Politics & Government

UPDATE: 5 Things to Know About Sunday's Twin Presidential Visits to McLean

No Street Closings

UPDATE 8:30am. McLean District Police Capt. Dan Janickey just sent this note about how traffic will be affected by the visit:

We are not closing any roads, except for a very brief time when the President arrives at the location and then again when he leaves.

Police officers  will be assigned to several traffic posts to assist motorists should the need arise.

Find out what's happening in McLeanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Secret Service has arranged for a bus service to shuttle guests in from a separate location to minimize vehicle traffic coming into the residence.

We will have several officers at the event and in the immediate neighborhoods monitoring traffic and the event. Most guests will arrive from 4:30-5:30pm. We anticipate it concluding around 8:00pm.

Find out what's happening in McLeanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If the neighbors have any concerns/issues with parking or traffic call the police non-emergency number 703 691 2131 and officers on scene will handle, Capt. Janickey said.

The Secret Service has visited the neighbors advising them of the event, the captain said.

No protests are planned.

ORIGINAL STORY: President Barack Obama and his special guest former President Bill Clinton will spend part of Sunday afternoon in McLean.

They two presidents are visiting the home of Dorothy and Terry McAuliffe for an elegant fundraiser. There they will meet supporters who have paid from $1,000 to $25,000 to see this rare joint appearance of two presidents in the intimate setting of the McAuliffe's home.

"This marks the first time that the two Presidents will appear together in this campaign and the first time ever for a fundraiser. It promises to be a very special occasion," according to McAuliffe's website.

This will be Clinton's second visit to the McAuliffes' home for a Democratic fundraiser. The former president came in October 2011 to help the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus raise more than $1 million.

The fundraiser is the curtain raiser for other Virginia appearances the President has scheduled in Richmond later in the week.

Here are the 5 things to know about the visit:

1. Traffic. No street closings. The affected area will be  Old Dominion Drive between the Beltway and Swinks Mill Road.

2. The House. The McAuliffe's bought the two-story stone house in 1992. It was built in 1941, remodelled in 1992 and an addition added in 2004. The house contains seven bedrooms, seven full baths and four fireplaces, according to Fairfax County property tax records.

It sits on a hill just off of Old Dominion Drive on a cul-de-sac with four other homes.

On Thursday trucks from the pool service and the lawn service were parked in the driveway. Nearby were three trucks from Verizon setting up the communications network that accompany any presidential visit.

The McAuliffe home is a popular site for Democratic fundraisers. The McAuliffe's annually host the major fall fundraiser for the Fairfax County Democratic Party.

The home of Fred Malek on Crest Lane plays a similar  fund-raising role for the Republican Party. For example Anne Romney was the guest of honor at a fundraiser at the Malek home earlier this month on her birthday.

3. The Hosts. Terry McAuliffe, a native of Syracuse, N.Y.,  is the former chair of the Democratic National Committee, the former campaign manager of Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential bid and a likely 2013 Virginia gubernatorial candidate.

The New York Times said: "Mr. McAuliffe is regarded as a fund-raiser extraordinaire for the Democratic Party. And he was the indefatigable, never-say-die chairman of Mrs. Clinton's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.

"He later held several campaign events in Virginia for Barack Obama in the waning days of the 2008 general election," the Times reported.

He is also a very successful businessman.

4. The Invitation. Since this is a fundraiser attended by the President of the United States, guests must not only give their credit card numbers but also their employer and their occupation. The invitation also gives no address.

The evening reportedly includes a reception. Then dinner with the presidents for the largest donors.

5. The Politcs

Virginia is considered a crucial state for the president's re-election and Democrats' hopes of retaining their slim majority in the U.S. Senate. President Obama won Virginia, North Carolina and Florida in 2008, the first time in years that a Democrat had made inroads in the once reliably Republican South.

Republicans now control the Virginia House of Delegates, the state Senate and the Governor's Office.

McAuliffe is widely expected to run for governor next year. He lost a three-way Democratic primary in 2009.


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