![]() President Obama spoke Sunday at a fundraiser at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles where he is expected to raise nearly $9.5 million dollars over two days. The president for the first time addressed his less than stellar debate performance saying, "[E]verybody here are just incredible professionals...and they just perform flawlessly night after night. I can't always say the same." (Photo Credit: Getty Images) President Obama swings west for campaign cash![]() LOS ANGELES (CNN) –President Obama is tapping his California ATM with a combination of star studded concerts and intimate high dollar dinners. The West Coast swing kicks off with a big concert at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, featuring musical acts Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder, Katy Perry, Jon Bon Jovi, and Earth Wind and Fire. Actor George Clooney is slatted to deliver remarks. A campaign official tells CNN an estimated six thousand people are expected at the Sunday evening event with tickets starting at $250. Mr. Obama will also meet privately with a dozen so called high dollar donors along with former president Bill Clinton, and attend a dinner with 150 guests at $20,000 per person. On Monday, the president heads to San Francisco where he’ll attend three fundraisers. In a separate event at a private residence on Monday in Los Angeles, President Clinton is expected to raise an additional $160 thousand. Campaign officials say this big fundraising push will help them compete in key battleground states where polls still show a tight race. Debate practice in Nevada![]() WASHINGTON (CNN) –President Obama is spending the next two days in Nevada gearing up for his first presidential debate of the 2012 campaign. A senior campaign official tells CNN the president spent “some time” practicing Sunday night and then “reconvened” his sessions this morning. The official said Mr. Obama will likely take a break today and make a local stop, but gave no details on when or where he would be going. The debate prep team is made up of senior campaign advisers and current or former senior White House advisers, including David Axelrod, David Plouffe, Gene Sperling, Ron Klain, Anita Dunn, and Brian Deese. ![]() The controversial call as the Seattle Seahawks wide receiver makes a catch in the end zone to defeat the Green Bay Packers at Monday night's game. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) Obama on NFL refs![]() (CNN)–A botched touchdown call Monday night and a tongue lashing from the president may have helped push the NFL referee controversy across the goal line. As millions of sports fans celebrate an agreement between the NFL and its referees, the number one fan-in-chief is once again weighing in. White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Thursday aboard Air Force One that the president was "very pleased" that the two sides have come together. Carney told reporters, "going forward when we watch our favorite teams play in the NFL we can focus on the players and the game rather than on officiating." This comes just days after the president weighed in on the lockout telling reporters Tuesday at the White House, "I've been saying for months, we've gotta get our refs back." The president was asked about the weekend's controversial touchdown call in the Seattle Sea Hawks versus Green Bay Packers game and he called it "terrible". Thursday Carney said of the resolution, "It is a great day on America." Conservative group’s ad tries to deflate historic presidential remarks![]() WASHINGTON (CNN) - It’s the video of President Obama announcing to the world that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. “The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda," the president said. You can surf the web and replay the moment that the White House considers one of the high points of his presidency. But one anti-Obama group wants viewers to see something else first: former supporters of the president who have now had a change of heart. Anti-Obama group to make big YouTube splash Thursday![]() WASHINGTON (CNN) - Americans for Prosperity, the conservative group backed by Kansas billionaires Charles and David Koch plans to “essentially own the front page of YouTube” on Thursday, when Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney officially accepts the nomination in Tampa, according to Levi Russell the groups director of public affairs. The group is buying the large banner space at the top of YouTube’s main page. “We’ll be running a poll on how visitors feel about President Obama and they’ll have the ability to cycle through 3 of our most recent national TV spots,” Russell said. Two of the ads feature testimonials from people who supported President Obama in 2008 but are now having voter remorse. First lady joins final leg of Iowa bus tour![]() Waterloo, Iowa (CNN) – Going from a couch next to Jay Leno to the campaign bus with the president, first lady Michelle Obama will join the final leg of her husband's Iowa bus tour on Wednesday. "This is where the journey began for him and where it began for the first lady, and Iowa will always have a special place in their hearts," said White House spokesman Jay Carney. Earlier in the week Mrs. Obama made an appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," where she dished about the Olympics, the "kiss cam" malfunction, and stumped for the president. "Campaigning is a privilege" the first lady told the audience, before revealing her proudest moment of the president's first term. "Health reform. I mean, you know...something that hasn't been accomplished by a sitting president in a century," she said. The first lady remains a popular figure and the Obama campaign considers her a key asset. There's "no better advocate for the president's policies than the first lady," said Jen Psaki campaign spokeswoman. They're hoping her appeal will sell in Iowa, a key battleground state with only six electoral votes, but with immense political clout. The first couple will appear jointly at the Alliant Energy Amphitheater in Dubuque. Then follow that rally with a final stop at the Village of East Davenport in Davenport. Obama to target Ryan in Iowa![]() Council Bluffs, Iowa (CNN) - With Mitt Romney's newly minted running-mate Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) also campaigning in Iowa this week, President Obama plans to take a swipe at the vice presidential hopeful here during the first stop of a three-day bus tour across the Hawkeye state. "He’s one of those leaders of Congress standing in the way," the president is expected to say, referring to the Farm Bill, which is awaiting congressional approval and that the president believes will provide much needed relief for farmers and ranchers in Iowa and across the country. "So if you happen to see Congressman Ryan, tell him how important this farm bill is to Iowa and our rural communities. It’s time to put politics aside and pass it right away," the president is expected to say in Council Bluffs according to transcripts released by his re-election campaign. Obama blames "scheduling conflict" for missing NAACP![]() Washington (CNN) – President Barack Obama's re-election campaign insisted a "scheduling conflict" is behind the president's decision to skip this year's NAACP convention. "We declined a few weeks ago and [the] NAACP was pleased [Vice President Joe Biden] was able to attend," a campaign official told CNN. While the president's schedule appeared to be wide open for Thursday–raising questions as to why his campaign cited "scheduling conflicts"–CNN confirmed Thursday morning that Obama and his wife, Michelle, are sitting down for an interview with CBS News. The president also holds his daily briefing with senior aides and advisers on Thursday. FULL POST Running from the president's coattails![]() It's a big question in this year's election: can Democrats hang onto control of the U.S. Senate. The politics of presidential vacations in an election year![]() CNN White House correspondent Dan Lothian reports the Obamas will not be vacationing again in Martha's Vineyard this year. He examines the "optics" of presidential vacations especially in an election year. |
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