Westport Beaches Closed

Westport Connecticut residents, one percenters all, "paid their fair share" yesterday as their beaches were closed in sunny 90 degree weather so the President could chopper in on Marine One for another campaign fundraiser.

The President came for a $35,800 a plate dinner at Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein's home near Westport's Burying Hill Beach.

Westport is my former hometown. I enjoyed its town beaches for nearly 20 years but don't ever recall their being closed on a hot summer day (or on any day for that matter) to accommodate a fundraiser, for a President or anyone else.

According to the Westport News, an optimistic town First Selectman, Gordon Joseloff, a Democrat, is looking for someone to pay for the local police and firemen's $15,000 in overtime:

" 'While we welcome the president visiting us, incurring unbudgeted costs are not welcome,' said Joseloff, a Democrat, like Obama, but who was not among the attendees at the $35,800-a-head fundraiser. 'Westport may be more affluent than some other towns, but we watch over our taxpayer dollars very carefully.'

"Westport tried unsuccessfully to recover similar costs when President Bill Clinton visited town three times between March 1998 and June 1999 for fundraising events.

" 'I'm not optimistic we will be successful, but I need to make the effort,' Joseloff added."

One would think the Obama campaign could share the night's $2 million in spoils to cover such incidentals, especially since the expense comes to less than half of what donors paid for a single plate. Think again.

After both Romney and Obama fundraisers in Newport Beach California last month, the Romney campaign paid the city's security bill but the Obama campaign didn't.  The Obama Campaign said to talk to the Secret Service. In response, the Secret Service said to talk to the Obama Campaign. Westport's getting the same run-around.