by Today, President Barack Obama turns 50. He is only the 7th sitting president to enjoy this milestone while serving in the Oval Office, following in the footsteps of James Polk, Franklin Pierce, Ulysses Grant, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and Bill Clinton.Joking about his age during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Obama said to reporters,
“I’m going to get advice from some around the table about how to handle this milestone.”
Feeling Good at 50
In an interview with NPR, he addressed the upcoming birthday. President Obama said, “I feel real good about 5-0. Obviously, I’ve gotten a little grayer since I took this job, but otherwise I feel pretty good,” the president said. “And Michelle, you know, says that she still thinks I’m cute — and I guess that’s all that matters, isn’t it?”
Fundraising on His Birthday
The president received good wishes from around the world. He spent Wednesday night at two fundraising events in Chicago. During one event, a crowd of 1500 each paid $50 for the honor of hearing Obama serenaded by Jennifer Hudson, Herbie Hancock and OK Go. The second, more exclusive fundraiser, included 100 backers who each forked over $35,800 for the evening.Obama explained that the thing that he most wanted for his birthday was “to get a debt-ceiling deal,” although he admitted “That’s kind of sad, I know.”He then added, “Maybe I’ll have a good hamburger on my birthday as well.”
