(Photo Credit: AP)

President Barack Obama went to actor George Clooney’s Los Angeles home for a fundraiser on Thursday, POLITICO’s Jennifer Epstein reports:

Obama thanked Clooney for hosting the much-hyped fundraiser on his basketball court. “I want to thank Clooney for letting us use his basketball court. This man has been talking smack about his basketball game ever since I’ve known him,” he said.

The president said he noticed a version of Shepard Fairey’s 2008 “Hope” poster hanging in Clooney’s house. “People don’t realize that the photograph of me is actually me sitting next to George” at an event where Clooney was speaking about Darfur.

“We struck up a friendship,” Obama said. “This is the first time that George Clooney has actually been Photoshopped out of a picture. Never happened before, will never happen again,” he said to laughs, adding that Fairey did another poster of Clooney with the two men. “Why he said at the bottom ‘Dope and hope,’ I don’t know,” he added to more laughter.

“We raised a lot of money because everybody loves George. They like me, they love him. And rightfully so. Not only is he an unbelievable actor, but he is one of those rare individuals who is at ease with everybody. He seems to occupy a constant state of grace, and uses his extraordinary talents on behalf of something truly important.”

Between tickets to the dinner and online donations made to enter a raffle to win a seat at the fundraiser, the event brought in about $15 million for the Obama Victory Fund, which benefits the Obama campaign, the Democratic National Committee and several state committees.

Celebrities at the fundraiser included Billy Crystal, Salma Hayek, Barbra Streisand, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black and Toby Maguire. (Politico/McDevitt)

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“American Idol” star Clay Aiken wishes President Obama would “hurry up” and decide about same-sex marriage.

“I certainly want the president to hurry up and evolve faster,” the singer told CNN in an interview on Tuesday.

While Aiken called Obama’s stance on the issue “frustrating,” he nonetheless considers him “a champion for equality.”

“I understand the word evolving,” he said. “I do come from a relatively conservative area and from a conservative family. And my mom would be someone whose stance has evolved. And it doesn’t always happen quickly.”

A North Carolina resident, Aiken spoke out against the state’s same-sex marriage ban, which ended up passing last night. (Politico/McDevitt) 

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Johnny Depp looked to the White House for inspiration when playing Willy Wonka in the 2005 remake of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

“I imagined what George Bush would be like incredibly stoned,” the actor said on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on Tuesday. “And thus was born my version of Willy Wonka.”

“So the next time I see that movie, which I all think we are going to watch it again now, that’s what George Bush would look like incredibly stoned?” DeGeneres said.

“I think so,” replied Depp.

The actor stopped by the talk show to promote his new flick “Dark Shadows.” (Politico/McDevitt0

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Stars took to Twitter on Wednesday, responding to President Barack Obama’s new stance on gay marriage. Scroll through the gallery to hear what they had to say. (Politico/McDevitt)

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Before former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards told the world he had fathered a child with his mistress, he sought advice from actor Sean Penn, according to a testimony at Edwards’s criminal trial on Wednesday.

Wendy Button, Edwards’s former speechwriter, said he sent drafts of his announcement to a few friends, including some Hollywood contacts, before its public release in January 2010.

Beside Penn, actress Madeleine Stowe and director Paul Haggis were also consulted, she said. (Politico/Gerstein/McDevitt/AP) 

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George Clooney’s L.A. home is getting the Fort Knox treatment for his big Obama fundraiser tonight — because TMZ has learned, security’s so tight … even the back-up has back-up.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, the U.S. Secret Service will be getting help from the LAPD as well the California Highway Patrol to keep POTUS safe at the event.

We’re told the LAPD is even planning to bring in its special Counter Terrorist Unit — Jack Bauer style.

But that’s not enough for Mr. Clooney — who we’re told has taken things a step further … hiring a special security team to oversee his own personal safety.

As for specific security measures being taken for the event — we’re told roads will be closed off, bomb-sniffing dogs will be prowling, and plain clothes officers will be on the lookout.

