May 10, 2012 (Alarabiya with agencies)
May 10, 2012 (Alarabiya with agencies)
Fresh from declaring his support for same-sex marriage, President Barack Obama heads west on Thursday for a political fundraising spree that will culminate in a multi-million dollar extravaganza at the home of movie star George Clooney.
Clooney, who is hosting the star-studded fundraiser for Barack Obama, is a Hollywood A-lister turned activist for liberal causes like Sudan, Haiti – and now the U.S. leader’s re-election.
It is all a long way from the young actor who made his name as a doctor in TV medical drama “ER” in the 1990s.
The movie heartthrob’s $40,000-a-plate dinner is being tipped as possibly the biggest presidential fundraiser ever, bolstering Obama’s coffers to the tune of $12 million as he gears up for a fierce re-election fight. A campaign official said the campaign would not release the dollar figures from the raffle and any projections above $6 million were speculative.
Clooney will welcome at least 150 people at his 7,400-square foot home in Studio City, where catering and security preparations have been underway for days. Locals are bracing for snarled traffic when the celebrities descend on Clooney’s mansion.
The 51-year-old Oscar-winning actor has long been used to turning heads, but his stature has been further enhanced by his campaigning activities of recent years, arguably making him Obama’s celebrity activist-in-chief.
Organization for Thursday’s dinner has been spearheaded by DreamWorks Animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg, the president’s major entertainment industry fundraiser, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Obama’s campaign has revved up its supporters with teases about Clooney, encouraging fans to donate even $3 online for the chance to meet the movie star and the president in Los Angeles.
Excitement over that event pre-dated Obama’s revelation on gay marriage, however. Obama declared on Wednesday that he believes gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry, a position that is likely to go over especially well with the Hollywood crowd expected to fill Clooney’s residence.
Before his stop in California, Obama will stop at two fundraisers in Seattle, Washington.
A brunch with 70 supporters with tickets costing $17,900 will net Democrats and the Obama campaign $1.25 million, and a subsequent reception with 1,800 guests paying at least $1,000 per ticket will bring in 1.8 million or more. Singer Dave Matthews is slated to perform at the latter event.
Proceeds from all of the fundraisers go to Obama’s campaign and Democratic Party funds.
Obama has spent months raising money for his re-election campaign in an effort to have a huge war chest to take on the presumed Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, at the polls on Nov. 6.
Coming out in favor of gay marriage could help him boost donations from supporters in his political base who have been pressing the president to announce the culmination of his position, which Obama had long described as “evolving.”
Obama’s Chicago-based campaign released a video on Thursday about gay rights and an email on Wednesday night in the president’s name discussing his decision and encouraging supporters to make a donation.
