These days it seems to be getting more and more difficult to simply follow the daily news.
The economy is shrinking, a once-model healthcare system has been twisted into a taxation instrument, America’s southern border is in chaos, and nuclear threats loom large on a shaky world stage.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama and his administration are seemingly unaware of how off-kilter things have become and additionally seem to be making concerted efforts to appear detached.
Entering office under a hopeful banner, the president and his administration are mired in a slew of scandals. When the president first ran for office, he repeated the campaign slogan “hope and change,” and much of the nation thought he was talking about virtue. They liked what they heard. We are, after all, a country on a quest for the ideal, always have been and always will be.
The president’s notions and those of the country are very different indeed. Nothing could be more illustrative of this point than the places in which the president can be found during these difficult times, on one campaign run after another, grabbing for cash, perhaps in hopes of saving, among other things, a sinking legacy.
Amid the country’s obvious distress and suffering, last week the president set off on a Hollywood fundraising tour. He meandered over to the opulent Austin, Texas, mansion of director Robert Rodriguez, where a crowd of willing Left Coast donors shelled out $32,400 a head to help the Democratic National Committee (DNC) buttress their midterm election coffers.
Some paid $5,000 to be admitted and were able to have their picture taken with the self-professed non-photo op president. Those who wrote checks for $32,400 to the DNC were allowed to attend a special VIP reception with the president and Rodriguez.
A source involved in the Rodriguez event told The Hollywood Reporter that the event was “supported” by Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Demi Lovato, and Danny Trejo. Rodriguez is the Hollywood insider who brought the blood-stained Machete films to the big screen, which in addition to lionizing brutality essentially promotes illegal immigration. The films feature dastardly villains who oppose illegal entry into the U.S. and sympathetic heroes and heroines who favor it.
It is quite a message that has been sent via the president’s actions. Obama refuses to show up at the site of the border crisis but instead campaigns at the home of a pro-illegal immigration movie director. Both he and the first lady are traveling to Los Angeles this month for several additional fundraisers that have the entertainment industry in their sights, and Hollywood seems ready to issue more checks at the presidential drop of a hat.
Awards are possibly in the lineup too. The Television Academy just nominated in the award category of Outstanding Short-Format a six and a half minute episode, which aired on the Internet show “Between Two Ferns.” The episode is the one that featured the president quipping with host-actor Zach Galifianakis as Obama pushed the Affordable Care Act. Translation: the episode featuring the president now stands a pretty good chance of receiving a coveted Emmy.
Hollywood is apparently keen on handing out awards to Obama. The president already has under his belt two Best Spoken Word Grammys for “Dreams from My Father” (2006) and “The Audacity of Hope” (2008).
In order to further loosen up Hollywood’s loaded liberal wallets, an email was recently sent out to prospective supporters, which suggested that the “tea party and other extremists” are “taking ground” and warning that “the time is now to start raising money” in order to “protect our future.”
Consequently, the president and his wife will be involved in additional fundraisers that are slated to take place during July and will target the bank accounts of entertainment businesses.
On July 15, the White House will move forward on the Hollywood fundraising circuit with Michelle Obama traveling to the Left Coast. HBO’s Michael Lombardo and his partner, architect Sonny Ward, will host a $5,000-per-person roundtable discussion with the first lady to help finance the DNC.
On July 23, the president will journey to Hollywood for a fundraising event hosted by “Scandal” creator Shonda Rhimes and co-hosted by a star of the series, Kerry Washington. Those in attendance will pay $1,000 to $32,400 per person for tickets, according to the invitation.
Then on July 24, Obama will attend a roundtable discussion at the L.A. home of Live Nation's Michael Rapino and his wife Jolene. Participants will each pay $32,400-per-person for the privilege of conversation.
The message at these events will likely be similar to Obama's standby stump speech as was rehashed at director Rodriguez's lavish residence. In contrast to the recent statements that reflect Obama’s willingness to use executive action to bypass Congress, the president is once again painting himself as a helpless outsider.
“The problem is that Washington isn’t working like it’s supposed to,” the president said. “What I’ve said to my team is, ‘Get me out of Washington.’”
Obama then predictably pointed the finger of blame at the GOP. He said that in dealing with today’s Republicans, “You don’t get a sense that you’ve got a party that’s serious about trying to do anything.”
James Hirsen, J.D., M.A., in media psychology, is a New York Times best-selling author, media analyst, and law professor. Visit Newsmax TV Hollywood. Read more reports from James Hirsen — Click Here Now.
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