A RECORD FOR ROMNEY
Big night for the Gopers
Translation: GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney raised $4.3 million bucks Monday night in what is being described as “the largest Republican fund-raiser in the history of Illinois.”
“It’s a fact,” said State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, who is Romney’s Illinois campaign chief.
“And it was raised in Barack Obama’s hometown!” said Rutherford, who attended the mega fundraiser at the Lake Forest estate of Reeve and Melissa Waud.
“Romney is so hometown he even called ahead to the Waud house to make sure they had an iron so he could press his own shirt before the event began,” said Rutherford. “I’m not kidding.”
The tony, tented event served “beef, not chicken,” chuckled Rutherford, who claimed the attendees paid anywhere from $2,500 to $75,800 a person to see, snap or be seated near Romney — who singled out two specific Illinoisans who head businesses in the state: Jimmy John Liautaud of the Jimmy Johns sandwich empire and Sarah Frey-Talley of Frey Farms Produce, the largest U.S. distributor of pumpkins and melons.
“Sarah started her business selling pumpkins from a hay rack when she was 16 years old on the family farm,” said Romney.
Power brokers in attendance at the “no media” event: Ron Gidwitz, Romney’s national cochair Muneer Satter, Ty Fahner, Susan Crown, David Herro and Craig Duchossois.
Oh, and before Sneed forgets: Romney gave a thumbs up to a Costco store his limo passed en route to Lake Forest. “It’s where he buys his shirts,” said Rutherford.
Brodsky,