March 12--President Obama will help the Democratic Party start building its stash of Hollywood money for next year's election at a private gathering with big donors Thursday evening on the Westside.
Obama's off-the-record discussion with about 25 donors will take place at the home of Chris Silbermann, cofounder of the talent agency ICM Partners, and his wife, Julia Franz, a television executive producer. The cost to attend the private question-and-answer session is $33,400 per couple.
The Democratic Party has offered each guest an opportunity to take a photo with Obama.
The gathering is one of the first major Hollywood fundraisers for the Democratic National Committee as it prepares for the 2016 presidential and congressional elections.
The party is already researching the vulnerabilities of potential Republican White House contenders and building state-by-state operations that will assist the its eventual nominee and other candidates.
Obama also plans to stop in Hollywood on Thursday for an appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
It will be Obama's first time on the comic's late-night talk show since 2008. The president was scheduled to be a guest on Kimmel's show last July, but canceled amid crises in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip.
Obama's visit is likely to create traffic tie-ups in the evening rush hour. Police advise motorists to steer clear of North Hollywood Way in Burbank and Highland Avenue in Hollywood on Thursday afternoon. Other trouble spots include San Vicente Boulevard and Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, as well as West Pico Boulevard between Overland Avenue and Century City.
