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Billboard -- At an intimate dinner gathering in South Tampa, Eddie Vedder helped raise $1.7 million Thursday for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign.
Strumming a mandolin, Vedder played four songs for the president and 85 guests who attended a $20,000-per-person fundraiser at the home of songwriter Don Miggs and Lisa DeBartolo, a daughter of the former owner of the San Francisco 49ers, Eddie DeBartolo Jr.
"I can't say I've ever played that many songs in a suit before," said Vedder, who performed "Rise," "Without You," James Taylor's "Millworker" and Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World."
According to a pool report on the event, Vedder then referred to Mitt Romney's 47 percent comments, offering a personal story.
Bing: More on Romney and the 47 percent flap
"I'm an example of someone who never made it to university," Vedder said. "I did have this dream to be a musician. I felt that this dream had an expiration date."
He recalled signing up for a government security guard training program. He was hired for the midnight shift, and later became the security supervisor at a petroleum company.
"It was that job which allowed me to keep affording guitars and microphones," he said. "For me, it all began with that ability to get the proper training for a decent job. It's very upsetting to hear a presidential candidate be so easily dismissive of such a ginormous amount of the population," he said.
More excerpts from the pool report, compiled by New York Times reporter Mark Lander:
Vedder introduced Obama, who thanked him for "for that unbelievable performance but more importantly for that story."
"For you to share that story with us, Eddie, speaks volumes not only about you but about this country," Obama said. "That story captures better than anything what this campaign is about and what this country is about," he said.
Also: Beyoncé and Jay-Z raise $4 million at Obama fundraiser
enterprise economy. I myself prefer to manage my economic future based on the latter. You have every right to choose to allow the government to decide what is best for you and how much you will be allowed to control your life. That is why I served my country during a time of war. To allow you to make that choose.
Most people who heard that 47% statement failed to hear that he was referring to those who are employed by government funded entitlement programs. When your down and out it is easy to give up and let someone else carry you. Sounds like you decided to "walk on your own" and live the "American Dream" of becoming everything you worked for He was attacking those who will take from the monies and ideas that you and I contribute to protect the values of this country and our form of government, with no desire of contribution, because they are entitled to it. .
We provide for those who can not provide for themselves, we can not continue to pay for those who can provide for themselves but prefer to line up for a free lunch serving what ever will be provided by government. Of course these people will not vote to giv up their freebees. The Bill of Rights and the Constitution of the United States states what you are entitled to as a citizen. How to become citizen if you wish to receive the benefits of being one.
I have read both document's contains and failed to find anything that fits the definition of freeloader. However I have met many people who believe that they are entitled to be a freeloader.
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