Obama bemoans partisan jams at Democratic fundraiser in New York

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  May 13, 2013: President Barack Obama waves as he steps off stage after speaking at a Democratic fundraiser at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.AP

NEW YORK –  Huddling with A-list celebrities and top re-election donors, President Barack Obama bemoaned the partisan forces that have stymied compromise in Washington as he raised campaign cash for Democrats in New York.

At a cozy suppertime fundraiser Monday, Obama said he had hoped his election in 2008 might "break the fever" of partisanship and gridlock that has stood in the way of his agenda. When those hopes proved unfounded, he looked to his re-election, believing a second consecutive victory might deliver the final blow.

"It's not quite broken yet," Obama said to laughter from some of the 60 donors who gathered in the home of film producer Harvey Weinstein, a major donor and bundler for Obama's re-election campaign. "I am persistent, and I am staying at it."

The star-studded fundraiser was the first of three events Obama headlined Monday in New York, making good on his commitment to go all out for Democrats ahead of the 2014 elections. Pop icons Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were among those who nibbled on desserts in a modest living room in Weinstein's West Village brownstone.

Obama said he genuinely believes some congressional Republicans are open to compromise, but they fear the party's conservative base and what talk show host Rush Limbaugh might say about them. At the same time, he pushed back against Democrats who want Obama to react by adopting a more defiant Democratic tone.

"My intentions over the next 3 1/2 years are to govern, because I don't have another race left," Obama said. "If we've got folks on the other side who are prepared to cooperate, that is great and we are ready to go."

But if Republicans show their top priority is winning elections, Obama said, he wants to make sure Democrats can exact consequences come Election Day.

At an evening event in a nearby neighborhood, Obama said he expected an immigration overhaul was possible this year. He reflected on his March trip to Israel, telling a group including prominent Jewish donors there's a deep desire for peace among Israelis and Palestinians, although "the window for opportunity is growing smaller by the day."

The fundraising jaunt comes at a difficult time for Obama, whose administration is facing heated questions over the handling of a deadly assault on a diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, and an admission by the Internal Revenue Service that tea party groups were singled out for scrutiny. Meanwhile, Obama's months-long campaign to forge closer ties with lawmakers from both parties by courting them at dinners, on the phone and at the golf course has yielded dubious results. His second-term efforts to enact new gun control laws and avert automatic spending cuts were both thwarted by bitter disagreements in Congress.

Tickets started at $16,200 for two events benefiting the Democratic National Committee, which is still retiring debt it incurred last year during Obama's re-election.

Obama also appeared at a joint fundraiser for the House and Senate Democratic campaign committees, where he told about 140 donors at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel that the fate of his agenda rests largely on whether Democrats can shore up their Senate majority and reclaim control of the House. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was among the guests at the surf-and-turf dinner, where donors paid $7,500 to attend or $32,400 to chair the event.

Monday's fundraisers are among at least 20 fundraisers that Democratic officials say Obama has committed to headlining ahead of the 2014 elections -- many of them outside Washington.

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Kelly wins Democratic nomination for ex-Rep. Jackson Jr.'s seat

CHICAGO –  Former Illinois legislator Robin Kelly captured the Democratic nomination Tuesday in the race to replace disgraced ex-U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., after a truncated campaign season where she got a boost from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's super PAC.

The nomination all but assures that Kelly will sail through the April 9 general election and head to Washington, because the Chicago-area district is overwhelmingly Democratic.

From a crowded field, Kelly emerged early as a leader on gun control -- a central issue during the race. Bloomberg's super PAC, Independence USA, poured more than $2 million into the race by airing anti-gun ads in her favor and against another Democratic front runner, former U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson.

Kelly, a former state representative from Matteson, a south Chicago suburb, favors an assault weapons ban. Halvorson, who unsuccessfully challenged Jackson in a primary last year, is against such a ban.

Halvorson conceded Tuesday evening, saying the outside money certainly played a roll.

"It shows, unfortunately, you can't go up against that big money. ...That's the problem with super PACs," she told The Associated Press. "There is nothing I could have done differently."

After casting her ballot earlier in the day, in the snowy weather that pelted the region Tuesday, Halvorson had warned that if the ads were successful, Bloomberg would try to "buy seats" across the country.

Another Democratic front runner, Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale, also took issue with the ads, saying people are "extremely upset" that someone from New York is trying to tell people in Illinois how to vote and predicting that there will be a "backlash."

Guns were a leading issue at candidate forums and email blasts from candidates, even as Jackson's legal saga played out in court and frustrated voters who've seen two other congressmen in the office leave under an ethical or legal cloud.

Jackson resigned in November, after a months-long medical leave for treatment of bipolar disorder and other issues, then pleaded guilty earlier this month to charges that accused him of misspending $750,000 in campaign money on lavish personal items, including a Rolex watch and fur coats.

Jackson's exit created a rare opening in a district where he was first elected in 1995. The primary featured 14 Democrats, including former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds, who held the seat in the 1990s but served prison time after being convicted of fraud and for having sex with an underage campaign volunteer. There were four Republicans on the ballot.

Voters heading to the polls Tuesday indicated that guns, ethics and economic woes were on their minds.

Mary Jo Higgins of south suburban Steger said she voted for Halvorson because the former congresswoman is "the only Democrat who believes in the Second Amendment."

But Country Club Hills minister Rosemary Gage said she voted for former state Rep. Robin Kelly because Kelly is "standing with (President Barack Obama) and trying to get rid of guns."

"It's really bad in Chicago and across the country," Gage said. "Too many children have died."

The issue of ethics was also on the minds of voters, particularly as Jackson's legal saga has been playing out in federal court. David Berchem, a retired painter, said he voted for Halvorson because he believes she would represent all residents of the district and was "as honest a person as you can find."

Beale voted at a school in Chicago, while Kelly voted early.

Beale touted his record as a job creator for the South Side ward he represents in Chicago's City Council. That's the reason Juanita Williams, who went to school with Beale, voted for him Tuesday, saying he helped bring a Wal-Mart to the area. The 47-year-old assistant teacher also said Beale has regularly provided school supplies and Christmas gifts to needy students.

Election officials in the three counties covering the district reported no problems at the polls, even though voters and poll workers had to contend with a blustery mix of snow and sleet. Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation deployed extra resources to keep polls accessible.

Turnout at the polls was low, and election officials said the weather might have kept some voters on the fence at home. The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for much of northern Illinois and streets and sanitation workers deployed extra resources to keep roads to polls clear.

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