Two Invitations, One Official, One Political, With the Same Guest List There is a complex set of rules that governs how much of a president's re-election campaign is run out of the White House. But as President Obama gears up for the 2012 election, those lines can be blurred. On Thursday evening, Mr. Obama welcomed guests to the Rose Garden for an official celebration of Cinco de Mayo, celebrating "a singular moment in Mexican history" and saying that: "We pay tribute to our shared heritage and our future partnership." A few minutes later, some of those guests made their way to the nearby Mandarin Oriental Hotel for a political event hosted by the Futuro Fund, the Hispanic outreach and fund-raising committee for Mr. Obama's presidential campaign. But according to an e-mail invitation obtained by The Times, the organizers of the campaign event appear to have been given access to the same guest list used by the White House, an indication of the close coordination between Mr. Obama's presidential staff and the campaign operation that is working to get him re-elected. An e-mail sent to one guest at both events is addressed: "Dear Honored White House Guest" and asked recipients to "please join us for a complimentary cocktail reception to mingle with fellow White House guests and discuss Futuro Fund activities in the upcoming months." The e-mail invitation said the "private reception" would take place "after the White House Cinco de Mayo reception" and would be hosted by Henry Muñoz, the national chairman of the fund and the Democratic National Committee's senior adviser for Hispanic affairs. White House and Democratic National Committee officials said that the reception was not a fund-raiser and did not break any laws because it did not directly solicit contributions from those in attendance. It is generally against the law for White House officials to use government resources to raise campaign contributions. And a Democratic National Committee spokeswoman said that the Cinco de Mayo party was sponsored by the committee, as are other holiday-themed parties that take place at the White House but are not paid for by taxpayers. "The D.N.C. sponsors the annual White House Cinco de Mayo event, just like we do the annual holiday parties," said Melanie Roussell, a spokeswoman for the committee. As is longstanding precedent in Washington through administrations of both parties, there are often political briefings or gatherings when leaders from a constituency group are in town. This is no different. White House officials also noted that the Republican National Committee sponsored holiday parties at the White House during the tenure of former President George W. Bush. And presidents of both parties have held receptions and other political activities in the White House when the president attends. But the e-mail solicitation reflects a reality that presidents from both parties are eager to obscure: that running for president as an incumbent requires campaign officials and government employees to work together in pursuit of a second Oval Office term. As Jeff Zeleny of The Times reported, the coordination often includes strategy sessions in the White House attended by both campaign officials and presidential staff members. Mr. Obama holds such meetings every other week on Sundays. At the official Cinco de Mayo event in the Rose Garden, Mr. Obama did not talk about his re-election campaign. Instead, he vowed not "to let partisan politics stand in our way" of passing immigration reform and the Dream Act. "I'm willing to work with anybody who is serious to get this done," he said of immigration reform. It's worth remembering, America is and always will be a nation of immigrants. We are richer because of the men and women and children who have come to our shores and joined our union. The event at the Futuro Fund was private. But the fund's Web site describes it as "a national initiative driven by a group of committed Latino leaders who have joined together to support President Obama's re-election campaign."