President Obama's Fundraiser Interrupted by Singing Supporter/Protestors Wanting Bradley Manning Freed

A group of protestors who paid thousands of dollars to get into a fundraiser for President Obama and the Democratic Party Thursday interrupted the event and broke out into song, showing their opposition to the detention of alleged WikiLeaker Pfc. Bradley Manning.

While at the breakfast event in San Francisco, a woman started a song in the middle of Obama's remarks, ""Dear Mr. President, we honor you today sir ... Each of us brought you $5,000 ... It takes a lot of Benjamins to run a campaign, I paid my dues, where's our change?"

One local report also said the woman, who identified herself as Naomi Pitcairn, paid more than $75,000 for the group to get into the event.

Two hundred people were in the room, but it was still small enough that the disturbance was hard for the president to ignore, according to details provided by pool reports.

The woman who led a small table in the chorus was wearing a white blazer and black t-shirt, which read "Bradley Manning" and had his picture on it.

The group also held up signs that read, "Free Bradley Manning."

The president responded saying, "That was a nice song, much better voiced (than) I," and carried on with the speech saying, "that didn't break my flow."

The woman was then escorted out by press aides as she shouted, "Free Bradley Manning. I'm leaving. I hope I don't get tortured in jail."

Afterward, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the president thought it was "funny" and it "perked" up the morning.

The San Francisco Chronicle later posted a video clip of the song.

Reporters in the room noted that the song lyrics were written on the back of a menu with the website "freshjuiceparty.com."

The group's website is touting a video contest, with cash rewards for people to sing the same song offered up in the fundraising breakfast in a public forum. The lyrics are provided.

The group calls itself the "Fresh Juice Party" and the website reads, "It would be wonderful if the words and deeds of our elected officials were as sweet as fresh juice. If information flowed as freely as the juices of a ripened orange. We think it should. We are the FRESH JUICE PARTY."

Even though the participants at the fundariser appeared to be protesting the Pentagon position on Manning, the lyrics overall are reluctantly supportive of the president. "We'll vote for you in 2012, yes that's true ... Look at the Republicans -- what else can we do?"

Manning was moved this week to a military detention facility in Kansas and is awaiting the government's decision if he will go to trial. He's been detained since last summer.

Obama is on a Western swing of the country, doing town halls promoting his deficit plan and fundraising for his re-election bid and the Democratic National Committee. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., attended Thursday's breakfast.

A Democratic official didn't note how much the cheapest tickets for the event cost, but the cost could reach the maximum amount of $35,800.

Money raised will go both to the Obama Victory Fund and part to the DNC.

SONG LYRICS:

"Dear Mr. President, we honor you today, sir.

Each of us brought you $5,000.

It takes a lot of Benjamins to run a campaignI paid my dues, where's our change?

We'll vote for you in 2012, yes that's true

Look at the Republicans - what else can we do?

Even though we don't know if we'll retain our liberties

In what you seem content to call a free society

Yes it's true that Terry Jones is legally free

To burn a people's holy book in shameful effigy

But at another location in this country

Alone in a 6x12 cell sits Bradley

23 hours a day is night

The 5th and 8th Amendments say this kind of thing ain't right

We paid our dues, where's our change?"