Obama waiting for GOP race to end 'Survivor'-style

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - President Barack Obama says he's waiting for the Republican presidential field to narrow itself down 'Survivor'-style before he starts paying attention to the contenders running to replace him.

"I'm going to wait until everybody is voted off the island," Obama said, referring to the popular reality show in which contestants are voted off in each episode.

Obama made the comment in appearance on NBC's "Tonight Show," his second stop on Jay Leno's show as sitting president and fourth appearance overall. Obama taped the appearance in Los Angeles Tuesday morning before heading to San Francisco to raise money for his re-election campaign.

In excerpts released ahead of the show's airing Tuesday night, Obama also tackled more serious matters, including the killing last week of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. The president said Gadhafi had his chance to loosen his 40-year grip on power and peacefully transition to democracy.

"We gave him ample opportunity, and he wouldn't do it," he said. "I think it obviously sends a strong message around the world to dictators that people long to be free, and they need to respect the human rights and the universal aspirations of people."

When asked about GOP opposition to his decision not to keep U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the end of this year, Obama said: "It's shocking that they opposed something I proposed."

The president also tackled questions about Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the NBA lockout and his favorite junk food during the interview.

Obama's appearance came in the midst of a three-day West Coast swing heavily focused on raising money for his 2012 campaign.

In San Francisco, Obama was to speak at a money event featuring a performance by folk rock singer-songwriter Jack Johnson. He also had fundraisers scheduled in Denver.

On Monday night, Obama joined actor Will Smith and basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson at a dinner at the home of producer James Lassiter. Then he mingled with Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas over canapés at the movie star couple's home just a few blocks away.

The Western tour is one of Obama's busiest donor outreach trips of the season. Celebrities are tried and true fundraising draw, particularly for Democratic presidents. Both the president and the stars bask in their reflected fame and the endorsement of stars can be a useful asset.

California ranks as Obama's top donor state, and he raised about $1 million in the Los Angeles area alone during the last two fundraising quarters, according to an Associated Press review of contributions above $200.

Not that he needs the votes here. California is a solidly Democratic state, though Sacramento-based Democratic consultant Roger Salazar said the president, echoing national trends, is less popular now in the state than he was when he was elected.

"Democrats by their nature are going to give the president the benefit of the doubt," said Salazar, a veteran of California and national political campaigns. "But they want him to do something about it. They want to see some movement."

Obama is promising some movement. He has been promoting his $447 billion jobs bill, which has been broken up into its component parts in hopes Congress can pass some of them.

Addressing about 240 donors at the Bellagio hotel and casino in Las Vegas Monday, Obama said the pieces that Republicans reject would likely linger as campaign issues in 2012.

"This is the fight that we're going to have right now, and I suspect this is the fight that we're going to have to have over the next year," Obama said. "The Republicans in Congress and the Republican candidates for president have made their agenda very clear."

Addressing donors in Los Angeles, Obama ticked off his administration's accomplishments, eager to reinvigorate supporters whose enthusiasm has flagged since his 2008 election.

"Sometimes I think people forget how much has gotten done," the president said, as Smith and Johnson looked on. He urged his backers to rally once again, at the same time joking, as he often does, that he is older and grayer now. "This election won't be as sexy as the first one."

At Banderas and Griffith's house, its entrance path lined with rose petals and votive candles, Obama told about 120 mostly Latino contributors that he has kept a list of his campaign promises and that, by his count, he has accomplished about 60 percent of them.

"I'm pretty confident we can get the other 40 percent done in the next five years," he said to loud applause.

The Griffith-Banderas event was Obama's first Latino fundraiser, with donors giving at least $5,000 per person to attend. It featured guests such as actress Eva Longoria, comedian George Lopez, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and mayors Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles and Julian Castro of San Antonio.

Obama drew the loudest applause when he vowed to tackle an overhaul of immigration laws, a promise from 2008 that has gone unfulfilled in the face of Republican opposition.