President Obama is coming to Manhattan Tuesday for yet another fund-raiser, hosted by longtime Hillary Clinton friend and bundler Alan Patricof.
While the president is flying in on Air Force One for the intimate “fireside chat” at Patricof’s home in front of just 26 people at the $32,400 per ticket event, private equity and venture capital pioneer Patricof has made it clear the fund-raiser is not to bolster Obama, but to boost the Democratic National Committee ahead of a possible Clinton presidential run.
An e-mail from Patricof to donors reads, “[Wife] Susan and I have been relatively quiet on the political front for the past several years following Hillary’s loss in the primary election for the Presidency in 2008 . . . While we, like all good Democrats, were supportive to President Obama afterwards, we decided early on not to take an active role in any of the campaign activities, including fund-raising.”
But he added in the e-mail obtained by Politico, “The most effective way that we all can be helpful to Hillary, and the Democratic Party in general, is to make sure that the Democratic National Committee is as strong as possible if Hillary should decide to run in 2016.”
It has been reported that Obama made a secret deal to support Hillary if and when she runs in 2016, as payback for the support her husband Bill Clinton gave him in his 2012 re-election campaign.
Patricof added the meeting with Obama would be an “intimate” affair with no press and the “off the record” discussion would be about “current issues and challenges” for the next campaign.