LOS ANGELES (AP) " President Barack Obama painted an upbeat vision of the economy Wednesday as he addressed Californians who gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to aid Democratic campaigns in other states.
"It's safe to say we have stepped back from the brink, that there is some calm that didn't exist before," Obama told donors and celebrities at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. He said the stimulus bill that Congress passed three months ago is starting to improve the economy.
He acknowledged that his young administration has had "some fits and starts."
"I've made some mistakes, and I guarantee you I will make some more," he said.
But Obama said his November victory and his administration's start has convinced many Americans they don't need to feel cynical about their government or society. He said there is now a sense "that maybe that kind of idealism is fashionable after all."
Wednesday night's two-tiered event offered tickets ranging from $1,000 to $15,200. The lower prices bought access to a ballroom where Obama made his second of back-to-back speeches. The higher prices bought a place at a dinner for about 250 people, where the president spoke for 20 minutes.
The dinner hosts included movie and music executives Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. Proceeds go to the Democratic National Committee, which is focused on next year's midterm elections.
Organizers said the dinner sold out. But ticket prices for the larger event were slashed to $1,000 from $2,500 when initial sales were slow.
"We wanted to open it up to a broader range of folks," said DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan.
Obama held a similar two-tiered fundraising event Tuesday in Las Vegas, mainly on behalf of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who may face a tough re-election race next year.
Obama had no other events scheduled in California and planned to return to Washington early Thursday. Before flying to Los Angeles on Wednesday, he held an event on the economy and energy near Las Vegas.
While many Obama supporters waved and cheered as his motorcade approached the hotel in Beverly Hills, some protesters were gathering to decry Tuesday's California Supreme Court ruling that upheld the voter-approved gay marriage ban. Some of them also urged Obama to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy for gays.
Obama said he could not hear the protesters' exact words, but he agreed with one who shouted that the president should keep his promises.
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Associated Press writer Michael R. Blood contributed to this report.