Behind the Obama fundraising curtain

Here's a lingo-iy Wall Street Journal reporter's pool report from the Obama fundraising trips through Florida. It's long, so you'll have to click on the link below. When we're less lazy, we'll correct the spelling errors and possibly edit it down to a more readable format.

Seeking "bitter?" read no more. I write this report for my amusement.

Venue one was a place called the bath club. Mid-miami beach, former white man-only club that the co-host, a black developer named don peebles has condo-ized. You may remember mr. peebles, from d.c., where he lived for a time and was often described as Marion Berry's left-hand man on development issues. His wife, Katrina, is a former model.

About 300 people showed up at the club, the common rooms of which are done up Spanish style, with Mexican tile floors, dark wood trim and basic white patio, evocative of the colonial style. As with all good fundraisers, this one was cheap, designed to maximize cashflow: gray, cubed meat on toothpicks was the primary fare for the low-rollers ($1,000 minimum); boiled shrimp and cheese cubes for the high society ($2300 and up), served in a second room under a quickly-melting, white house ice sculpture. As host, Peebles agreed to raise $46k minimum, as did another gentleman (the co-host). Total rake: $300k.

There was a bar.

After a high rollers-only foto shoot in the basement (I was denied entrance), Sen. Obama showed up on the low-roller side, where the air conditioner, alas, had broken down. There, in temperatures approaching 80 degrees ("they're gonna boil the hope out of us," one well-known campaign staffer quipped), Sen. Obama delivered the speech many thousands of Americans have received for free: babies been born. Defining moment. War we hafta win. This party will be united. Blah and blah.

Obama said two things that might interest you. He said of Fla: "I'm gonna be here all summer.'' He claims to have kissed "hundreds" of babies in the last 15 months, a dubious statistic by the lights of your pooler.

In and out in one hour.

FUNDRAISER 2:

Frank Sanchez was host of second event here at our hotel, the diplomat. This one billed as a Latino-geared event. Obama was in quick and started talking almost as soon as I got through the mags. The speech: Change now. Uninsured people. Common dreams. Latino-friendly rhetoric: Not enough foreign aid to Latin America. Vague, words on immigration policy that have the feel of a well-worn, favorite shirt. The rest. He spoke for 11 minutes and worked a rope a bit.

There was a bar.

Money minimum: $1,000. maybe 100 here. "I can't take personal pictures with everyone,'' obama told the scrum that assembled. "We've got 2 other events (sic)."

FUNDRAISER 3:

This was a $10,000 host, $1,000 person event. Raised $500,000 It was across the hall from the Latino event. It was bigger - fla finance chair says 800 folk. There was a lengthy private foto shoot beforehand, indicating that many paid more than the minimum. 

This was an assembly-line fundraiser. Standard hotel ballroom. Hotel snacks -- petit fours and assorted tiny desserts. There was a bar. Domestic bottled beer was $6. lots of people wearing deck shoes and Chinos and two-pocket shirts of the Hawaiian style.

After joking that "they wouldn't let me into Florida" all these months, Obama did his catchall routine. Babies being born. Why can't you wait? The fierce urgency of now. & etc.

He said, "and by the way, in case your wondering, we're getting these delegates seated. Nobody's blocking anybody. The comparison to Zimbabwe. Huh ha (that under-the-breath laugh he always does).''

Total total? Maybe $900k, or slightly less than one day of campaign burn.

Cooper, wsj, 202 368 0900

-v-

Tailoring his stump speech toward a South Florida audience, Sen. Barack Obama promised to fight a growing anti-immigrant movement fueled by demagogues, said all Florida delegates would be counted and again portrayed himself as the best hope for uniting Americans.

More than 800 people jammed into a ballroom at the Westin Diplomat Hotel &  Spa Thursday, giving the Illinois senator one of his most profitable Florida fundraisers. Aides said the campaign raised more than $500,000 during the event that lasted about 90 minutes.

"When I came down here people said you have to worry about the Jewish vote, you have to worry about the Hispanic vote,'' Obama said. "No, I'm just looking at the Florida vote and I'm just looking at the American vote.'' (applause)

Obama sharpened his rhetoric against some of the most vocal voices against immigrant workers and migrant worker programs.

"A certain segment has basically been feeding a kind of xenophobia. There's a reason why hate crimes against Hispanic people doubled last year,'' Obama said. "If you have people like Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh ginning things up, it's not surprising that would happen."

He also dismissed the notion that he would have a difficult time wooing Hispanic voters that Sen. Hillary Clinton and Republican Sen. John McCain have claimed as their own.

"I'm confident that if the Latino community knows me well, they know my values, they know my stance on the issues, then they will know no one will fight more for things that matter to them,'' Obama said.

He also said his campaign has done nothing to slight Florida's electorate and again pledged to find a solution that would work for all voters.

"All we have done is play by the rules,'' Obama said.

I'm confident that if the Latino community knows me well, they know my values, they know my stance on the issues, then they will know no one will fight more for things that matter to them.''

11:19 speech.