George Clooney and President Barack Obama. Which one is truly the most powerful man on Earth?
“Obviously yesterday we made some news,” President Obama told $40,000-a-plate guests at a fundraiser at the home of George Clooney in Studio City, Calif., on Thursday. The event raised nearly $15 million, expected to be a record.
Mr. Obama’s statement supporting marriage equality for all couples fulfills a longstanding demand of a critical group of donors – the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community. On Monday, the president is scheduled to appear at a fundraiser in New York sponsored by gay and Latino supporters. On June 6, he heads back to Los Angeles for a LGBT gala, which organizers say quickly exceeded its 700-person limit after the president’s announcement.
Gay activists are prominent players in the Obama 2012 campaign, including finance director Rufus Gifford, Democratic National Committee treasurer Andrew Tobias, and White House social secretary Jeremy Bernard. In addition, the president has a designated outreach team to the LGBT community.
So which celebs went to this historic fundraiser?
Over 150 celebrities mingled at Clooney’s pad. Partying in a tent on Clooney’s basketball court, guests including Tobey Maguire, Barbra Streisand, Salma Hayek and Jack Black dined on a menu crafted by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.
Other celebs who were seen at the house were Robert Downey Jr. and Billy Crystal.
“We raised a lot of money because everybody loves George. They like me, they love him. And rightfully so,” Obama, 50, raved of Clooney, 51. During his 19-minute speech, Obama also mentioned how he saw Shepard Fairey’s 2008 “Hope” poster hanging in Clooney’s home and divulged details of its origin. “People don’t realize that the photograph of me is actually me sitting next to George,” Obama said of the photo that was taken when the duo advocated for Darfur together.
“This is the first time that George Clooney has actually been Photoshopped out of a picture. Never happened before, never happen again,” Obama joked.
Though the actor largely catered to President Obama Thursday, he made sure to tend to his girlfriend, Stacy Keibler, frequently during the event.
