by John McCormick, updated
After campaigning in Wisconsin today, Sen. Barack Obama was home in Chicago this evening to raise money, an activity that consumes a fair bit of his time these days.
Obama attended two fundraisers this evening and raised what was estimated to be more than $2 million for his campaign efforts.
The first was at The Standard Club, where the Illinois Democrat arrived about 8 p.m. and raised about $1 million, according to a pool report of an event that attracted about 700 people.
"Hello, Chicago!" Obama said. "It is good to be back home. It's just refreshing to be with so many people who have been friends for so long."
Obama noted that the election is just more than 40 days away.
"We are down to the wire," he said. "It has been an exhilarating journey."
Obama, who called the current administration a "lame duck," noted the many challenges the nation has faced over its history, including the current financial crisis.
"Each time we found a way and found the leadership to move us toward that more perfect union. The same thing will happen this time," he said. "But we're not going to chart a new course with the same pilot."
Later this evening, Obama attended a "Greeks for Obama" event at a downtown restaurant.
That fundraiser, hosted by Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, had a minimum admission of $28,500. With about 40 people in attendance, according to the pool report, it would have raised more than $1.1 million.
Obama spoke for about six minutes, spending the first two praising Giannoulias and his family members.
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Comments
Meanwhile here is some good news about the campaigning in Wisconsin --
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"Uncharacteristically low turnout for Barack Obama rally in Green Bay, Wisc.
McCain/Palin drew 4,000 more supporters at same venue a week ago"
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"Recent polls have shown that Wisconsin -- once pretty solidly in Obama’s column -- is now a statistical dead heat between Obama and Republican John McCain."
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http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1178184,obamarally092208.article
Posted by: MJ | September 23, 2008 6:04 AM
"That fundraiser, hosted by Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, had a minimum admission of $28,500."
"Obama spoke for about six minutes, spending the first two praising Giannoulias and his family members."
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That's the same Alexi Giannoulias whose family-owned Broadway Bank made loans to organized crime figures. Records show that Giannoulias and his family have given more than $10,000 to Obama's campaign, which banked at Broadway.
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So this is what "change" means? Got it.
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-obama_endorse_12jun12,0,2690848,print.story
Posted by: MJ | September 23, 2008 7:31 AM
$28,500 for a six minute speech? Let's hope the food was good. Some people have more money than good sense.
Posted by: vla | September 23, 2008 8:18 AM
No such thing as perfect.
No such thing as equal.
Man manipulating man, taking property, money and distributing it to others.
A vision, work ethic and substance brings about success and every one defines success differently.
Stop trying to homogenize the world. There will be the foam on the top and the grit down below.
Raise yourself up.
Posted by: Ry | September 23, 2008 8:28 AM
Where's the article on Obama's tie to Bill Ayers' from today's Wall Street Journal, showing they were attached at the hip in a campaign to radicalize school children in Chicago via the Annenberg grant? No, you have room for puff pieces on campaign funds, but not something that will contradict Obama's outright lie to the Tribune that Ayers was "only a guy in my neighborhood." Bomber Ayers, the self-described "communist," made it possible for the then-unknown Obama get the Annenberg post, which Obama has never acknowledged in print. Fortunately, in the absence of journalistic integrity in Chicago, we have news sources from outside like the WSJ that also is sold in Chicago.
Posted by: Erica | September 23, 2008 1:44 PM