Local party to benefit from Barack Obama appearance

The news is out: Sen. Barack Obama will join a fund-raising meeting of the Miami-Dade Democrats, and the profits will stay here to strengthen our local party.

Your calendar needs to have a lock on Aug. 25. That Saturday afternoon, the Illinois senator and candidate for the highest nomination will break away from his activities on behalf of his own campaign and help the Miami-Dade Democrats raise funds for their own purposes.

Chairman Joe Garcia announced it Monday at the July meeting of the Democratic Executive Committee -- a standing-room-only crowd at the American Legion in Miami. "This is not an endorsement. We don't endorse," Garcia said. Planning for the event is still incomplete, but he described it as a meeting "to show our appreciation" to Sen. Obama.

Whether he becomes the nominee and president or not, "this is going to be one of the most important people in America for the next quarter-century," Garcia said.

Former Congresswoman Elaine Bloom asked whether other candidates could appear at the same meeting, and Garcia said the date had been suggested by the Obama campaign, so other candidates were more than welcome to suggest times for their own separate appearances to benefit the local Democratic Party. Sen. Hillary Clinton has expressed willingness to do a similar event, and the John Edwards campaign also has been approached.

The plan is to keep the required contribution low enough to ensure a big turnout, and some fun for the party faithful and the Obama supporters.