The Kerrys' $2.5 million rainy weekend in the Hamptons

[DeepModem Mom]

Kerry Visits the Hamptons, and Rain and Money Pour
By PATRICK HEALY

Published: August 23, 2004


EAST HAMPTON, N.Y., Aug. 21 - Talk about soaking the rich.

The Democratic presidential nominee, John Kerry, breezed through the Hamptons this weekend to attend private fund-raisers and siphon a couple of million dollars from the wealthy, left-leaning East End of Long Island. But the real story here was the rain.

A driving downpour on Saturday night put Mr. Kerry's arrival and appearances behind schedule....At a tent party for 800 guests (minimum entry fee: $1,000) at the home of the venture capitalist Alan Patricof, women lost their high heels to the mud while a trumpet player resembling Ernest Borgnine led the band in "When You're Smiling." Dozens of people with dirty feet left early.

A spokeswoman for Mr. Kerry's campaign said he raised at least $2.5 million in the campaign's daylong, four-party tour of the Hamptons.

Other Democratic politicians have staged lavish, celebrity-rich fund-raisers here, and this weekend's guest lists were no exception. They included the model Christie Brinkley; the actress Candice Bergen; James Lipton, host of "Inside the Actor's Studio"; and the hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons...."There has never been a Democratic candidate who produced the level of excitement that John Kerry did," (Robert Zimmerman, a national Democratic committeemansaid. "It was the strongest I have ever seen."

***

After flying into Westhampton on Saturday, Mr. Kerry attended the tent party, where he delivered a campaign speech and played guitar as Jimmy Buffett sang "Brown-Eyed Girl." Then he was off to a $25,000-per-person dinner at the home of Darren Star, creator of "Sex and the City."

At a restaurant down the road, Mr. Kerry's daughter Vanessa and stepson Chris Heinz spoke at a $2,500-per-person fund-raiser.

Yesterday morning, the skies had cleared, and Mr. Kerry's wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, was the host of a 35-person lunch at the East Hampton home of the fashion designer Donna Karan....


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/23/politics/campaign/23hamptons.html

[unblock]

1. don't believe anything you read by patrick healy

it's all just an excuse to get to mary.

[Piperay]

2. WONDERFUL

I'm glad he is raising large amounts of money! :bounce:

[Tom Kitten]

3. wow "what an outrage"...

I'd like to see "fair and balanced " coverage vis-a-vie Bush, who are the heavyweight donors to his campaign, etc etc etc...
Methinks the media sharks sense Kerry blood in the water, and are circling in for a feeding frenzy designed to propel Bush during the RNC...