GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is beating President Obama to the next big presidential fundraising swing in the Democratic bastion of the San Francisco Bay Area, with plans to sweep up campaign cash at three big events on Sunday, July 22 — a day before Obama is to arrive here.
Invites have already gone out to Romney’s events — including two ”intimate” gatherings with the eye-opening pricetag of $50,000 a person, a lunch and a dinner where a limited number of donors are each promised a visit with ”our next President.”
The first of those $50,000 events is a 2:30 p.m. lunch at the Woodside home of the billionaire founder of Siebel Systems, Tom Siebel. That would be the same Tom Siebel, who — as Comrade Joe Garofoli reported recently — dropped $500,000 in support of the anti-union November ballot measure that would prohibit payroll deductions to be used for political contributions.
Listed as the “special guests” at this small shindig are former Secretary of State George Shultz and his wife, protocol guru Charlotte Maillard Swig Shultz, who are . But also on the invite as hosts: Hewlett Packard CEO Meg Whitman and her husband, Griff Harsh (who are listed as hosts on all three events) ; Sun Microsystem co-founder Scott McNealy, former Ambassador to France Howard Leach and wife Gretchen, and TPG Capital partner Dick Boyce.
Leach, in his fundraising pitch to big donors for this event, tells them in a letter that this is a crucial election, and their donations are needed now more than ever. ”Gretchen and I just returned from Paris,” he tells them. ”The new President of France has increased taxes at all levels —- we can’t let this continue here with President Obama.”
After this gathering, Romney heads off then to a 4:45 p.m event in San Francisco, where there’s a $2,500-$10,000 per person event originally scheduled at the Ritz Carleton, and (according to a letter from Leach, see below ) since moved to the Fairmont.
Among the hosts at that SF event: former SF Giants managing general partner Peter McGowan, socialites Alexis and Trevor Traina, and Sybase VP of global affairs Ed Hearst.
Finally on Sunday, Romney heads off at 6:30 p.m. to another $50,000 per person event — an “intimate” dinner at a private home in Pacific Heights. The invite, labeled “Barnett dinner,” is hosted by Shaklee Corp. chair and CEO Roger Barnett and wife Sloan.
But also listed as hosts: Whitman and Harsh, Howard and Gretchen Leach, Dick Royce and wife Sandy, OJ and Gary Shansby (founder and chairman of Tequila Partida) and Jill and Boyd Smith.
All this comes a day before President Obama’s 3-fundraiser trip to the East Bay, including a stop at the historic Fox Theater in Oakland and a fundraiser in a private home in Piedmont.
So how does one get to donate $50,000 to Romney when the legal limit is $2,500 for both the primary and the general election?
The invite explains that this donation is a multi-tasker: “The first $2,500 goes to RFP’s (Romney for President) primary account. The next $2,500 will go to RFP’s general account. The next $30,800 will go to the RNC (Republican National Committee). The remaining amount will be split evenly between the NRSC (National Republican Senatorial Campoaign) and NRCC (National Republican Congressional Campaign), up to a maximum of $20,000 per committee.”
Here’s excerpts from Leach’s letter to major GOP donors which provides a glimpse of the sales pitch for Romney’s Bay Area stops:
Dear XXX,
Gretchen and I cordially invite you to participate in one of the 3 special events with Mitt Romney on Sunday, July 22 in Woodside and San Francisco.
Mitt will be enjoying a 4:45 pm Reception at the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill (formerly at the Ritz), to be followed by a small dinner party at a private home in Pacific Heights.
The private dinner is almost sold out – but room for a few more if you are interested. We’d love to have you!
Earlier on the 22nd, Tom and Stacey Siebel are hosting a Reception at their home in Woodside at 2:30 pm. The dinner party will be the most intimate event we’ve had with Mitt ~ and will offer each guest a visit with our next President.
Now is the perfect time to invest in Mitt, and/or invest further, to ensure his election in November. We often say a Presidential race is critical to our future; this statement could not ring more true this year – as you know.
~ Howard Leach
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