The President of the United States Barack Obama made a campaign fundraising stop at Hunts Point Tuesday, and is believed to be staying in Bellevue overnight.
After a brief stop at Boeing Field, the president's motorcade stopped traffic on Interstate 5 and State Route 520 on their way to Costco founder Jim Sinegal's home in Hunts Point. Sinegal and his wife are longtime supporters of Democrats.
No public appearances were scheduled.
The fundraiser at the Sinegals' home was expected to bring $2 million to Obama's campaign, according to KING5 television, with a small $35,800 a plate dinner. The dinner was followed up with a speech delivered to 200 guests, who donated $5,000 each, according to KIRO7.
The Seattle Times had a reporter inside the fundraiser and reported that the president was staying the night at the and would head to New Orleans after leaving the area.
Outside the fundraiser, Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA9) said that the theme of the evening was the economy and creating middle class jobs.
"That's the great battle in this election. Is it a bottom-up approach -- let's create demand, create as many middle class jobs as possible -- as opposed to a trickle-down, top-down approach," Smith said.
"We gotta generate demand, we gotta put people back to work," he said.
A small contingent of both supporters and detractors lined the streets of Hunts Point, with a handful of protesters questioning Obama's foreign policy and saying that he has not done enough to ease student debt. A demonstrator with a bullhorn asked passerby if she could borrow $5,000 to talk to the president.
However, the president also had a handful of supporters to cheer him on.
Hunts Point resident Angelo Abella brought his niece, Anna Malins, 10, who will be a fifth grader.
"When she found out what was going on, she insisted that we have to go, so she could get a look at the president," Abella said. "She's very interested in civics."
"I feel excited and happy," Anna said, as she waited after 8:30 p.m. for a glimpse of the motorcade.
The motorcade did cause some headaches for commuters who were caught in a closure of State Route 520 and Interstate 5. The Washington State Department of Transportation reported that morning commuters can expect the same on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, July 25, the President is scheduled to depart Boeing Field at approximately 9:30 a.m. In the 30-40 minutes leading up to departure, drivers should again anticipate highway and ramp closures and delays as the motorcade returns to Boeing Field. At this time, it's unknown whether the motorcade will originate in Bellevue and travel east on one of the floating bridges or begin in Seattle and travel south on either I-5 or SR 99 to Boeing Field."
U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke and his wife, Mona Locke, also drove through the security, but the casually dressed Locke said that the couple were staying with friends on the same street, and not attending the fundraising event.
Check out our gallery of the Hunts Point stop, including some raw video of the activity, or add your own photos and video. And check out our , which included a stop at the Westin Bellevue for a fundraising event.
