Obama Kicks Off Fundraising, Says 2012 About "Unfinished Business"

By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 15, 2011 2:00PM

President Obama swung through town yesterday to raise some money for his re-election campaign, blow the dust off his Kenwood home and dined at mk, where he used to take First Lady Michelle Obama on dates. The President saved the most rowdy fundraiser for last at a Navy Pier gathering of around 2,300 people. Obama played to the hometown crowds, reminding them Chicago was where he met his wife and started a family, and played on civic pride by reminding the supporters that his re-election headquarters will be here and donning a Bulls cap (Bulls stars Derrick rose and Joakim Noah were in attendance). Obama also displayed a sly with and had some fun with birther conspiracy theories.

“I wasn’t born here,” he said as people started laughing and some shouted “Don’t go there,” a reference to the some Obama critics who say they think he was born in Kenya. “I was born in Hawaii,” Obama said to cheers. I became a man here in Chicago. . . . My core convictions about what makes America great were forged here.”

In all the three fundraising stops raked in $2 million for Obama's re-election campaign. The President also gave a test drive to a campaign slogan.

"There is 'unfinished business,' Obama said. The vision hasn’t changed. What we care about hasn’t changed. Our commitments should not have changed. And so this campaign is not my campaign; this is your campaign. And the question is do we finish the job. I’m prepared to finish the job. I hope you are, too.”

Sun-Times Washington correspondent Lynn Sweet said that the Obama campaign will focus first on raising money from large donors first, before turning their attention to rebuilding the grassroots that formed the backbone of his coalition in 2008.