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First President Obama dropped his plans to come to Los Angeles when the Syria crisis heated up last month. Now the pinch hitter, First Lady Michelle Obama, has also cancelled. She was to have keynoted an Oct. 11 fundraising event at the Hancock Park home of "Everybody Loves Raymond" creator Philip Rosenthal and his wife, Monica. The federal government shutdown got in the way. From the Hollywood Reporter:
The highlight of the first lady’s appearance in LA was to have been an “off-the-cuff” discussion of current issues with a small group of deep-pocketed donors paying $32,000 each to sit in on the conversation. Other invited guests were set to pay between $1,250 and $10,000 for meet-and-greet and photo opportunities with the first lady, upping the DNC’s take on the evening considerably.
The shutdown now has put the whole affair on a back-burner, as even privately financed travel is a non-starter for the first family. Their normal government transport has been curtailed because of the impasse with the GOP-controlled house over its attempts to use the budget resolution to defund the Affordable Health Care Act, President Obama’s signature legislative achievement.
The First Lady also cancelled plans to join House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for a “Woman’s Brunch” fundraiser at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco
