Barack Obama celebrated his birthday on Thursday, when he reached the age of 50, an anniversary that takes place within a politically delicate period for him after the fight with Republicans over raising the debt ceiling and the objective of being re-elected in 2012.
Wednesday evening, supporters sang “Happy Birthday” to the president, who was participating in Chicago, to a series of events to collect funds to finance his election campaign, far from the battles in Congress.
“I could not dream of a better gift before my birthday than to spend an evening with you”, Obama said. He announced that his daughter more, Malia, aged 13 years, will come from the camp on Thursday to celebrate the event with the family.
No official event was included on the agenda of the U.S. president on Thursday.
In a recent interview, he recalled that he reaches the symbolical 50 years of age. “Obviously, I have a hair a little whiter than when I was sworn in, but apart from this, I feel great”, he said, for the public radio station NPR, adding that his wife is helping him pass this threshold.
“Michelle says that she still consider me seductive, and I think that it is all that matters, right?”, he said.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was one of the first that wished “Happy Birthday” to the U.S. president on Thursday in a telephone call, but also talking about Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Obama, born in 1961 in Hawaii, celebrates his birthday at a time when its share of popularity is very low, as the public sees the debate on debt settlement as a victory for Republicans. He’s also faced with an economy that moves slowly and with a high unemployment rate, which could affect his campaign for re-election.