Photos by Chris Stone
Under cloudless skies, Air Force One brought President Obama to San Diego a little before noon Thursday. He was scheduled to make a beeline for La Jolla and the home of Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs for a $10,000-a-person congressional fundraiser.
He arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar about 11:45 a.m. after a short flight from Los Angeles.
He greeted Marines and shook hands with members of their families, posed for photographs and spoke to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer. A section of Interstate 805 was shut for the presidential motorcade, with Obama riding in a black armored car called The Beast.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was scheduled to join Obama at the fundraiser to benefit the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Couples who donate $32,400, the legal maximum, will be invited to a VIP reception and photo opportunity.
Jacobs, whose estimated net worth is $1.6 billion, was one of the top five financial supporters of Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. He stepped down as chairman of Qualcomm — the mobile chip maker —five years ago.
The Obama administration announced new proposals this week designed to attract and retain highly skilled immigrants, among the top wishes of high-tech companies like Qualcomm. The new regulations would remove obstacles to the immigrants remaining in this country and extend employment authorization to their spouses.
Outside the fundraiser, an environmental group was scheduled to rally in opposition to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. San Diego 350 contends the pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada to Texas for refining, will increase greenhouse gas emissions and worsen the impacts of climate change.
Obama has delayed a decision on whether to approve the project for several months.
The La Jolla fundraiser is the second of Obama’s four fundraisers in three metropolitan areas Thursday.
Obama was scheduled to begin his day by presiding over what The Hollywood Reporter described as an intimate “roundtable” discussion at in Beverly Hills, benefiting the Democratic National Committee, with a top ticket price of $32,400, the maximum amount that can be given to a party committee in a calendar year under federal law.
From San Diego, Obama flew aboard Air Force One to San Jose, where he will take part in two fundraisers for the Democratic National Committee.
— City News Service contributed to this report.
