Obama mixer brings party and politics together

[Ethelk2044]

http://www.axcessnews.com/index.php/articles/show/id/11088

AXcess News) Washington - The techno music was loud, boats bobbled in the river channel outside the windows and the young professionals were dressed in their best, sipping screwdrivers, beer or red wine.

Then the music changed, and to a Motown beat, the star of the party stepped on stage to the flash of photographers' cameras and dozens of camera phones.

Barack Obama had arrived to discuss his political platform before a room of 300 believers.

Wednesday night's event at H20, a club in Washington's Southwest waterfront district, wasn't widely publicized, but the news passed via e-mail and word of mouth.

Jeffrey Zeeman, 31, a lawyer at Covington & Burling LLP, said he heard about it from someone at his law firm. Ericka Miller, 33, a Realtor at J I L Realty, LLC, said she heard about it from a friend who e-mailed her.

Miller said she came "to hear Mr. Obama speak, but the opportunity to hear his platform. I'm confident I came for the right thing."

The charismatic Illinois Democrat used the event to gain further support for his 2008 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination and had several talking points that either garnered uproarious approval or limp applause.