Martinez)
"This dinner is important because I'm only president thanks to the work of millions of Americans like the four I just met. —BO," the President tweeted on the @BarackObama account after the dinner.
The dinner was for the contest that ran during the second fundraising quarter, April-June, and helped boost donations from more than 475,000 supporters and raise $33.2 million for the period. Each guest came from a state crucial to the 2012 re-election, and each represented an issue the President has been focusing on in recent months: Juanita Martinez is a retired teacher from Brighton, Colorado; Casey Helbling is an entrepreneur and small-business owner from Minneapolis; Ken Knight is a U.S. postal worker from Chandler, Arizona; and Wendi Smith is a retired professor and artist from Corydon, Indiana. Arizona is the only state the President lost in 2008.
Clad casually in khaki slacks and a light blue shirt, his sleeves rolled back, Mr. Obama and his four companions sat around a dark wood table in the upstairs room of the Tavern, which serves seasonal, American regional cuisine with a focus on artisanal, in-house creations. Entree prices range from $19-$25. The President's press pool was ushered in for a photo op before any food or beverages were served. No other "regular" patrons were in the room, but there was plenty of staff on hand.
Knight, the federal employee, was overheard telling the President about himself, and mentioning Michael Jordan, a reference at which the President smiled. Smith, the professor, was heard telling the President that her hometown is in southern Indiana, and was the first capital of the state, which seemed to surprise Mr. Obama. There was also chit-chat about the Chicago White Sox, Mr. Obama's favorite baseball team.
"#DinnerwithBarack just became Dinner with Barack, Ken, Casey, Wendi, and Juanita: pic.twitter.com/rZKfj2Gi," @BarackObama tweeted; the photo was grainy, and followed by another equally low-res image, "just for good measure," according to the second tweet.
The President has never previously dined at the eatery, but the First Lady may have managed to sneak in for an "incognito" meal at some point. In order to attend the dinner, each guest had to undergo a background check, and sign documents agreeing that their image, etc., could be used by the Campaign in future promotional materials. Today was the first time the names of the winners were revealed, though the contest's Official Rules stated that their names would be posted online in July; the Campaign ignored its own rules.
The President's motorcade arrived at approximately 6:48 PM. By 7:58 PM, the group was departing in the motorcade, which arrived back at the White House at 8:04 PM. (Above: A blurry post-dinner photo tweeted by @BarackObama shows wine and ice tea on the table; the press had already been dismissed)
An AP video, shot during the 50 seconds the President's press pool was allowed in to observe the proceedings:
The prize was worth $1,075... In addition to the dinner, the winners received a round-trip coach-class airfare and one night's hotel stay as part of the prize. The Campaign pegged the "approximate retail value" of the package at $1,075, with the meal priced at $100, airfare at $700, and the hotel stay at $275. This is taxable income for the winners under IRS rules.
Vice President didn't attend, but will telephone the winners... Vice President Joe Biden was supposed to attend the dinner; midway through the fundraising quarter, the contest was changed to "Dinner with Barack and Joe" to entice more donors, a change the President himself announced in a video. But Biden on Thursday was leading a 7-member Presidential Delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a condolence trip that was scheduled after the Crown Prince died last week in New York. The Campaign promised he would telephone the four winners.
The President will dine at a later date with four more donors from the Campaign's second gustatory contest, the "Dinner with Barack II" sweepstakes, held during fundraising quarter 3, July-September. In an interview in September, Campaign Deputy Press Secretary Katie Hogan told Obama Foodorama that there was no way to determine how many donors actually gave money in order to be entered in the dinner contests; she said that donations for the dinner contests were not specifically tracked. Entering the contests without donating was possible, too.
Thursday's dinner took place a day after President Obama returned from a three-day fundraising swing through Las Vegas, Nevada; San Francisco and Los Angeles, California; and the snowy Denver, Colorado. He headlined six fundraisers, including one at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas, and one at the Hollywood home of actors Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas. The trip also included an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and a stop at Roscoe's House of Chicken n' Waffles in Los Angeles.
The dinner donations... There was a big push for donations for both dinners, but especially for the third quarter fundraiser, with plenty of e-mail requests from Campaign staffers, as well as multiple e-mails from the President and two fromFirst Lady Michelle Obama, who suggested that winners "relax" and enjoy themselves with "Barack."
"Not everyone knows how to prepare for a dinner like this," Mrs. Obama wrote. "I want to tell you the one thing to do if you're selected to join him...Just relax. Barack wants this dinner to be fun, and he really loves getting to know supporters like you."
On Sept. 30, the deadline for the third quarter, OFA created a new video to woo donations, down to $3 as the baseline ask. The video was shot during President Obama's luncheon with Campaign volunteers at Ted's Bulletin restaurant in Washington, DC on August 10th. It was the last time he dined with winners of a campaign contest:
More on The Liberty Tavern... The Executive Chef is Liam LaCivita; "the culinary team is committed to in-house production, including handcrafted breads, pastas, sausages, ice creams, and desserts," notes the website. "High-quality ingredients are diligently sourced, including Hereford beef, Duroc pork, and award-winning American artisan cheeses." Prices for entrees range between $19-$25, with appetizers going for $11-$16. The wine and beer selection is large.
"The @LibertyTavernVA was honored to host President Barack Obama for dinner this evening!" the restaurant tweeted after the President departed.
Information:The Liberty Tavern is located at 3195 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201. Phone: (703) 465-9360.
President Obama sent out the tweet, above, after dining on Thursday evening at The Liberty Tavern in Arlington, Virginia, with the four winners of the "Dinner with Barack" 2012 campaign fundraiser.
Former Social Secretary Julianna Smoot: "my job is done"...
