MONTECITO, Calif. (AP) - Oprah Winfrey rolled out the red carpet
Saturday for Barack Obama at a gala fund raiser attended by high-wattage
stars that was expected to raise $3 million for the Democratic
presidential candidate.
The most powerful woman in show business celebrated her favorite
candidate with 1,500 guests at her palatial estate in this coastal
enclave south of Santa Barbara. Tickets to the sold-out private event
went for $2,300 apiece, keeping them within campaign finance limits.
Stevie Wonder performed for guests, who included Sidney Poitier, Forest
Whitaker, Chris Rock, Cindy Crawford,Jimmy Connors, Linda Evans, Dennis
Haysbert and many others. Will Smith, Jamie Foxx and Halle Berry also
were expected, though it was unclear if they were in attendance. The
media were barred from the fund raiser.
Visitors were bused to Winfrey's secluded home from an equestrian center
about 10 miles away. A solid line of limousines, BMWs, Bentleys and a
few hybrid Priuses disgorged well-dressed guests. Some sported stiletto
heels despite official instructions to wear flat shoes for walking on
Winfrey's meadow.
Visitors were subjected to strict security procedures and relieved of
cameras and recording devices. Instructions sent to guests noted that
Winfrey and Obama would not be accepting gifts.
Earlier in the day, Obama made a quick, lunchtime stop to speak to a
crowd of about 1,000 eager supporters who gathered on a hillside
overlooking the Pacific at Santa Barbara City College. It was his only
public appearance of the day.
Obama, wearing his usual white shirt open at the collar and sleeves
rolled up,shook his way down a line of outstretched hands as the song
"Ain't No Stopping Us Now" blared from speakers.
He spoke for about 20 minutes, hitting his core themes of optimism and
accountability.
"What's called for is a level of responsibility and seriousness that we
haven't seen in a very long time," he told the cheering crowd, which
included college students in short sun dresses and big sunglasses and
older couples in peace symbols.
A woman standing in front of the stage appeared to faint as Obama spoke
about Iraq. The candidate paused and asked the crowd to make way for
firefighters.
One supporter shouted, "You're a good man," leaving Obama momentarily at
a loss for words.
"Well, I'm not the only one stopping to help her," he said, sounding
almost embarrassed.
He talked briefly about his last trip to California in August, when he
spent a morning helping a home health care worker clean a house,wringing
out mops and making breakfast through a program sponsored by SEIU, the
Service Employees International Union.
"Listening to her talk about the hardships of her life, talking about
her struggles without a trace of self-pity ... I thought, there is the
essence of what America is about, this generosity of spirit," Obama
said.
Then it was off to a private luncheon and on to Winfrey's cocktail-hour
shindig, where a different brand of very American generosity would be on
display.
Obama already enjoys the support of Hollywood moguls like David Geffen
and Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Winfrey's fund raiser is another chance for
him to tap California, which was his top donor state from April through
June with a total take of $4.2 million.
Obama has raised more than $58 million for his White House bid. Forbes
magazine estimates that Winfrey, the Chicago-based talk-show host, is
worth about $1.5 billion.
Winfrey is a well-known fan of Obama, calling him "my favorite guy" and
"my choice" on CNN's "Larry King Live" last year before he announced he
would run for president.
On the Net:
+ Obama for president: http://www.barackobama.com