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Was this the house you guys stayed in when you went skiing?

From: White House Press Office [mailto:noreply@messages.whitehouse.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 8:08 PM
To: Owens, Missy
Subject: FLOTUS Colorado Pool report


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From: Scott Condon <SCondon@aspentimes.com>
To: Stephens, Semonti M.
Sent: Tue Jul 26 19:48:04 2011
Subject: Pool report

Scott Condon
The Aspen Times
Michelle Obama went barefoot in the cool Colorado grass Tuesday and hobnobbed with well-heeled supporters in Aspen, Colo. to enlist help for her husband’s 2012 reelection effort.
Obama told about 150 supporters that President Obama needs their help for the tough road ahead, but she avoided discussing his most pressing challenge with the national debt ceiling crisis.
The supporters paid $1,000 or more for a luncheon at the home of Jim and Paula Crown, members of the Lester Crown family of Chicago and owners of the Aspen Skiing Co. Donors who paid $10,000 per couple attended an exclusive lunch at the residence and got their pictures taken with the first lady.
The event was a joint fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee and President Obama’s 2012 Presidential campaign.
Michelle Obama flew into Aspen after a campaign stop Tuesday morning in Salt Lake City. She was introduced by Paula Crown at 2:45 p.m. to an audience sitting and standing in a tent erected in the Crown’s yard. A light drizzle turned into a harder rain a couple of minutes after Obama started speaking, but it soon subsided. Obama wore an orange sun dress on a day when the temperature didn’t climb above 65. The weather was apparently a welcome respite for Obama. She walked barefoot in the cool grass under the tent after she finished her speech and mingled with audience members.
Obama thanked the Crowns for hosting the event. She said they are more than supporters of the President and first lady. They are friends of “Barack and Michelle,” she said.
During the heart of her speech, Obama stuck to the themes she has used in other recent campaign stops.
She touted her husband’s accomplishments, highlighting that he took over an economy “on the brink of collapse” and nurtured it into “one starting to grow again.”
The audience broke into the first applause during her speech when she noted her husband’s administration is working to help women get equal pay for equal work.
Seconds later the crowd cheer again when Obama noted her husband’s accomplishments in Afghanistan and Pakistan. “Thanks to the tireless work of our intelligence and counter-terrorism communities, and the heroic efforts of our troops, the man behind the 9/11 attacks and so many other horrific acts has finally been brought to justice. And that happened under this administration,” Obama said.
After noting other accomplishments by the president, Michelle Obama appealed to the audience for funding and help in the campaign.
“We have made significant changes [since 2008] and we should be very proud of what we accomplished, but we should never be satisfied because we know we still have a lot of work to do. We know there too many kids in this country that don’t have what they need to succeed. We know there are too many people still struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
“The truth is that all those folks we campaigned for and we won for, that we’ve been fighting for these past 2 1/2 years, those folks still need our help,” she continued. “And that, more than anything else, is what drives my husband as president.”
Her presentation was well-received by a mostly attentive crowd. One elderly gentleman had his eyes closed and appeared to nod off. A woman’s cell phone ring tone to the song of “Crazy” went off about 25 minutes into Obama’s presentation and the owner struggled to get it turned off quickly. And at one point, the audience didn’t respond with applause that Obama was anticipating and she urged acknowledgment of the effort by U.S. troops.
Several Democratic state senators and representatives from Colorado attended without having to pay the fee.
Audience member Laura Lauder said after the speech she thought Obama’s presentation was inspiring despite an obvious omission.
“We were surprised she didn’t mention the debt ceiling. Having said that, she doesn’t want to be partisan, I suppose,” Lauder said. “But at the end of the day, she has a presence and an elegance and a stature that is extraordinary. It really exemplifies the best in American women.”
Obama closed out her 28-minute speech with a trademark rally cry: “I have one question for you. Are you in? Are you all ready for this?” she said to loud applause. “I can’t tell. Are you ready for this? I hope you are all fired up because I certainly am.”
She concluded by telling them she looked forward to seeing them on the campaign trail.
Obama then emerged from behind the podium and mingled for roughly 15 minutes in the tent-covered lawn with audience members. Many of them took the opportunity to get their pictures taken with her and exchange a brief word.

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