President Obama hits fundraising circuit in California

President Obama arrived in Los Angeles early Wednesday evening for a three-day trip to California stacked with fundraisers to help his fellow Democrats maintain control of the Senate in November.

Before touching down in Los Angeles, the president spent part of the day visiting central Arkansas to survey the damage from the recent tornadoes and to meet with families and recovery workers affected by the severe storms.

Obama’s first stop in the Los Angeles area will be at the Bel Air home of Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn and his wife, Cindy, for a joint fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Los Angeles police have advised motorists to avoid areas in and around Century City and Bel Air because of road closures and possible traffic delays.

Later in the evening, the president heads to the 20th anniversary gala of the USC Shoah Foundation at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, where he will be presented with an award by the organization’s founder, Steven Spielberg, who has been a prolific fundraiser for Obama.

Spielberg formed the Shoah Foundation, which records audiovisual interviews with survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust, after he made the movie “Schindler’s List” in 1994. The foundation became part of the Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences at USC in 2006. Its archive now includes more than 107,000 hours of testimony and interviews.

In announcing the ambassador for humanity award honoring Obama, Spielberg praised the president’s “interest in expanding justice and opportunity for all,” as well as his recent appointment of the first U.S. special envoy for Holocaust Survivor Services.

After a closed event for the Democratic National Committee in Los Angeles on Thursday morning, Obama will continue his fundraising circuit with a stop in La Jolla at the home of Qualcomm Inc. founder Irwin Jacobs for a luncheon to benefit the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

He then heads to the San Jose area for several additional events to raise money for the DNC. One of them will be hosted by Y Combinator President Sam Altman and Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, according to an invitation posted at the Sunlight Foundation’s website.

Continuing the White House’s focus on climate change this week, the president will cap his California trip with a speech on energy efficiency Friday morning in San Jose, where he will stress the importance of partnerships between the public and private sector to reduce carbon emissions.