George Clooney was only one of the prominent Hollywood celebrities to make the 2009 White House guest list.
While buddy Brad Pitt was getting busy hanging out with former US President Bill Clinton (getting ready to Make it Right for the Clinton Global Initiative), and Angelina Jolie was getting friendly with the world on behalf of the United Nations, Clooney was busy kickin' it with the newest Democratic leader to rise to international fame, recently elected Barack Obama... and that's celebrity news business.
According to a report released by the president's official staff and residence tenders Thursday [Oct. 30, 2009], the President of the United States socially entertained a variety or guests and acquaintances, including but not limited to gorgeous George during his first year at the Washington, DC Pennsylvania address.
AP news reports,
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Celebrities Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney and Denzel Washington, prominent Democratic fundraisers and heavyweights from the financial services and high-tech industries were among those landing visits with President Barack Obama or others at the White House during Obama's first months in office.
The White House late Friday afternoon released a partial list of people who have visited since Obama took office in January. It released roughly 480 records in response to questions about whether specific people visited. The White House plans to start disclosing comprehensive visitor lists in coming months.
The records are a step toward making good on Obama's promise of transparency. But they also show that despite a campaign pledge to reduce special-interest influence on policymaking, lobbyists are getting face time with him and his aides.
The visits included in the records released Friday include roughly eight dozen with Obama.
Curious about who else Obama wanted to meet first on his celebrity guest list?
The AP excerpt of the official White House Press Announcement shares:
Among the [VIP] guests were the list as follows...
- Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. The wealthy philanthropist had a March 25 meeting with Obama in the Oval Office. The subject isn't disclosed. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gives about $200 million a year in elementary and secondary education grants and is pressing for some of the same changes that Obama wants, such as paying teachers based on student test scores.
- Ed Yingling, the chief executive of the American Bankers Association and a registered lobbyist. Yingling attended at least four meetings with Obama. One meeting included several bank CEOs; the subjects of the others included credit cards and housing.
- *** Clooney, a U.N. messenger of peace, met with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on Feb. 23 to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Sudan's Darfur region. Clooney has said he asked Obama to appoint a full-time regional envoy to report directly to the White House.
- The list also includes some names that would draw attention at first glance: Michael Jordan, Michael Moore, William Ayers and Jeremiah Wright. The White House was quick to note that the visitors were not actually the basketball star, the documentary filmmaker or the controversial activist and preacher - just people who share their names.
The White House staff declined to comment when asked if Michelle Obama actually swooned when she met Clooney.
Pfffttt... politicians' staff seldom have a sense of humor when it comes to reporters asking witty "for the record" factoid questions in the hopes of generating strange news quips.
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