Obama hauls in $1.8 million in Minnesota

According to a pool report, President Obama raised as much as $1.8 million at three fundraisers in Minneapolis. Obama held the events at the Bachelor Farmer restaurant in downtown, which is owned by Gov. Dayton's two sons.

The pool report says roughly 100 people paid $5,000 each to attend a fundraiser that was open to the press. Twenty people paid $40,000 each to attend a round table with the president where the media was not allowed. Ten people paid $50,000 each to attend another separate round table that was also closed press.

That would put the total take at $1.8 million if everyone in attendance paid the asking price. The money will be split between the campaign, the Democratic National Committee and several state parties.

During his remarks to donors in the session where the pool reporter was allowed, Obama said the nation will see a stark contrast between himself and Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee. He said the Republican party has moved in a different direction than John McCain, his Republican opponent in 2008

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"John McCain believed in climate change. John believed in campaign finance reform. John believed in immigration reform. There were some areas where you saw some overlap," Obama said.

The president also suggested that Republicans have been more focused on defeating him than improving the economy. He said he hoped that would change after the election in November especially on debt reduction, public works spending and government streamlining.

"I believe that when we are successful in this election, that the fever may break," he said. "There is a tradition in the Republican Party of more sense than that. My hope and my expectation is that after the election -- now that the goal of beating Obama doesn't make much sense because I am not running again - that we can start getting some cooperation again."

The pool report said most of Obama's remarks focused on the nation's economy. He said the economy has started to stabilize because of his efforts.

"We are not there yet, but the good news is that we have made enormous progress," he said.

Obama also said he was trying to deal with the problems in front of the administration but also focusing on the long-term. For example, he cited higher fuel efficiency standards implemented under his tenure.

"So that halfway into the next decade, cars will get 55 miles per gallon," he said.

The president is headed to Chicago to attend another round of fundraisers before he returns to Washington.