Winfrey, Clooney among first White House guests

By The Associated Press Comments 0
Published: November 8, 2009

WASHINGTON — Celebrities George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey, as well as prominent lobbyists, corporate executives and Democratic fundraisers were among the first to score visits with President Barack Obama, his wife Michelle or top aides at the White House, newly released records show.

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The White House late Friday afternoon posted a list of roughly 480 records in response to questions about whether specific people visited the president’s home. It 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.

Among the guests:

→ Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. The wealthy philanthropist had a March 25 meeting with Obama in the Oval Office. →Twenty-two visits are recorded for Labor leader and Obama supporter Andrew Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union.

→Clooney, a U.N. messenger of peace, met with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s Darfur region.

→Winfrey, who campaigned for Obama, interviewed the first lady Feb. 17 and was on the guest list for an inaugural reception.