City Club preps for presidents

Sounds like Bank of America Stadium may not be the only Charlotte locale President Barack Obama will frequent during convention week.

Apparently, 44is also scheduled to attend one of the 60 private parties set for the Charlotte City Club.

In a letter to 1,000 members, club president David Page wrote that the “many important dignitaries” planning to visit the exclusive uptown club during the DNC included “the President, Past Presidents, Former Secretary of State and Governors.”

We wanted to make sure our eyes weren’t lyin’, so we called Club GM John Scharer.

“He is supposed to be in attendance at one of the events, if his schedule allows,” Scharer said of POTUS. “Based on some of the hosts, they’re expecting him to be here.”

Scharer was mum about the actual event as well as the day and time. We do know that Obama is skedded to give his acceptance speech Sept. 6 on the 50-yard line at BofA Stadium.

Sharer told us the City Club is also planning to serve ex-Pres Bill Clinton and his secretary of state, Madeleine Albright.

And though 87-year-old Jimmy Carter has announced he won’t be coming to Charlotte, Sharer told us the Georgia delegation is hosting an event to honor the 39th president. “He may or may not be there,” the GM said.

In his letter, Page informed members – they own the 65-year-old private club at Trade and Tryon – that member dining would be limited to one room Sept. 4-6. And no breakfast will be served convention week.

But the good news: “We expect September 2012 to be one of the best financial months in Club history,” Page wrote.

The City Club will be just outside the security perimeter. Still, we’re told club officials have met with the Secret Service, U.S. m0arshals and other security folks. And Page said in his letter that the decision to limit member dining to the Presidents Room was based on “feedback from many members of their intent to avoid downtown during this time.”

--Tim Funk

New American City has at least one lobbyist donor

We already knew that corporations were giving money to a special nonprofit set up by the convention host committee to get around the Democrats' ban on company cash. Turns out lobbying groups are giving, too.

The host committee has declined to name its donors, and it has yet to do so with the federal government as well. 

But the political action committee for New York City-based lobbying and PR firm Hill & Knowlton Inc. has disclosed giving $18,000 to the so-called New American City fund earlier this year, according to Federal Election Commission records.

It gave the same amount to the Tampa host committee, site of the Republican convention.

In case you forgot, here's a quick primer on the two main pots of money being raised:

$36.6 million: Amount the Charlotte in 2012 host committee has contractually agreed to raise, to give to the Democratic National Campaign Committee to pay for the actual convention. No corporate or lobbying money, for the first time.

$12-15 million: Amount the Charlotte host committee is believed to be raising to pay for events designed to showcase Charlotte, known as the New American City fund. Accepts corporate money.

--Andrew Dunn

Fox gets left & right wing

She’s 28, bald, and will make her national TV debut convention week.

“Lady CLT,” they call her at the Carolina Raptor Center in Huntersville. And on Labor Day, this American bald eagle will be transported uptown – celebrity birds do not fly to their events – for her appearance on “FOX & Friends.”

Fox News’ morning show is setting up a DNC-week studio at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Steve Doocy, Gretchen Carlson and Brian Kilmeade – the show’s trio of hosts – will presumably do an early-bird Q&A with this proud local version of the USA’s National Bird.

The Raptor Center will be the venue for a Sept. 2 party for delegates from Wisconsin, Nebraska and Iowa. Look for Lady CLT to spread her wings then, too, the center’s Michele Miller Houck told us.

-- Tim Funk

Exhibit: Billy pastored presidents – even Dems

The Billy Graham Library isn’t hosting any convention parties – it’s more of a GOP hangout.

But Dem delegates can check out its new exhibit spotlighting Charotte’s favorite son as he hobnobbed over the years with U.S. presidents and other heads of state.

True, Billy pastored more Republican presidents, including Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush. But he was close to fellow Southerner LBJ.

“God’s Ambassador to World Leaders” includes rare photos, memorabilia and handwritten correspondence.

-- Tim Funk

Bus-cycles push fitness, freebies during DNC

 Some convention-goers will have to work, push and sweat to get where they’re going.

 They’ll be the ones passing the rest of us by in their Freewheelin’ pedal buses.

 Humana, the national health care giant, is providing 20 of these “bus-cycles” free for those – including CLT residents – who prefer a healthy, green transportation alternative convention week.

They look like shaded golf carts – with two back seats – but they work like communal bikes.

There will also be routes – and stops where pedalers can get free health screening, fruit and cold H2O.

-- Tim Funk

Firebird, the Obamas and you

Time for a shameless plug for the Observer’s almost-annual “Firebird” photo contest.

You can win prizes by sending us a photo of yourself standing next to the sculpture at the uptown Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.

To celebrate the DNC, the editors have ponied up $25 gift cards. To win one, snap a photo of yourself with the bird and a member of the first family. Upload photos at charlotteobserver.com/contests.

--Tim Funk

Par for politics

Uptown won't get all the action when the Dems come to town. Take the 2012 DNC Golf Classic, set for Sept. 4 at the Charlotte Country Club. Four members of Congress signed up for the $1,250-per-golfer fundraiser.
Reps.  John Yarmuth(Ky.),  Cederic Richmond (La.),  Joe Courtney (Conn.) and  Gene Green (Texas) will be out to benefit The First Tee of Washington, D.C., which introduces golf to youngsters.

--Tim Funk