Obama Hits South Loop for Fundraiser

In case you were wondering why there was no parking and random security stuff going on in the Sloop this pass Friday, a reader writes (from 6/1): 

Wanted to let you guys know I've been told by police at 16th and Michigan that President Obama will be passing thru the Sloop, which is why there are all the no parking signs down Indiana Avenue. There seems to be some speculation about whether the presidential motorcade is going to just pass through or if he's going to stop somewhere in the neighborhood, but I figured since you guys are the best source of neighborhood news, you might know. 

We didn't hear much about this, but then stumbled across this article in the Chicago Tribune which talks about Obama's recent visit and mentions what he was doing in the Sloop:

About 7:10 p.m. the president's motorcade headed for the next event, where Obama addressed a dinner of roughly 50 in the elegant South Loop brownstone of Chicago lawyer Chaka Patterson. The last event was a dinner of about the same size at the Gold Coast home of Jim Crown. 

In the South Loop, Patterson introduced Obama with a poem, after which Obama said, "I can follow a lawyer, but following a poet ..." 

"It's nice to be back on the South Side," he told the guests, before giving a shout-out to Gov. Pat Quinn, seated in the middle of the room, and launching into the abbreviated version of his stump speech.

(Hat tip: BL!)