Obama hits Chicago on April 14 to line up fund raising for 2012 re-election

WASHINGTON–President Obama returns home to Chicago on April 14 for a Democratic National Committee event, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned, with major donors and fund raisers who will be asked to recreate the massive fund-raising machine they launched in 2008 that bankrolled his presidential bid.

Obama this week headlined two events with mega donors intended to line up financial support for his re-election campaign, to be headquartered in Chicago. Please note: the Chicago event—which could even include other announcements about the re-election campaign–is not a fund-raiser, where people pay to attend. Obama coming helps jazz up the top ranks of fund-raisers who helped in 2008 and–and prospects the Obama team wants to bring in the family who were not active in 2008.

The Obama re-elect game plan calls for the Obama team to initially focus on massive money raising. Obama raised $750 million for his 2008 bid—including his primary battle. Obama 2012 Campaign manager Jim Messina has been criss crossing the nation in recent weeks–including Chicago–for what is called in the fund-raising business “prospecting” meetings.

Messina is organizing the leadership of Obama’s 2012 massive fund-raising effort, along with DNC finance director Rufus Gifford, who will be the Obama 2012 finance director. Penny Pritzker, the 2008 finance chair will not be reprising her role in 2012, I reported earlier, though she will be active in helping the drive.

Obama’s last public appearence in Chicago was Oct. 31, where he headlined a rally on the Midway Plaisance–at the University of Chicago campus–for the Democratic ticket

Obama was in Chicago on Aug. 5, 2010 to raise money for the DNC.