Thaindian News

Washington, Aug 4 (IANS) As US President Barack Obama turned 50 Thursday, he is back in full-throttle campaign mode attending high profile fund raisers and hitting out at opposition Republicans after a bruising battle over reducing the nation’s debt.

“I hope we can avoid another self-inflicted wound like we saw over the last couple weeks,” he said at a fundraiser in his hometown Chicago’s historic Aragon ballroom Wednesday night.

“We don’t have time to play these partisan games,” Obama said referring to the long-drawn out negotiations that have dented his job approval ratings.

“We have too much work to do. Over the next several weeks I hope Congress is focused on what the American people are focused on: Making sure the economy is growing.

“It doesn’t matter what kind of week I have in Washington, because I know you have my back,” added Obama who was born in Hawaii in August 1961.

Before addressing the ballroom, the president delivered a video message to more than 1,100 house parties around the country while top surrogates fanned out to several cities to hold smaller fund-raising events — all part of his renewed focus on the 2012 election.

Also among the president’s fund-raising events Wednesday was a high-dollar dinner with 100 supporters — most of whom paid $35,800 each to attend, the maximum contribution allowed to both the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

A White House spokesperson also said that Aug 15, Obama will set out on a bus tour of the Midwest to refocus his attention on growing the flailing US economy.

The White House did not say which cities Obama will visit yet, but it is highly likely that he would visit some swing states.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)