Jeffrey Katzenberg: "It is the single easiest fundraising phone call that I have ever made..."

[DeepModem Mom]

WP, pg.1: Obama Taps Two Worlds To Fill 2008 War Chest
By Matthew Mosk and John Solomon
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, April 15, 2007; Page A01


Barack Obama has found more support online than his opponents have, but he also has his share of big-name, big-money Democratic fundraisers. (By Gregory Smith-Associated Press)

....A senator for only two years, the Illinois Democrat has been cast in the early stages of the campaign as an upstart who refused money from Washington lobbyists and parlayed Internet savvy, opposition to the Iraq war and grass-roots enthusiasm into a surprising $25 million first quarter of fundraising -- money that has made him a legitimate contender for the party's nomination.

Behind the closed doors of last week's strategy session, though, was another side to Obama's fundraising success. Filling the room were many veterans of the Democratic financial establishment: a Hyatt hotel heiress, a New York hedge fund manager, a Hollywood movie mogul and a Chicago billionaire.

Obama stood at the front of the room fielding questions for nearly an hour from his national finance team, each of whom has pledged to raise at least $250,000. He shared secret plans for a series of soon-to-be-released policy statements and urged them to call him personally to "tell me how to communicate talking points to you to make you more effective."

As the first-quarter finance report his campaign will file today is expected to document, Obama has managed to successfully bridge two very different political worlds. Along with thousands of first-time donors who sent $50 or $100 from their home computers, the report is to list scores of longtime political insiders who funneled stacks of $2,300 checks to Obama's accounts.

The campaign announced earlier this month that Obama has received money from more than 100,000 people, including 50,000 Internet donors -- more online donors than his chief Democratic rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), had total donors. Less well-known is the story of how he built a more traditional fundraising machine fueled, in part, by some of the biggest names in Democratic politics.

"It is the single easiest fundraising phone call that I have ever made, ever," said Jeffrey Katzenberg, the Hollywood producer, who set out to raise half a million dollars for Obama and raised more than $1.7 million. "In 25 years. Literally. For charity, politics, anything. It kind of blew me away; if I made 100 phone calls, 90 of them were successes."...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/14/AR2007041401491.html?nav=hcmodule

[Miss Chybil]

1. Very encouraging. I really like this guy. He may win my heart.

I'm anxious to hear his policy statements.

[think4yourself]

2. He's my choice.

For me he is the real deal. Saw him yesterday in Atlanta and it was awe inspiring. My wife and I will be doing anything we can to help him.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Wow! Thanks, think4yourself. nt

[PassingFair]

4. If I had to choose today.....

I'd vote for Obama.

[Arugula Latte]

6. Me too...I like Edwards, but so far his campaign hasn't impressed me.

I know Obama isn't 100% perfect -- no candidate is. However, I'll settle for 85 to 90 % "perfect" + charisma and passion and excitement.

[Colobo]

5. President Obama has such a nice ring to it

[Alamom]

7. Clinton Supporters are bad/unsavory/criminal UNLESS they support Obama...Um- OK.

:rofl:


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18114215/


The Obama fundraising team is relying on partners in lobbying firms who are not registered for specific lients, former lobbyists who recently dropped clients and spouses of lobbyists. The strategy allows Obama's team to reach the wealthy clients of lobbying firms while technically complying with his pledge.

>
Still, for hosting events and otherwise raising money, the Obama fundraising team is relying on partners in lobbying firms who are not registered for specific clients, former lobbyists who recently dropped clients and spouses of lobbyists. The strategy allows Obama's team to reach the wealthy clients of lobbying firms while technically complying with his pledge.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/14/AR2007041401491.html?hpid=topnews<br>


David Geffen, one of the Democratic Party's biggest donors and fundraisers during the Clinton era.

Hollywood Producer Katzenberg and director Steven Spielberg, anchors of the Clintons' Hollywood fundraising dream team in the 1990s.

