Beyonce, Jay-Z Raise Money for Obama
Beyoncé and Jay-Z hosted a fundraiser for President Barack Obama yesterday in New York, The New York Times reports. Speaking at Manhattan’s 40/40 Club, which counts Jay-Z among its owners, Obama kept things positive for an audience of about 100 people, who paid $40,000 each to attend. “I don’t want people to be complacent, but I also don’t want people to be discouraged,” he said. “We’re on the brink of an election, but more importantly, we’re on the brink of moving America in a direction where we’re going to be more just, more fair . . . The economy’s going to grow in a way that includes everybody, an America that’s respected around the world because we’re putting forward our best values and out best ideals.”
Beyoncé kept her introduction of the President brief. “I can’t tell you how proud we are to host tonight’s event with President Obama,” she said. “We believe in his vision.” Obama said Beyoncé was a role model for his daughters and quipped that he felt a bond with Jay-Z because “We both have daughters and our wives are more popular than we are.”
Obama appeared at another fundraiser earlier in the day at the Waldorf-Astoria, where tickets started at $12,500. “These people have Super PACs that are writing $10 million checks and are going to bury us under advertising like you’ve never seen before,” Obama said at the Waldolf. “We can’t match these people dollar for dollar.”