McCain Loves Obama's Party of Celebs

John McCain didn't waste the opportunity to take a jab at Barack Obama for mingling with movie stars in Beverly Hills while the nation's economy is in turmoil (well, part of it anyway, the 'fundamentals of our economy our strong,' right?).

Obama's campaign barred television crews last night from the Beverly Hills Greystone mansion – the setting for films like "Ghostbusters" and "Air Force One" - where the Illinois senator mingled with movie stars like Chris Rock, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jodi Foster, Will Farrell, Pierce Brosnan, and Steven Spielberg. Barbara Streisand was the headliner later for another fundraiser at the Regent Beverly Wilshire. (Reg-Bev-Wil from "Pretty Woman." Anybody?!)

The price for such an opportunity to mingle with all that glitters in Tinsel Town? $28,000 a head for the cocktail reception and dinner, and $2,500 per ticket to see Babs live. The menu included salad with goat cheese, fillet of beef, asparagus and chocolate lava cake.

The events reportedly brought in about $9 million for Obama, who dropped in on Los Angeles between stops in Colorado and Nevada.Of course this event seems inappropriate to some in light of what's going on with the rest of the U.S. economy as Wall Street struggles to stay afloat, and many Americans wonder if their life savings will be there for them when they need it most. (By the way, Obama has so far raised $5.2 million from Hollywood, while McCain has raised $885,659.)

So of course, McCain, who appeared with Sarah Palin in Ohio, leaped at the chance to point out such a contrast.
He mocked Obama's professed solidarity with working people "just before he flew off to Hollywood for a fundraiser with Barbra Streisand and his celebrity friends."

"Let me tell you, my friends, there's no place I'd rather be than right here with the working men and women of Ohio," McCain told cheering supporters in Vienna, Ohio.

Obama did speak seriously about the economic situation, however, saying: "It's reminded people that this is not a game. This is not a reality show, no offense to any of you" (laughter from crowd) ... "This is not a sitcom." Saying he was not in a "a celebratory mood," Obama said the reason he's so calm amid everything that's happening is that he has "confidence in the American people." citing economic turmoil, recent hurricanes, and a deadly Los Angeles train crash.

And, not to be outdone by McCain's bashing, Obama's campaign issued a statement last night saying: "John McCain said he would rather spend time with the working men and women of Ohio, but his running mate was introduced yesterday at her first solo fund-raiser by a man whose company cost Ohio 1,300 jobs."

That included a link to a Wall Street Journal blog post, which reported that at Palin's Canton, Ohio, event, she was introduced by W.J. Timken, Jr., chairman of the bearing-manufacturer Timken Co., and former top fundraiser for President Bush who oversaw the company when it cut 1,300 jobs in that town - a key swing area in a key swing state in the 2004 election. After the election, however, the company and its union agreed to keep the plants open, but Bush lost the country.

It also should be noted that McCain raked in $5 million of his own during a fundraising event in Miami late Monday. Supporters paid $50,000 a ticket to attend the buffet dinner in Miami's InterContinental hotel, taking McCain's total fundraising in the Sunshine State to date to $26.2 million.

"I don't know who showed up in Florida where he raised five million dollars, but my guess is that it wasn't a lot of nurses, firefighters and police officers," Obama strategist David Axelrod told reporters.