According to the invitation, guests will be treated to “a frank and intimate discussion with the president” where they can ask questions, and afterward Obama will “say thank you to each guest and take a photo with them.”
With still no agreement reached on a budget and seemingly unending gridlock in Washington, Obama has been criticized for devoting so much time to traveling the country raising money, as well as hosting an April 9 party at the White House celebrating Memphis soul music.
Obama’s planned May visit has annoyed some Democratic donors who want to see results for the dollars they’ve already forked over. “We’ve got a mayoral race he’ll be getting in the way of,” said one insider. “We should be focusing on that and individual congressional candidates. It’s like ‘Lord of the Flies’ . . . [Obama] is cannibalizing donors.”
Weinstein has long been a supporter of Democratic causes and candidates. He previously threw a fundraiser for Obama last August. Hollywood’s infatuation with Obama is nothing new. Last June, Obama attended a fundraiser at the West Village home of Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker. And last May, George Clooney held a star-studded dinner for Obama at his Los Angeles home that included guests such as Barbra Streisand, Tobey Maguire, and Jack Black. That evening raised $15 million, a record for a single fundraiser.