Bam & Edwards hit NYC for funds

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/2007/06/23/2007-06-23_bam__edwards_hit_city_for_funds.html

Bam & Edwards hit city for funds

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BY CELESTE KATZ
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Saturday, June 23rd 2007, 4:00 AM



Democrats Barack Obama and John Edwards hustled for New York dollars last night, rushing to boost their donation tallies before the close of the latest presidential fund-raising period.

With hometown Sen. Hillary Clinton the one to beat in both the polls and the campaign-cash race, Obama drew about 1,200 donors to the Hammerstein Ballroom, with standing room going for $100, preferred seats for $250 and a VIP reception with the man himself for $500.

The evening's political bargain was found a little farther downtown, with admission to an Edwards party selling for as little as $15 a head.

Last quarter, Clinton pulled in $26 million in donations, with Obama a close second at $25 million and Edwards third at $14 million.

Teams Clinton and Obama engaged in a classic routine yesterday: downplaying their own fund-raising forecasts for the period, which ends June 30, while pumping up expectations for the other side.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the campaign would be "thrilled" with a second-quarter take of $20 million.

Clinton spokesman Blake Zeff said the New York senator hopes to pull in about as much as last quarter, but expects Obama to report at least $35 million.

Obama swept into town yesterday after a New Hampshire speech on his proposed ethics reforms. His fans here said they gravitated to him for his freshness and authenticity.

Brooklynite Lisa Yu, 32, said Obama's 2004 Democratic National Convention speech first enthralled her.

"Everything that he said resonated with me, I realized at that point that I was more excited about him than I was about John Kerry and John Edwards," she said. "Barack Obama struck a chord with so many people that night, and he's pretty much had my ear ever since."

The Illinois senator was in no rush to speculate on the possibility of billionaire Mayor Bloomberg entering the 2008 contest - a rumble that became a roar after Bloomberg quit the Republican Party.

"Bloomberg was a Democrat. He became a Republican because he couldn't win a Democratic primary. He's never been, I think, comfortable with the Republican Party. He's too sensible for that," Obama said on his way out, praising Bloomberg as "talented."

Edwards, back in the city after a Thursday Cooper Union talk detailing his plan to eradicate American poverty, had more than 1,000 RSVPs and donations for his party at Flatiron District nightclub Strata, the campaign said.

"New Yorkers shouldn't have to pay $2,300 to hear John Edwards' message for change," said spokeswoman Colleen Murray.

The former North Carolina senator hopes for a $9 million take this period and is currently up to about $6.4 million, she said.

Such so-called "low-dollar" events may not pull in as much as swanky private fund-raisers - Clinton was in Los Angeles for some of those yesterday - but they can attract attention and get young voters involved.

Some at the Edwards event said they appreciated the opportunity to see their candidate up close for just a little more than the cost of a movie ticket.

"You give what you can," said supporter David Roth, 29, of Manhattan. "I'm pretty excited to see him for that price."

ckatz@nydailynews.com

With Nick Reisman