POOLITZER PRIZE

Friday, December 5, 2008 10:22 AM

Obama Fetes Fundraisers In Chicago

Today's recipient of the Poolitzer Prize, awarded semi-regularly to pool reports of uncommon style, detail or interest, comes from the Chicago Tribune's John McCormick, who accompanied hometown hero Barack Obama to a thank-you reception for some of his most loyal fundraisers.

"All of you had more to do with us being successful than just raising money," the president-elect told his assembled supporters. "You helped shape Michelle and myself. Many of you have been part of our children's lives. Many of you have helped to support us, through thick and through thin. And so, I'm just very grateful to all of you. Now, we've got a lot of work to do, and I don't want to sugar-coat the amount of work there is to be done."

After leaving his transition office in Chicago's Loop at 5:55 p.m., the PEOTUS and his motorcade traveled approximately two blocks to The Standard Club.

The private club, located at 320 South Plymouth Court, played host to a thank you reception for many of Barack Obama's fundraisers, mostly from Illinois. Obama entered the building at 5:56 p.m. and the pool was held in the van.

After holding at the base of a stairway inside, we were ushered into the room about 7:17 p.m. There were about 100 people in the small room and they all stood as he spoke.

In the back were the standard buffet tables and a bar (cheese, bread and crackers were some of the offerings).

Obama had spoken privately with people before we entered and also posed for photos. Michelle Obama was in the room as well, but did not speak as part of the brief program that we saw.

The president elect spoke for about seven minutes (a few quick quotes are below). He was introduced by John Rogers and James Crown, key members of his Illinois finance committee.

Penny Pritzker, the chairwoman of his national finance committee, was also in the room, although did not speak while we were there. Aides said the crowd was a mixture of Illinois finance committee members and national finance committee members.

"I could not have asked for better leadership," Obama said of his finance committee leaders.

Obama said he wanted to do the small event because of the long friendships in the room.

"This is a gathering of friends, and we wanted to do it precisely because all of you are friends. You know in politics, often times you say folks are friends, when what you really mean is they supported you and sometimes only after it became apparent you were winning. In this case, it's absolutely true."

Obama looked out onto the crowd and said he saw classmates, friends, co-workers, past bosses and some of his earliest political supporters, including Bettylu Saltzman.

"I'm almost speechless here, which I don't usually get, because this is really a tapestry of our lives. You know, we workout out at the East Bank Club. We worked on education stuff together. We've rabble-roused together. We've played basketball together. We have golfed, not so well, together. We've sat on foundation boards together. And we've seen frustrations, but also seen some dreams come true together. And so, I just want you to know that all of you had more to do with us being successful than just raising money. You helped shape Michelle and myself. Many of you have been part of our children's lives. Many of you have helped to support us, through thick and through thin. And so, I'm just very grateful to all of you. Now, we've got a lot of work to do, and I don't want to sugar-coat the amount of work there is to be done."

"We didn't just win, but we ran and won in the right way," Obama said.

"This is not goodbye," Obama said. "This is the start. This is not the end. This is the beginning."

In his introduction, Crown had called the group "the early investors in the campaign for change. And as you know, early investors, the ones that get in on the ground floor, are entitled to superior returns and I want you to know that you've been getting them."

Crown then talked about the pride and smiles he says he sees from people able to claim that they were part of Obama's win. He said he and Rogers had earlier expressed their thanks to the Illinois finance committee members in an e-mail.

Crown talked about the weekend Obama announced his campaign in February 2007 and a gathering he had that weekend in his living room. "I think at that moment, we might have had 50 percent of all the people in the country that believed this could happen," he said.

Crown said that night at his home it "felt awkward, and maybe even a little silly," when he introduced Obama as the next president of the United States. "I can't tell you how happy I am to introduce to you the next president," he said.

Obama aides said those gathered had received invitations. There was no admission, as with typical fundraisers, they said, although it seems a safe bet that some of those gathered will be hit up by the transition or inaugural committees.

Aides said Obama for America paid for the food and drink.

In September 2008, Obama attended a fundraiser at this same club. That event had a minimum admission of $1,500.

We were back in the van by 7:30 p.m. and the motorcade left a couple minutes later. We headed for the Obama home in Chicago's Kenwood neighborhood, where we arrived at 7:47 p.m. A lid was called. Our handler, Ms. Katie, said the call time on Friday would be 6 a.m.