Bears Lovie Smith headlined Obama Super Bowl fund-raiser

WASHINGTON–Barack Obama and Mitt Romney campaigns hosted fund-raisers in Indianapolis over the weekend, to tap into the pockets of folks in town for Super Bowl XLVI. The Obama Saturday night event featured Bears Coach Lovie Smith.

President Obama did not use this election year Super Bowl to throw a White House bash as he did in 2011, with the family watching the game without inviting celebs and pols.

“Looking forward to catching some of the big game tonight. Wish the Bears weren’t watching it from home, too. -bo” Obama said on his campaign Twitter account.

Last year, First Lady Michelle was criticized, mainly from right wing critics, because of the White House Super Bowl menu, which included bratwurst, kielbasa, cheeseburgers and deep-dish pizza. Mrs. Obama–who marks the second anniversary of her “Let’s Move”health eating campaign this week–never has nixed junk food, she just preaches moderation.

The Indianapolis Star and Politico’s Mike Allen reported that the draws for Obama donors also included Obama campaign manager Jim Messina and Reggie Love, Obama’s former personal assistant who played football and basketball at Duke University. Donation ranged from $250 to $2,500 to be a co-host.

The Star reported that Romney’s campaign was holding an event Saturday “at the Indianapolis Colts Grille. Special guests include New York Jets owner Woody Johnson; Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan; Washington Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder; and Tagg Romney, Romney’s eldest son.

“Tickets for the Romney event range from $100 for an individual younger than 40 to $2,500 for an individual to attend a VIP reception. People who raise $10,000 get one more thing: the right to call themselves an “event co-chair.”