Obama, first lady, VP combine for 45 fundraisers since official campaign launch

White House Held Fundraiser Every Other Day on Average for Last 3 Months

(By Aaron Mehta & Peter H. Stone, iWatch News) - As President Obama and his Republican challengers raced towards the June 30 reporting deadline, a flurry of desperate-sounding emails went out to Obama supporters around the country.

"Anyone worth their salt in politics knows tonight is one of the most important tests we'll face as a campaign this year" bellowed an email from Obama campaign manager Jim Messina, sent hours ahead of the midnight deadline and encouraging donors to give $5, $10 or $15 extra.

But as the campaign begged for small bills, the president, the first lady and the vice president were hosting luxury fundraisers where huge checks were collected, a stark contrast to the calls for small donors. The Obamas and Joe Biden have combined to attend 45 fundraising events since early April, an impressive number for this early in the cycle.