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How Obama Will Celebrate the Big 5-0

With, what else? A fundraiser

By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 3, 2011 8:23 AM CDT

(Newser) – President Obama got what he wanted for his birthday, so now he can celebrate turning 50 under a little less pressure. The big day is tomorrow, but the festivities start tonight in his hometown of Chicago, where he will fly this afternoon, reports the Tribune. A $35,800-a-head dinner fundraiser is planned at the Aragon, with a concert to follow featuring Herbie Hancock, Jennifer Hudson, and OK Go. It's a quick trip: Obama will be back in DC late tonight.

Activists could also win a chance to attend the pricey fundraiser by participating in Obama's "50 for 50" recruitment drive, the Telegraph notes. The funds raised will be split between Obama's 2012 campaign fund and the Democratic National Committee—a plan that has come under fire from the Republican National Committee, which suggests that unemployment, and not campaign war chests, "might be the next thing to tackle."

In this Jan. 20, 2009, file photo, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama dance at the Western Inaugural Ball in Washington. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

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How Obama Will Celebrate the Big 5-0

With, what else? A fundraiser

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