Unlike past visits, the president wasn’t anywhere near our neighborhood for his most recent visit to the Seattle area to talk shop in Everett but he still made plenty of Capitol Hill connections on the trip including a fundraiser at the Eastside home of a Pike/Pine developer (who also happens to be president of chair of the board at Costco) and a speech by the owner of the Hill’s largest independent retailer. Here’s a Presidents Day (yay, free parking) look at the visit via our Capitol Hill.

The president talks with Boeing workers in Everett (Image: Whitehouse.gov)

You probably heard a little about the big-ticket fundraiser held Friday at a Medina mansion:

The first stop was a $17,900-per-person event at the home of Costco co-founder Jeff Brotman and his wife, philanthropist Susan Brotman, where about 70 guests ate a lunch made by renowned local chef Tom Douglas and listened to several songs performed by Natalie Cole.

The guests, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, had a chance to chat one-on-one with Obama and have their photo taken with him.

That was the home of Jeff and Susan Brotman. They’re the parents of Justin Brotman, the man behind Capitol Hill’s Healeo, and Jeff is part of the partnership behind Healeo’s home building, The Pearl, at 15th and Madison. The Slog shared notes from Obama’s seemingly Gates-focused address at the fundraiser:

Obama remarks at Brotman residence: Pool was ushered in around 5:35, into a great room where donors sat and stood surrounded by artwork that would look at home in MOMA. Bill Gates stood in front of a huge fireplace. Ceilings looked to be at least two stories, maybe three. Giant floor-to-ceiling windows looked out at trees and water.

These are highlights. Check against transcript.

First Potus thanked “Jeff and Susan for opening up their extraordinary home. It’s wonderful to be back in the pacific northwest.” He then claimed Seattle roots but pooler couldn’t hear quite how he came about that.

Perhaps the president was talking about his roots on 13th Ave E.

We’ve asked Justin Brotman if he can share anything more about the visit and will update if we hear back.

Meanwhile, another member of the Capitol Hill community also had a large role to play in last week’s presidential visit. Peter Aaron, who moved his Elliott Bay Book Co. store to the Hill from Pioneer Square in spring 2010, spoke before the second Obama fundraiser of the trip:

Introducing Obama, Elliott Bay Book Co. owner Peter Aaron took the audience through travails of his Seattle bookstore in late 2008, his business “dragged to the brink” when the bank told him it would not extend the bookstore’s line of credit.

The Small Business Jobs Act, which Obama signed into law, enabled Elliott Bay to get a loan from a smaller community bank. 

“That loan saved the bookstore,” said Aaron.  “We look forward to celebrating the 40th anniversary of Elliott Bay in 2013, midway through the first year of President Obama’s second term.”

Add visits by Cupcake Royale’s Jody Hall and ice cream empress Molly Moon Neitzel (more on her, soon, by the way) and President Obama has had an earful from Capitol Hill, Seattle-related business folk recently.