Alexi Giannoulias' Tuesday trip to the White House was a productive one. Not only did the Democratic Senate candidate attend the Greek Independence Day event, but he got "strong support" from the Obama administration.
Politico's Ben Smith reported that Giannoulias went to D.C. to chat with Senior White House advisor David Axelrod and Patrick Gaspard, as "part of a running effort to convince national Democrats not to write the race off."
Giannoulias' campaign released a statement Tuesday afternoon that said the White House was behind Alexi's campaign.
"Alexi Giannoulias is the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate, and has the support and the backing of the White House," Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Major Garrett Tuesday.
"My meetings today at the White House have been very productive, and the support of the President is a great asset in a state where 64 percent of voters approve of the job he is doing," Giannoulias said in a statement. "While my opponent opposes the White House agenda every chance he gets, I want to help the president change the broken system here in Washington."
The Giannoulias campaign also added a big fundraiser to their roster Tuesday. Jordan Kaplan, who served as Finance Director to President Obama's 2004 Illinois Senate race and as his Illinois Finance Director for presidential run in 2008, will now be raising money for the state treasurer.
Before Giannoulias' nomination, some said President Obama was keeping his distance from his old basketball buddy after news of Giannoulias' troubled Broadway Bank surfaced.
Meanwhile, Crain's Chicago Business reports that Giannoulias and his family could make millions in tax refunds from if the bank closes. The Giannoulias camp denies these reports, saying in a statement that "the idea that the Giannoulias family will benefit in any way if the bank fails is absolutely false."
Watch President Obama welcome Alexi to the White House:
Giannoulias discussed the White House support Tuesday: