美债危机给奥巴马生日泼冷水

　　It was supposed to be the mother of all parties, now it may not happen at all。

　　President Obama's big 50th birthday is scheduled for August 3, the day after the debt talks deadline and the date that the U.S. risks defaulting on its good faith and credit。

　　If the negotiations with congressional Republicans over how best to deal with the U.S. budget deficit are not wrapped up by August 2, the champagne corks will not be popping in Chicago。

　　The party was planned for the Aragon Ballroom, which costs $40,000 to rent。

　　There is supposed to be a concert featuring jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and Jennifer Hudson, the star of Dreamgirls。

　　The entertainment was to be followed by a lavish dinner for couples giving $35,800 to Obama's campaign。

　　With the government scheduled to run out of money on Tuesday, an extravagent bash would hardly look good。

　　An official said: 'The president will not attend the event in Chicago if negotiations are ongoing.'

　　Mr Obama has already cancelled a series of campaign fundraisers to stay in Washington for the tense negotiations that have angered the U.S. public, worried financial markets and raised fears of a first-ever U.S. debt default。

　　The fundraisers would have brought in millions of dollars for the re-election war chest, the campaign official said。

　　The President cancelled a planned trip to California and Seattle, put off a fundraiser in New York. Mr Obama's last campaign fundraiser was on June 30 in Pennsylvania。

　　He reported raising $86 million in the quarter ended on June 30, far eclipsing the money raised by any of the Republicans vying for their party's nomination to compete against him in the 2012 president election。

　　Asked what he most wanted for his birthday, Mr Obama said 'a debt-ceiling deal.'

　　奥巴马总统原本准备举办一场50岁盛大庆生派对，而现在很有可能泡汤。

　　奥巴马总统将在8月3日迎来50岁生日，而8月2日恰逢美债上限谈判截止期限。如果谈判失败，美国将面临债务违约及信用违约风险。

　　如果在8月2日之前，国会两党还不能就如何处理美国预算赤字达成一致，在芝加哥举办的庆生派对也会泡汤。

　　庆生派对计划在阿拉贡宴会大厅举行，租金高达4万美元。

　　派对还包括一场生日音乐会，爵士乐钢琴家赫比•汉考克和影片《追梦女郎》中的女星詹妮弗•哈德森将登台献艺。

　　娱乐活动后，还将举办一场豪华晚宴，奥巴马夫妇届时会向竞选阵营捐出3.58万美元。

　　美国联邦政府在本周二即将无钱可用，而如此奢侈的庆生活动实在“不太好看”。

　　一位官员称：“若美债谈判未能达成协议，奥巴马总统将不会出席在芝加哥举办的庆生活动。”

　　奥巴马总统已取消了一系列竞选筹款活动，留在华盛顿处理紧张的美债谈判。美债谈判已激怒民众、使金融市场担忧，更令人担心美国出现首次债务违约。

　　竞选负责人称，被取消的筹款活动原本可以筹集到数百万美元竞选资金。

　　奥巴马取消了原定在加州和西雅图的筹款行程，推迟了纽约的一场筹款活动。他的最后一次筹款活动是6月30日在宾夕法尼亚州举行的。

　　据报道，奥巴马在今年第二季度筹到8600万美元资金，远超任何一位共和党潜在的竞选对手。下届美国总统大选将于2012年举行。

　　奥巴马称，自己最想要的生日礼物就是“美债上限谈判达成协议”。