Oh yeah, there’s also “air support” — whatever that means.

As we reported, the party’s gonna be awesome – Wolfgang Puck himself will be catering the $40,000-a-plate affair … and 150 bigwigs are expected to be in attendance.

Bottom line — crash another party.  (TMZ) 

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Before Jimmy Fallon’s big interview with Barack Obama last month, the talk show host reached out to several people for advice … including the King of All Media himself … Howard Stern. 

Stern appeared on Fallon’s late night show last night … and admitted he almost ignored Fallon’s plea … because he’s “somewhat evil” and couldn’t figure out what was in it for him. 

But the “America’s Got Talent” judge ultimately decided to help … and says he encouraged Fallon to ask Obama about the following subjects: 

– How big is your penis, Mr. President? 
– How often do you have sex with Michelle? 

Unfortunately, Fallon didn’t take Stern’s advice. 

But Jimmy DID manage to piss off Howard when he revealed who else he called on his quest for interview advice … including Jay Leno. 

Stern shot back … “I never would have answered your email if I knew you called Jay.”

He wasn’t kidding. (TMZ)  

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(Photo Credit: Reuters)

Tennis legend Billie Jean King says she’s “thankful” for everything that President Barack Obama has done for the LGBT community since taking office.

“President Obama is very good to the LGBT community, [as] he is for every single human being and I am thankful for what he has done,” King, who’s in D.C. to promote the United States Tennis Association, told POLITICO on Wednesday.

As one of the first prominent female athletes to come out, King discussed her own experiences.  “I was married to a guy for a long time and now I’m with a woman. I’ve been on both sides, and it’s not much different. People are worrying about the wrong thing,” she said.

King said she firmly supports same-sex marriage, which Obama officially backed today. “Anytime you give something to one human being but not to another for whatever reason, it’s wrong. It’s just wrong,” she said.

Asked which other politicians she admires, King named Hillary Clinton, calling her “unbelievable.”

“I don’t think anyone appreciated her until she became secretary of state. This woman is tough, when she needs to be and she’s smart. She’s smarter than Bill Clinton. He said that himself. And she loves people and she’s fighting for woman’s rights. People underestimate her but she’s got great leadership and what a role model,” said King.

Though Clinton has said she won’t run for president again, King — who backed her candidacy in 2008 —is still hoping.

“If Obama wins, when he wins, I hope she runs after that,” she said. “I hope she has the energy to run, we’re all asking her to.” (Politico/Tran)

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Best-selling author Jay McInerney said Thursday he’s “concerned” for John Edwards’s former mistress Rielle Hunter, whom he dated in the late 1980s.

McInerney, who based his novel “Story of My Life” on Hunter, told CBS “The Morning” that he hopes she “comes out of this and has a great life.”

“I knew her in the ’80s. And she inspired — she and her friends inspired a book that I wrote called ‘Story of my Life,’ and we had a lot of fun back then,” he said. “Honestly, I mean, I wish her well now. And I’m, you know, I’m concerned for her. I hope she comes out of this and has a great life.”

“It’s been a tough time for her,” he added.

In 2008, he told Page Six that the novel “was narrated in the first person from the point of view of an ostensibly jaded, sexually voracious 20-year-old” named Alison Poole, who was inspired by Hunter. (Politico/Weinger)

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Hillary Clinton can’t be bothered by chatter about her physical appearance, the secretary of state told CNN’s Jill Dougherty in an interview on Tuesday.

Asked about a photo of her wearing very little make-up that was tauntingly posted on yesterday’s Drudge Report, Clinton replied, “I feel so relieved to be at the stage I’m at in my life right now, Jill, because if I want to wear my glasses, I’m wearing my glasses.”

“If I want to pull my hair back, I’m pulling my hair back,” Clinton, who’s known to sport scrunchies occasionally, added. “At some point it’s just not something that deserves a whole lot of time and attention. If others want to worry about it, I’ll let them do the worrying for a change.” (Politico/McDeivtt)

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