Obama's in Hollywood & Traffic's a Nightmare

As a transplanted New Yorker living in LA, I've become used to obscene congestion - but President Obama's latest fundraising efforts have redefined the notion of heavily snarled roads. The big man's in town to speak at a fundraising event at the Hancock Park (yes, it's a nice neighborhood) home of TV producer, John Wells, on behalf of the DCCC. Nancy Pelosi's supposed to be dropping by as well to join the usual Hollywood crowd of DEM donors - Steven Spielberg, Barbara Streisand, Jeffrey Katzenberg, etc.

This is Obama's fourth trip to LA, the other 3 have also been to raise campaign money. Considering the state's flirting with bankruptcy and a veritable highway full of economic woes (like the rest of the country), it seems like the ticket costs (of $2500 per person, $30,400 per sponsoring couple) could be used for much better purposes - if only we had those public campaign caps Obama used to talk about during the pre-election period. Just saying. Ironically, Obama's leaving for Seattle tomorrow to talk about strengthening the economy (and more fundraising.)