George Clooney fundraiser for Obama raises $15 million

GlobalPost

George Clooney's fundraiser for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign has raised $15 million, media quoted DreamWorks Animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg as saying.

According to The New York Times, half the money came from donors and the rest from an Obama campaign sweepstakes online for small contributors, two of whom were picked to attend the event at Clooney’s Studio City home.

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The LA Times reported it as the biggest one-night campaign haul ever. 

That paper wrote that Obama's announcement that he supported gay marriage was a popular issue with the Hollywood crowd.

"Obviously yesterday we made some news," Obama said to applause.

"But the truth is it was a logical extension of what America is supposed to be. It grew directly out of this difference in visions. Are we a country that includes everybody and gives everybody a shot and treats everybody fairly and is that going to make us stronger?

"Are we welcoming to immigrants? Are we welcoming to people who aren’t like us — does that make us stronger? I believe it does. So that’s what’s at stake."

Katzenberg reportedly told guests, "Once again the entertainment industry has stepped forward in a very big way,” naming Presidents John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton as previous beneficiaries of Hollywood support.

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