President Barack Obama flies to Connecticut on Monday for a
star-studded fundraiser at movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s sprawling
estate in Westport. The event means about two million dollars for
Obama’s campaign–and traffic disruptions, beach closings plus a surge in
overtime pay for the town of some 26,000 people.

The WestportNow.com news site
gave its readers a peek at what it means for a locality to play host to a
presidential fundraiser, this one a $35,800-per-guest soirée featuring
“The Dark Knight Rises” star Anne Hathaway and “The West Wing” creator
Aaron Sorkin. Joanne Woodward, Hollywood icon Paul Newman’s widow, is
also expected to attend.

Security for the most powerful
man in the world means traffic delays as local police close off his
motorcade route. Westport’s Marine Police Unit will patrol the shoreline
near Weinstein’s home, while area firefighters and other emergency
workers will be at the ready. (These kinds of preparations are not
Obama-specific: Any sitting president can count on the full mobilization
of local law-enforcement and first responders. Likewise, partisans on
both sides of the aisle reliably express outrage about the costs related
to high-profile political visits by the opposing party.) Here’s
WestportNow:

First Selectman Gordon Joseloff
said the town expects to incur some overtime costs as part of its role
in providing security for the visit.

“That’s been the pattern in the
past and unfortunately we do not anticipate the Obama campaign–just like
those of previous president–to help us out with the overtime tab,” he
said.

While overtime costs are nothing
new to municipalities that host a president, the report noted another
disruption that might make a dent in Obama’s local approval ratings.

“The Secret Service asked that
state-owned Sherwood Island State Park and town-owned Burying Hill Beach
be shut down for the day, leaving thousands without access to Long
Island Sound waters on a hot summer day.”

Obama’s trip to Connecticut comes
as Mitt Romney raised $101.3 million for his campaign and the
Republican National Committee in July, ending the month with nearly $186
million in the bank.

With that kind of cash, Romney,
whose personal wealth is estimated around $250 million, could buy
Weinstein’s 15.5 million dollar estate six times over. Here’s how the
Hartford Courant describes the digs:

Weinstein, the Oscar-winning
producer of “Shakespeare in Love,” among other films, bought the
property at 26 Beachside Ave. in 1994 for $4.2 million, according to
property records for The Warren Group. The two-story, 8,900-square-foot
Colonial-style house was built in 1909.

Weinstein later bought
neighboring 28 Beachside in 2000 for $4 million. That property includes
two smaller houses, described in town records as a Cape and a ranch,
together totaling about 2,500 square feet.

The main house includes six
bedrooms, seven bathrooms and a spacious stone terrace. It’s topped off
by a heated pool. Each property has nearly doubled in market value since
Weinstein purchased them, according to town records.