Georgia Senate candidate joins Obama for funder

Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond (D) opted to attend President Obama's Atlanta fundraising event Monday despite not getting an initial invite. 

Thurmond, the Democratic nominee for Senate, joined Atlanta-area Reps. David Scott (D-Ga.) and John Lewis (D-Ga.), as well as southeastern Georgia Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) at the event, according to the pool report. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), who represents the nearby 4th district and was endorsed by the president during his primary, did not attend.

Former Gov. Roy Barnes (D) also skipped the event, opting to campaign on his own instead.

There had been some confusion surround the visit. Lewis told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he learned second-hand of the trip. "They [White House officials] usually inform us," he said. "It was unreal."

A spokesman for Thurmond, at the time, said he too was overlooked when the fundraiser was first announced.

The event raised some $500,000 for the Democratic National Committee, according to the report.

One other interesting point from Obama's Georgia visit: He's traveling with Patrick Gaspard, the White House director of political affairs.