By ,
Published August 22, 2016
Hillary Clinton happened to have a couple big fundraisers over the weekend on Martha's Vineyard -- coinciding with Bill Clinton's 70th birthday -- just as President Obama was wrapping up his family vacation on the same island. But the president steered clear of the festivities.
Clinton, who arrived at Martha’s Vineyard over the weekend, picked up more than $1.5 million in campaign contributions at a party held by wealthy investment manager Lynn Forester de Rothschild, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Times reports that the event took place under a sprawling white tent on the Rothschild family’s waterfront property. A Clinton aide said the Democratic presidential nominee spoke about how America succeeds when “everyone shares in the rewards, not just those at the top.”
Obama and first lady Michelle Obama were still on the island at the time, but did not attend the fundraiser, instead choosing to dine elsewhere, the Times reported.
Rothschild is known as a passionate Clinton supporter who refused to vote for Obama in 2008 after Clinton lost the primary.
Clinton also attended a 600-person cocktail fundraiser beforehand at the home of former Viacom CEO Frank Biondi and his wife, Carol, The Daily Mail reported.
The Mail also reported that while Bill Clinton celebrated his 70th birthday over the weekend, the Obamas apparently did not pay a visit to the former president.
However, Obama did break from his vacation for the former secretary of state last week, when he attended a fundraiser in Chilmark, Mass. About 60 Obama and Clinton supporters paid between $10,000 and $33,400 to attend that event, the Associated Press reported.
During the fundraiser Obama urged Democrats to campaign aggressively for Clinton, saying, "if we do not do our jobs, then it's still possible for her to lose."
"When I say do our jobs, what I mean is we are going to have to continue to be engaged, we are going to continue to have to write checks, we are going to continue to have to make phone calls and rally people behind her candidacy," Obama said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama-skips-clinton-fundraisers-bills-birthday-on-marthas-vineyard