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WASHINGTON, United States of America – Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney will host a US$6 million fundraising dinner for Barack Obama at his Los Angeles home as the president fills his campaign coffers to battle Mitt Romney.
The event, on May 10, will feature in the “Dinner with Barack” campaign which the president’s political braintrust dreamed up to drum up small donations and fire up grassroots supporters.
Obama fans are invited to enter the contest and donate as little as $3 dollars on a webpage titled “Obama, Clooney and You” featuring pictures of the Oscar winning star and the president.
Lucky winners earn a spot at the dinner.
“George Clooney is doing his part to help re-elect the president, but he knows that it’s grassroots supporters like you who will decide this election,” the website reads.
“That’s why he’d like you to invite you to donate for a chance to be a part of this event.”
A campaign official said the A-list dinner, likely to be the most star-studded night of the Obama campaign so far, was expected to draw 150 supporters paying a cool $40,000 each for a ticket.
Obama and Clooney last met in March when the star of “Oceans Eleven” and “The Descendants” visited the White House to brief the president on a clandestine visit he had made to war-torn Sudan.
Clooney also attended a state dinner for British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Strong base
The president periodically visits California, especially Hollywood and Silicon Valley, where there is a strong base of committed, famous and wealthy supporters to help him raise millions of dollars ahead of November’s election.
Exclusive events for the wealthy, like the one at Clooney’s house, are often paired with cheaper, larger and more open fundraisers with less well-heeled supporters who get fired up by Obama’s campaign speech.
Obama, who is rebuilding his national political machine to battle the all-but-certain Republican nominee Mitt Romney, announced Monday he had raised $53 million for his reelection effort in March.
He has now taken in over $200 million for his campaign and up until the end of February, he had spent $75 million, much of it on his new grassroots infrastructure.
Obama will be aiming to beat his total of $745 million in the 2008 election, which also included the long and expensive Democratic primary battle against his then foe and now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. – Agence France-Presse
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