Ellen DeGeneres will appear at a Los Angeles fundraiser for President Obama on Wednesday, an event aimed at the gay and lesbian community, sources say.

She'll be joined by the singer Pink, who will be providing entertainment at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel event, with tickets starting at $1,250 per person. Obama's reelection campaign also has scheduled a $40,000-per-person dinner at the home of Ryan Murphy, co-creator of "Glee." Sources say that both events are selling well and could sell out.

On her daytime show, DeGeneres praised Obama after his announcement earlier this month that he supports same-sex marriage. "There have been moments in history when someone has the courage to stand up for what they believe in, and that one action changes everything," DeGeneres said. "I hope this is one of those times."

In the days following the announcement, organizers of the Los Angeles gala said that they saw an uptick in sales of tickets. They also switched to a larger venue, although those plans were in the works before Obama's interview with ABC News' Robin Roberts.

The co-chairs of the event are Barry Karas, Dana Perlman, Chad Griffin and Andrew Tobias. Among those on the host committee for the event are Paris Barclay and his husband, Christopher; Bruce Cohen; James Costos and Michael Smith; John Gile; Michael Lombardo and Sonny Ward; Max Mutchnick and Erik Hyman; and Rob and Michele Reiner.

The federal appellate ruling overturning the Defense of Marriage Act does not address a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, but federal recognition in states that do allow gay nuptials.

That is a key point when it comes to marriage benefits, like jointly filing taxes and collection of Social Security benefits, but it also could mean that the much-expected Supreme Court showdown on same-sex marriage could be more piecemeal. Perry vs. Brown, the case challenging California's Proposition 8 being led by Ted Olson and David Boies and financed by Hollywood and political activists, is now less likely to reach the high court before the DOMA case does.

Richard Socarides writes in the New Yorker, "It now looks like it will be this case, rather than the more famous Perry case being litigated by Ted Olson and David Boies, that will reach the Supreme Court first. It’s a bit of inside baseball, but this is the result favored by the old guard of gay-rights litigators who prefer a more incremental strategy of Supreme Court review. (Although they will not like the language in today’s decision that suggests that states can decide on a case-by-case basis who can get married; but this is the risk of incrementalism.) In this case, a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the plaintiffs would not require any kind of finding that there exists a hitherto-unrecognized constitutional right to same-sex marriage—only that the federal government must recognize marriages validly preformed in states that choose to do so. But whatever happens next, there is no question that this decision is another big step in the march toward full equality for gay and lesbian Americans."

What struck me about today's unanimous ruling --- which you can read here --- is how it keys up the federal ban on same-sex marriage for a conservative dominated court. The appellate judges made it clear that they were not basing their ruling on making gays and lesbians a "suspect class," i,e, protected class, but on issues of federalism. Like the Ninth Circuit's decision in Perry vs. Brown, they put their decision in the context of existing precedent, like the Supreme Court's Romer vs. Evans decision written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, the key swing vote in just about any major decision that comes before the high court these days. Back then, the high court ruled as unconstitutional a Colorado initiative that would have prevented state governments from passing anti-gay discrimination ordinances.

Rather than assert a same-sex marriage right in the constitution, the appellate judges leave it up to the states, but make clear that the Defense of Marriage Act intrudes upon that. They noted that " many Americans believe that marriage is the union of a man and a woman, and most Americans live in states where that is the law today. One virtue of federalism is that it permits this diversity of governance based on local choice, but this applies as well to the states that have chosen to legalize same-sex marriage. Under current Supreme Court authority, Congress' denial of federal benefits to same- sex couples lawfully married in Massachusetts has not been adequately supported by any permissible federal interest."

Fox News' "Fox and Friends" ran a video that played off of President Obama's promises of "Hope" and "Change," but critics pounced on the spot, saying it could easily sub for an attack ad.

Ed Morrisey wrote at conservative blog Hot Air, "I don’t disagree with much, if anything, in this video presented earlier today on Fox & Friends. Neither, I suspect, will many of our readers. But does this make anyone uncomfortable at all in regard to its source?"

Bill Shine, executive vice president at Fox News, is distancing the network management from the spot: Via TV Newser: "The package that aired on Fox & Friends was created by an associate producer and was not authorized at the senior executive level of the network. This has been addressed with the show’s producers."

Media Matters charges that Fox News violated its own ethics policy.

Entertainment industry supporters of Mitt Romney are trying to organize an show-biz centric fundraising event for the candidate, but in the meantime he will be in Southern California on Thursday for a reception at the Beverly Hills Hotel and a dinner at the home of Tony Pritzker, co-founder of the equity firm the Pritzker Group.  According to Forbes, Pritzker's 50,000-plus square-foot home in Bel-Air is a showpiece, including a gym, bowling alley and hairdressing area. (Pictures of the compound here). Earlier this year he hosted a celebrity packed event for the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.

Politics runs in the Pritzker family, but not all of the same stripes: Pritzker's sister, Penny, was finance co-chair of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.

