The contrasting errands of a sitting President opening his re-election campaign, while simultaneously carrying the heavy burden of this country’s most contentious policy questions was on full display yesterday in Texas. President Obama began his long day of travel by touching down at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. A quick trip to the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) port of entry cargo area allowed the President 15 minutes to tour a loading dock and gaze toward the Mexico border.

The national media spent much of the morning assessing the partisan politics awaiting the subject of immigration. There’s no question the prospects of successfully passing a comprehensive immigration reform law with this Congress are grim. With this reality no doubt on his mind, Mr. Obama would begin an address on his vision for reform at Chamizal National Memorial. He laid out his core values for reform and linked them to our nation’s subsequent progression through countless immigrant influences.

Almost 600 miles to the east in Austin, Texas, a group of demonstrators began to congregate outside the Moody Theatre where Mr. Obama was scheduled to hold a fundraiser later in the day. Undocumented youth eligible for the DREAM Act demanded he stop arresting, jailing and deporting immigrant youth across the country. The law of the land must be reformed for their pleas to be heeded.

Inside the glossy,  newly built theater attached to the W hotel in Austin, a large American flag hung high behind the President and an even bigger one to his right. Mr. Obama, wearing a navy suit and pale blue tie began to address around 750 supporters each having forked over $1000 to see their commander-in-chief.

Those on the floor and up in the mezzanine listened intensely to the President tick off his administrations accomplishments over two and a half years. Everything from preventing a 2nd great depression, ending tax payer subsidies for student loans, race to the top, Health Care reform, equal pay for equal work, appointing 2 women to the Supreme Court, repealing ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,’ removing 100,000 troops from Iraq and killing Osama bin Laden were applauded.

After just over 20 minutes the President exited the theater and headed for another campaign fundraising event. This time the affair would be more intimate: a visit to the home of Blaine and Alexa Wesner in the wealthy enclave of Westlake on the outskirts of downtown Austin. About 50 people, each having paid $35,000 were present in an all-glass room with a distant but visible view of the Austin skyline.

As the supporters began their dinner Mr. Obama was introduced by homeowner Blaine Wesner, he and his wife were guests of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for the White House’s State Dinner with Mexican President Felipe Calderon on May 19, 2010:

“You inherited a mess at home and things got messier abroad as well. But tonight you are among friends. … We are here to stand by you. We still need a lot from you, your leadership, your tough mindedness, probably most importantly, your moral compass.”

As the night wrapped up President Obama took questions from the small gathering and exited back to Air Force One and Washington. All in all the two Austin events netted the campaign $2 million in donations and light rain in a drought stricken region of the country.

As he begins to make his case to friend and foe alike, it’s important to keep in mind the demands of this job. In the current American political dynamic, Mr. Obama is required to begin these types of fundraising trips well in advance of the 2012 election. The chore of staying totally focused on his day job, while making sure to keep it for another term has only just begun. 546 days until the voters head to the polls to decide if he was ultimately successful at both.

Story by Ryan Colpaart www.doubledutchpolitics.com/
Photos by Manuel Nauta, Ryan assisted me with obtaining media credentials for the visit and agreed to post his report with my photos.