SWITZERLAND: Actor George Clooney attends a Geneva reception aimed at helping U.S. President Barack Obama win re-election

Record ID: 191184

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: Actor George Clooney attends a Geneva reception aimed at helping U.S. President Barack Obama win re-election
  • Date: 27th August 2012
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) OBAMA SUPPORTER, MICHAEL ARNHEITER, SAYING: "He told us what we have believed for the last several years, that the best opportunity for the United States to move forward is to re-elect Barack Obama." (SOUNDBITE) (English) OBAMA SUPPORTER, MICHAEL ARNHEITER, SAYING: "It was fun. My daughter got a nice picture with Mr. Clooney that will go right on Instagram tonight." OBAMA BADGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) OBAMA SUPPORTER, MICHAEL ARNHEITER, SAYING: "We loved hearing it, we're happy to be here and wrote a little bit of a cheque. We hope he wins because if not, we'll probably move to Europe." OBAMA SUPPORTER MICHAEL ARNHEITER LEAVING WITH FAMILY
  • Embargoed: 11th September 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Switzerland
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAF3NJBLQ8K6U8WZXFNOAUEIKNR
  • Story Text: George Clooney was the star attraction on Monday (August 27) in Geneva in what is being billed as the Democratic Party's biggest fundraising event abroad aimed at helping President Barack Obama win re-election.
    The American actor and activist, who travelled by car from his residence on Lake Como, Italy, arrived in Geneva's Old Town ahead of a private reception followed by a gala dinner.
    About $500,000 could be raised for Obama's campaign coffers as he battles to keep pace with the fundraising of his rival, Republican Mitt Romney, sources close to Obama's campaign said.
    At least 100 American supporters paid $1,000 each to attend the champagne reception that was held in a museum, while about 35 high-rolling donors paid $15,000 a plate for the gourmet dinner with Clooney, the sources said.

    "George Clooney, he spoke for about three to four minutes, very little. He just said we're doing good work and to keep it up. He talked a little bit, that was about it, nothing special," Walter Furth, a former chairman of Democrats Abroad Switzerland, told Reuters after attending the reception.
    Democrats Abroad Switzerland, the U.S. party's Swiss branch, said in a statement the event was expected to be the "single most important fundraising event" outside the United States for Obama's campaign.

    "He told us what we have believed for the last several years, that the best opportunity for the United States to move forward is to re-elect Barack Obama," Michael Arnheiter, who attended the reception with his wife and two teenage children, told Reuters.

    "It was fun. My daughter got a nice picture with Mr. Clooney that will go right on Instagram (photo application for Facebook) tonight," Arnheiter added.

    "We loved hearing it, we're happy to be here and wrote a little bit of a cheque. We hope he wins because if not, we'll probably move to Europe," Arnheiter said.
    Clooney, 51, addressed the gathering, along with Matthew Barzun, chairman of the Obama Victory Fund, and organiser Charles Adams, a Geneva-based American lawyer on the National Finance Committee of the campaign.
    Supporters willing to pay $5,000 got to have their photograph taken with the Hollywood star and director - who was not accompanied by his latest girlfriend Stacy Keibler.
    Clooney hosted a glitzy campaign fundraiser at his home in Los Angeles in May, raising nearly $15 million at the event.
    The Geneva fundraiser was a virtual carbon copy of one attended here by Clooney four years ago that raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars to help take Obama to the White House.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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