WASHINGTON–Inauguration festivities started Friday here with President Barack Obama Chicago inner circle pals Eric and Cheryl Whitaker holding forth with a gang at the W Hotel, just down the street from the White House.
Spotted in that crowd: Kurt Summers Jr., former chief of staff to Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, now an executive at Grosvenor Capital Management.
Departing White House Senior Staffer David Plouffe was being feted by friends at the same hotel, including David Axelrod, Stephanie Cutter and Robert Gibbs.
Bill Daley, mulling a run for governor is back in Washington for Inauguration events.
Obama’s very top donors, members of the National Finance Committee, were hosted at White House receptions and Thursday and Friday and have access to a variety of other VIP Inauguration events.
Attendees included Obama 2012 campaign Illinois Finance co-chairs John Rogers and Vicki Heyman, with her husband, Bruce.