Bob Dylan was among the honorees at the White House today as President Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Dylan did not speak at the ceremony, but stood out among all the honorees by wearing sunglasses throughout the East Room event.

Obama's remarks: "Bob Dylan started out singing other people’s songs.  But, as he says, 'There came a point where I had to write what I wanted to say, because what I wanted to say, nobody else was writing.'  So born in Hibbing, Minnesota -- a town, he says, where 'you couldn’t be a rebel -- it was too cold'  --- Bob moved to New York at age 19.  By the time he was 23, Bob’s voice, with its weight, its unique, gravelly power was redefining not just what music sounded like, but the message it carried and how it made people feel.  Today, everybody from Bruce Springsteen to U2 owes Bob a debt of gratitude.  There is not a bigger giant in the history of American music.  All these years later, he’s still chasing that sound, still searching for a little bit of truth.  And I have to say that I am a really big fan."

CNN is heavily promoting Wolf Blitzer's interview with Donald Trump, almost completely about birtherism. Trump suggests that he was going on to talk about jobs, while Blitzer says that the interview was set up with no conditions. As they spar, Blitzer eventually tells Trump, "You're starting to sound ridiculous."

The full interview is below, via Mediaite:

Despite Trump's insistence that Obama would rather not talk about birtherism, the President's reelection campaign has been anxious to. They put out releases today rounding up reporters' Trump tweets and a statement from deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter, saying that Romney's embrace of the reality show host "demonstrates lack of moral leadership."

Perhaps this is less a test of moral character and more like a game of "Survivor": An endurance contest through the Trump storm, with the promise of reaping $2 million from a fund-raiser.

Updated

Mitt Romney's campaign is taking a page out of President Obama's reelection playbook by raffling off a dinner with himself and Donald Trump, hoping to catch the same magic that saw the Obama campaign reap some $9 million from small-dollar donors seeking an invite to the big George Clooney fundraiser.

As the Obama campaign tries to score points with Romney's connection to the country's most famous birther, and GOP establishment types wonder why the soon-to-be GOP nominee has so closely associated himself with the reality star, the differences between a Trump endorsement and a Clooney endorsement are readily apparent. There's also Trump's high negatives versus Clooney's high positives, and a TV personality whose "Celebrity Apprentice" ratings are in decline versus a movie star who earned an Oscar nod this year for a best picture nominee that did well at the box office. Neither are strangers to publicity and knowing how to maximize it, but when it comes to politics Trump is unpredictable where Clooney is savvy, even when getting arrested.

There's some irony in that the Obama campaign, while fully embracing show biz figures as fund-raising surrogates, is pushing criticism of Romney's connections to a celebrity, reversing the usual trend of Republicans slamming Democrats for their red carpet support. It was Clooney who said, rather famously, of Obama, "I'll give you whatever support you need -- including staying completely away from you," knowing full well of the risks of a pol's association with Hollywood; it's hard to see Trump picking up on the wisdom.

In this period of campaign sideshows, what Bill Clinton called "silly season," it could be that Romney is banking on maximizing contributions before casting himself in the general election as a moderating influence in the party. As Will noted, it's a head scratcher as to just what the Trump vote is, but there's some doubt that his nod will really hurt Romney, either. Or it could be that both sides gain: the Romney campaign will be reaping a windfall in Las Vegas, while the Obama team will have neutralized, to some extent, the line of attack on the President as the "celebrity" candidate.

Update: The Romney-Trump raffle details are here. The winner gets airport transportation on the Trump vehicle, a night at the Trump International in New York, a tour of Trump Tower and dinner with Trump and Romney. As you can see from the ad at right, the campaign is playing up Trump to the hilt.

President Obama came out of the gate trying to define Mitt Romney before he can define himself. In my latest column for the print version of Variety, this may be just the start of attacks that personalize the campaign in ways perfected by the likes of Michael Moore. The maker of the pro-Gingrich SuperPAC film "When Mitt Romney Came to Town" and others weigh in on whether it will work.

A woman in a campaign ad for President Obama describes the loss of her job in Marion, Ind., as if it happened yesterday, even though it occured almost 20 years ago, when Bain Capital -- which Mitt Romney co-founded in 1984 -- took over the paper-products company that had employed her. "I had my electricity turned off, and my heat turned off," she says. "They threatened to take my car. I was scared."

It doesn't matter that she shared this same story with Sen. Edward Kennedy's campaign when he faced a challenge from Romney in 1994, or that another woman interviewed for the Obama ad also appears in a 28-minute documentary funded by a pro-Newt Gingrich SuperPAC in advance of the South Carolina Republican primary in January.

The attacks have their roots in the storytelling techniques of Hollywood, tugging at emotions -- and raising ire from Republicans (and a few Obama supporters) for what they see as going too far.

In an avalanche of otherwise generic 30-second ad spots, they are also what is getting talked about, for nearly two weeks now, on cable news shows.