Alan Solomont and hedge fund executive Orin Kramer, two anchors of the Clinton money machine dating to 1992

James P. Rubin and Kirk Dornbush, Clinton supporters' sons

K. Terry Dornbush, son of Clinton's ambassador to the Netherlands

Reed Hundt and William E. Kennard - Both of the Clinton Federal Communications Commission chairmen


Paula Crown of the Henry Crown family.
The Crowns are worth an estimated $4.1 billion and hold stakes in the Chicago Bulls and the New York Yankees, Hilton Hotels, and Rockefeller Center.

Penny Pritzker
Hyatt heiress



Obama also has no prohibition against using state lobbyists to raise money, even when they represent companies with business before the federal government.


Lorenzo M. Bellamy, onetime federal lobbyist
(Lockheed Martin & AOL)

Joanne Hannett, whose husband, Fred, is a lobbyist for UnitedHealth Group and other clients



Still, Obama faces the prospect of an energized Clinton campaign, armed with a donor list of 250,000 names it has not fully tapped. And even Obama's fundraising success could have a downside if it undermines the contrast he has sought to draw between himself and his rivals.

[Lorien]

8. I know Jeffrey. I worked with him at Disney

He was also the single largest donor to the Gore campaign. He wasn't the easiest guy to work for, but he is extremely sharp. Glad he's on our side!

[BenDavid]

9. Obama will be confronted with

a question soon enough and we will see that cockiness soon disappear. What in the hell am I writing about you must be asking yourself? Well, it is something that it seems that all Obama supporters do not want others to know about and forget and that is the 2006 U.S. Senate race in Connecticut. If you all recall it was HRC and Obama and others that supported Joe Lieberman in the PRIMARY. Am quite sure there were many here on the DU that did not like that idea because Ned Lamont the anti-war candiate was Lieberman's opponent.
Remember now,it was Lamont that won the democratic primary and then Lieberman decided he would file and run as an Independent. Now put your thinking caps on Obama supporters and haters of HRC.
Who was the only candidate now running for the democratic nominee FOR PRESIDENT that SUPPORTED JOE LIEBERMAN IN THE GENERAL ELECTION? YOU WOULD THINK HRC BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN FRIENDS 20 PLUS YEARS OR BETTER....BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HRC SUPPORTED THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE AGAINST LIEBERMAN AND THE REPUBLICAN.(AS DID KERRY, DODD, KENNEDY,LAUDENBERG, EDWARDS and other SENATORS)...BUT IT WAS (DRUM ROLL PLEASE).......... OBAMA THAT SUPPORTED JOE LIEBERMAN....
NOW I ASK IF YOU NOT GOING TO CUT HRC ANY SLACK FOR HER VOTE IN 2002, THEN JUSTIFY YOURSELF IN HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT OBAMA THAT DID NOT SUPPORT THE ANTI-WAR CANDIDATE LAMONT BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 2006?
I WILL ALONG WITH MANY OTHES BE WAITING FOR YOUR REASONS....

[Manifestor_of_Light]

10. He's not experienced enough. No way. Sorry.

And he slammed all the Baby Boomers, all 75 million of us, even though he himself is one.

I'm not voting for Hillary either.

The only people qualified to be President, INMSHO, are Gore and Clark.

I'll take Edwards if I have to, because he used to be poor, is an attorney, and talks about poverty and medical care and all those pocketbook issues.

[nolabels]

11. What's the deal here, is Obama the Anti-Clinton or something more?

The Outsider, the guy who doesn't have a too much of a record because he hasn't been there long enough or is he the corporate Anti-War candidate dude? He kicked butt raising cash over the shoe-in Hilary but can he maintain his momentum?

Obama leads field in fundraising
But leftover money puts Clinton's total higher, filings show

By Mike Dorning and John McCormick
Tribune staff reporters
Published April 16, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Barack Obama raised more money from donors for his presidential primary campaign than any other candidate during the first three months of the year, but Democratic front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton maintained a financial advantage by transferring money left from her Senate re-election campaign last year.

Obama raised $24.8 million for the primary, compared with Clinton's $19.1 million.
(snip)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-disclose_16apr16,1,7998963.story?coll=chi-news-hed