TresSugar

Obama Controls Stars, Puts Together Constellation of Bucks

CitizenSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:10:10 -0700

What do Cindy Crawford, Seal, and Dennis Quaid have in common? Nope, it's not a movie remake version of Three's Company (I wish). They were just three of the celebs who came out to a pricey, glitzy Obama fundraiser last night in LA.

For the crowd of 900, Seal performed "A Change Is Gonna Come," while the campaign sang all the way to the bank. Estimated take from the shindig where VIP dinner tickets went for $28,500 per couple? About $5 million smackers. Not bad for a night's work - public funding does seem puny when your own public is the fabulously wealthy.

Other luminaries included Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Beals, and Lost producer JJ Abrams. Quaid introduced Seal's performance saying, "he's here tonight to sing for the superman for everyone - Barack Obama."

Is Barack snapping up the center square for the win in this money game of Hollywood Squares? It would seem so. To find out how, read more.

A study by the Center for Responsive Politics showed that Obama has collected more than $4 million from movie, TV, and music types, Clinton took $3.4 million, and McCain? A not-so-big $636,000, with donations from Jerry Bruckheimer and Lorne Michaels.

A McCain spokesman explains his relegation to "extra" like this:

Hollywood is always an uphill climb for Republicans. I think that we're very encouraged by the support that we've been able to get from the folks in the entertainment industry, and John McCain is a great fan of a lot of the work that they do.

He did have a role in Wedding Crashers after all.

Obama is looking to share his wealth - he's asked donors to help bail Hillary out of her debt yesterday, and he's not all celeb centric - he did just downplay all the hoopla surrounding the infamous "ScarJo" emails. Does this type of fund raising keep in line with Obama's quest to abandon a "broken system" and fund his campaign by the people? What draws celebs to the Democratic party?

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21st Century Campaign: Anyone Can Mobilize - See How!

LibertySugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:00:25 -0700

Technology and the internet are driving the campaigns this election cycle unlike ever before. Using the internet to spread messages, organize grassroots volunteers, and raise money, the candidates are embracing the 21st century. As a result a new generation of active citizens feels more engaged with the election process.

I caught up with one young citizen who is still enthusiastic about this seemingly endless primary season. She has dedicated a ton of her free time to organizing a large fundraiser, and an all out good time, for Barack Obama. Here's what the organizer of ObamaRama SF had to say about planning the event, which goes down tomorrow in San Francisco while we all await the Indiana and North Carolina primary results! Would you consider throwing a fundraiser for your favorite candidate?

What is the event all about?
It’s about coming to celebrate hope, change, and community! To reflect Obama’s strong support of technology, we’re also trying to make it as tech-savvy as possible, broadcasting the primary live at the venue, and implementing heavy web-based promotion.

What made you want to plan this fundraiser?
We wanted to contribute to the election in some way, other than voting, because in the past that hasn’t proved successful. For me, it’s not really about Barack Obama. I’m doing this for myself, for my friends, for this country. He just happens to be the person who’s going to bring about the change that we need. Once I realized that I knew enough supporters, and that (thanks to technology) I could really pull it off, that’s when I got up the motivation.

Is this an "elitist" event? To see this Obama-maniac's answer, read more.
Definitely not! Everyone should feel welcome; it’s about the community. Obviously, it’s a fundraiser, so you have to be able to scrounge up $25, but I don’t think that’s too much to sacrifice for the future of our country.

Would you vote for Hillary if she gets the nomination?
Well, I’ll say this, I’m certainly not letting McCain into office.

What's your favorite thing about Obama?
My favorite thing is that he’s refused to accept PAC money in his campaign. He’s amply winning the finance battle on his own terms, and motivating people like myself to donate; I think that’s noble and an example of true leadership.

I like that he is really knowledgeable about technology. He has spent time talking with influential leaders in Silicon Valley and technological founders of the modern web, to understand technology issues and how government policies affect tech. That is a huge step from "the Internet is a series of tubes.”

Was it more difficult to get people excited about this since the campaign has been going on so long?
Not at all. Once we get ourselves in front of people (flyering), the response is usually amazing. Strangers are patting us on the back for it.

If you could change one thing about this campaign, what would it be?
I think it reflects poorly on the Democratic party that there’s such vicious warfare going on between Hillary and Obama. But, that’s politics, and you do what you have to. When Obama is President, we’ll all be glad he was in it to win it.

Do you think people are less enthused to give money to a front runner who already has such a big war chest?
Since we’re not asking people to max out their contribution, just for $25, people don’t seem to be concerned with the fact that they’ll be giving money away; people are just excited to be a part of and enjoy this wonderful night. Especially in politics, people know that a front-runner today can be gone tomorrow, so we need to support what we believe in regardless of the standings.

"The Office" Rabies Fun Run

GiggleSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:02:00 -0700

In case you missed the season premiere of "The Office" last week - shame on you! - here's the momentous scene where Michael inaugurates the gang's "Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run For The Cure." Why run for rabies? Because it's "the foaming, barking killer," that's why. (Oh, and that Meredith chick was diagnosed with it.) Why the spandex bike shorts? When your name is Michael and you got it, you flaunt it. For hilarious quotes from the entire episode, click here.

Is Sarah Palin a Better Rallying Tool For the Dems or GOP?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:30:30 -0700

The Republicans have called in their star Sarah Palin to headline a major fund-raising event in June. Fabulous! - think Democratic fundraisers.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is asking supporters to contribute some cash, so they can stop Sarah Palin and Republicans from blocking President Obama's agenda.

