Four Donors En Route to Dinner with the President Tonight

Another group of donors has been chosen to dine with President Obama tonight and the campaign is flying them in from across the country.

The donors: Ken Knight works for the U.S. Postal Service in Chandler, Ariz.; Casey Helbling owns a small business in Minneapolis;  Wendi Smith of Corydon, Ind., is identified by the campaign as an artist and retired professor; and Juanita Martinez is a retired teacher from Brighton, Colo.

The campaign added Vice President Joe Biden’s name to the guest list in June, hoping to attract more entries.

“Not just anyone gets the chance to sit down to dinner with President Obama,” the appeal read. “And even fewer people have the opportunity to sit down to dinner with both the President and the Vice President.”

But Biden will be a no-show. He’s en route to Saudi Arabia on a diplomatic mission.

For a future dinner, the Obama campaign website in September solicited donations of $5 with a “Dinner with Barack” promotion. Before the contest closed, however, first lady Michelle Obama sent out a solicitation lowering the threshold to $3.

“These dinners mean a lot to Barack,” she wrote. “They’re a chance for him to talk with a few of the people who are driving the campaign, and a chance for him to say thank you, so come prepared to tell your story, and say whatever’s on your mind.”