Obama attends event at Jon Bon Jovi's house and vows to fight GOP attacks

[jefferson_dem]

Obama makes a pair of fundraising stops in Jersey
He attends event at Jon Bon Jovi's house and vows to fight GOP attacks
Saturday, September 06, 2008
BY JOE DONOHUE
Star-Ledger Staff

Like John McCain last month, Barack Obama visited New Jersey yesterday not to seek votes but to reap cash.

After a public campaign event in Pennsylvania, the Democratic presidential nominee slipped into Monmouth County for two private fundraisers -- including dinner at the home of rock star Jon Bon Jovi.

More than 100 people joined Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea, on the lawn of their mansion by the Navesink River in Middletown.

"When I look at Barack, I see an old man," Bon Jovi said in introducing his guest. Obama is 47, Bon Jovi is 46.

Obama spoke for about eight minutes before greeting guests individually. He vowed to fight Republican attacks on his character and background more fiercely than John Kerry did in his losing campaign four years ago.

"We're not going to be bullied, we're not going to be smeared, we're not going to be lied about," Obama said. "I don't believe in coming in second."

Earlier in the evening, Obama attended a reception at the nearby home of Democratic National Committee finance chairman Phil Mur phy. The ticket price for the reception was $2,300 -- the maximum donation to a general election candidate for federal office. To go to both events cost $30,800, the combined maximum donation to a candidate and a national party.

About 200 people, including the Bon Jovis and Gov. Jon Corzine, attended the reception. A spokesman for Obama's New Jersey campaign, Andrew Poag, would not disclose how much money the pair of events raised.

As Obama's motorcade drove up to Murphy's house, he waved from his car to a group of about 50 people rallying on a nearby lawn to express their concern about what they consider excessive vaccination of school children.

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http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-13/122067572863230.xml&coll=1#continue

[monmouth]

1. This is such a beautiful (and wealthy) area of New Jersey. Right

near Red Bank, Rumson, Fair Haven for those who can't quite place the locale. The timing on this was perfect because I believe they're in for some bad weather... Obama is always ahead of the game...LOL.

[Catch22Dem]

2. What's the deal with line about the anti-vaccination crowd?

I don't get them. Is it because life was so much better when you had the CHOICE of contracting the measles or polio?

[Coexist]

3. !

[catgirl]

4. I betcha Gore was at the Bon Jovi dinner

I would have liked to have been there!