Democrats and Republicans have different opinions about whether Sarah Palin would make a good national leader. But both parties agree that she makes a good national fundraiser. Who's side do you think she helps more?

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Barack Obama Raises $150 Million in September Alone

LibertySugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:00:38 -0700

Today Barack Obama and John McCain must file their September fundraising numbers with the Federal Election Commission; but yesterday, Obama's campaign manager shared some good news with supporters: Barack raised a record of $150 million in September alone.

Perhaps more impressive, the campaign added 632,000 new donors to the cause. The average donation was $86. McCain is busy spending $84 million from the public financing, and the RNC raised an unexpected $66 million in September.

Obama has big plans for the money. He's apparently going to spend $5 million in West Virginia, a state thought to be in the bag for McCain, and he's buying up as much TV time as he can find. While some point to Obama's opt-out of public financing as an unfair advantage, the Obama campaign says they're building a movement for change from the bottom up.

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Biggest Headlines of 2008: Barack Obama Shatters Fundraising Records

CitizenSugar — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:00:17 -0800

During his successful bid for the White House, President-elect Barack Obama raised $750 million to help him get there. In 2004, Kerry and Bush brought in a combined $504.2 million during the primaries, and took $74.6 each in public money. But since Obama made the unprecedented and controversial decision to forgo public money, he could keep raking in the money from small and large donors alike.

Only weeks before the election, Obama got some financial (and psychological) momentum when he filed his September fundraising numbers with the FEC: Barack had raised $150 million in September alone. Obama was able to use the money to buy 30-minutes of prime time TV for a special appeal a few days before voters officially went to the polls. Obama spent a total of $240 million on TV ads, compared to John McCain's $126 million and President Bush's previous record of $190 million.

With the extra money, the Obama campaign decided to pay the staff's salaries and health insurance until Dec. 31. Obama's fundraising abilities, one of the biggest stories of 2008 and will surely impact future elections.

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Front Page: 50% of Doctors Give Placebos, ACORN's Tally Hugely Overstated, Obama's Fundraising Drops 50%

CitizenSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 06:58:18 -0700

50% of Doctors Give Placebos:
A nationwide study just found that half of all American doctors routinely prescribe placebos. Studies in other countries have found similar results. The most common placebos prescribed are headache and vitamin pills, though stronger drugs have been faked too. 95 percent of doctors prescribing them don't identify them as fake, leading to ethical and trust issues.

ACORN's Tally Hugely Overstated:
Though the community organizing group ACORN stated they had registered 1.3 million new voters, the real number is actually closer to 450,000. The overstated count is due to already registered voters changing their address, and 400,000 registrations rejected by election officials, a faulty rate of 30 percent.

Obama's Fundraising Drops 50%:
Obama reports spending $105 million in the first two weeks of October, while raising $36 million during the same period - a reduction of 50 percent from September. Obama and the DNC have approximately $95 million left. McCain and the RNC report $84 million on hand with restricted spending coming from accepting public financing. McCain is currently spending approximately $1.5 million per day.

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Will a Good Fundraiser Make a Good President?

LibertySugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:00:03 -0700

Barack Obama's war chest is three times as full as Hilary Clinton's. Barack has $32 million to help him finish this nomination marathon, compared to Hillary's $11 million.

In an attempt to close this gap, Hillary's campaign has become a little less flashy. The Wall Street Journal reported that Hillary cut back on expenses after donors complained the campaign was spending too much on hotels and catering.

Of course being able to convince people to give you their money is a good indication of popularity and momentum. But, what if Hillary wins big after being so disadvantaged at the bank? Does that make her win worth more?

Perhaps a candidate's ability to raise money, and budget it effectively, is a reflection of management skills. Such skills could be crucial in the general election and as the leader of the country. What role do fund-raising capabilities play in our assessment of the candidates?

Obama Campaign Takes Money Now, Asks Questions Later

CitizenSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:00:31 -0700

Is Obama's campaign piggy bank a murky shade of sneakiness? By allowing donors to use prepaid credit cards, which are for the most part untraceable, the Obama campaign could be allowing donors to dodge limits or hide a donor's identity. That combined with a huge chunk of donations being given online, basic security measures to stop illegal or anonymous money from hitting the campaign account are nonexistent. The campaign's solution is to take the money now, and study the list for illegal donations or discrepancies later.

The campaign says the FEC rules don't require screening of the money before it's been accepted, but their methods seem problematic. Recent filings have included donations from the likes of "Doodad Pro." The biggest problem seems to be the prepaid cards, which makes it impossible to check for any of the identity or contribution limits, as well as whether the money is coming from a foreign source, a problem they've faced all campaign. An investigation of the money situation was prompted in part by a $174,800 donation from one person listed in a FEC report - the limit is $2,300. Problematic in itself, but made worse by the fact that the person didn't even do it - someone else was using her name.

This can't be the campaign finance reform Obama's in favor of - can it?

Source

Were You Ever in a Sorority?

TresSugar — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:00:00 -0700

Sorority Row, starring Audrina Patridge and Rumer Willis, opened yesterday and the premise is as silly as you can imagine it would be: a sorority house prank gone wrong unleashes a serial killer who begins to stalk the the sorority sisters.

I hear more about sorority hazing rituals in the news than I do about serial killers on the loose in sorority houses. Other impressions are probably stereotypes: lots of female bonding, lots of backstabbing, wild parties and the occasional charity fundraiser. I was never in a sorority, so I'm curious: if you were in a sorority, did you enjoy it? And if you weren't in one, what do you think about them?