"These attacks are very powerful because they use real people with real lives," says Jason Killian Meath, a filmmaker and D.C. communications executive who made the Gingrich PAC's "When Mitt Romney Came to Town" (aka "King of Bain") that ruffled Republican feathers by seeming to give ammunition to Democrats.

Meath now fully supports Romney in the race, but he's also unapologetic about making the documentary, which deploys the same David vs. Goliath, average people vs. fat-cat perspective perfected by Michael Moore and other filmmakers on the left. Conservatives have long sought to usurp that message, and Meath is among those on the right who have been trying to make a go of it in the traditionally progressive domain of documentaries.

Already in this election cycle, liberal filmmaker Robert Greenwald of Brave New Films has made a project about the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers, a favorite target of Democrats. The DVD is called "Koch Brothers Exposed," and provoked a lengthy rebuttal by the Kochs issued on a company website, attacking Greenwald and his employees for "stalking and harassing behavior," among other things. But the Kochs' written word probably didn't convince as viscerally as Greenwald's visuals and testimonials, which include an unemployed senior citizen buzzing the gate at one of the Kochs' massive mansions to ask, "Why (do) they want to kill Social Security?"

Meath says that when he was asked back in January how he could do a similar provocative film with "King of Bain," he says he responded, "?'If I don't do it now, (Obama adviser) David Axelrod will do it, and Steven Spielberg will direct it by the time September comes around.'?"

While the Spielberg comment may be a bit of hyperbole, the Obama campaign has indeed jumped on the Bain train, even if such attacks are coming earlier than Meath expected. The filmmaker takes it as a sign that the President's advisers are worried about poll numbers (showing the race a dead heat) and thus are anxious to potently define Romney before he can fully define himself.

Meath says he has doubts that the "King of Bain" examples of job loss some 20 years ago are as credible when being borrowed by the Obama campaign. "It is a little like getting dieting tips from Jabba the Hut," he says.

President Obama came out of the gate trying to define Mitt Romney before he can define himself. In my latest column for the print version of Variety, this may be just the start of attacks that personalize the campaign in ways perfected by the likes of Michael Moore. The maker of the "When Mitt Romney Came to Town" and others weigh in on whether it will work.

A woman in a campaign ad for President Obama describes the loss of her job in Marion, Ind., as if it happened yesterday, even though it occured almost 20 years ago, when Bain Capital -- which Mitt Romney co-founded in 1984 -- took over the paper-products company that had employed her. "I had my electricity turned off, and my heat turned off," she says. "They threatened to take my car. I was scared."

It doesn't matter that she shared this same story with Sen. Edward Kennedy's campaign when he faced a challenge from Romney in 1994, or that another woman interviewed for the Obama ad also appears in a 28-minute documentary funded by a pro-Newt Gingrich SuperPAC in advance of the South Carolina Republican primary in January.

The attacks have their roots in the storytelling techniques of Hollywood, tugging at emotions -- and raising ire from Republicans (and a few Obama supporters) for what they see as going too far.

In an avalanche of otherwise generic 30-second ad spots, they are also what is getting talked about, for nearly two weeks now, on cable news shows.

"These attacks are very powerful because they use real people with real lives," says Jason Killian Meath, a filmmaker and D.C. communications executive who made the Gingrich PAC's "When Mitt Romney Came to Town" (aka "King of Bain") that ruffled Republican feathers by seeming to give ammunition to Democrats.

Meath now fully supports Romney in the race, but he's also unapologetic about making the documentary, which deploys the same David vs. Goliath, average people vs. fat-cat perspective perfected by Michael Moore and other filmmakers on the left. Conservatives have long sought to usurp that message, and Meath is among those on the right who have been trying to make a go of it in the traditionally progressive domain of documentaries.

Already in this election cycle, liberal filmmaker Robert Greenwald of Brave New Films has made a project about the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers, a favorite target of Democrats. The DVD is called "Koch Brothers Exposed," and provoked a lengthy rebuttal by the Kochs issued on a company website, attacking Greenwald and his employees for "stalking and harassing behavior," among other things. But the Kochs' written word probably didn't convince as viscerally as Greenwald's visuals and testimonials, which include an unemployed senior citizen buzzing the gate at one of the Kochs' massive mansions to ask, "Why (do) they want to kill Social Security?"

Meath says that when he was asked back in January how he could do a similar provocative film with "King of Bain," he says he responded, "?'If I don't do it now, (Obama adviser) David Axelrod will do it, and Steven Spielberg will direct it by the time September comes around.'?"

While the Spielberg comment may be a bit of hyperbole, the Obama campaign has indeed jumped on the Bain train, even if such attacks are coming earlier than Meath expected. The filmmaker takes it as a sign that the President's advisers are worried about poll numbers (showing the race a dead heat) and thus are anxious to potently define Romney before he can fully define himself.

Meath says he has doubts that the "King of Bain" examples of job loss some 20 years ago are as credible when being borrowed by the Obama campaign. "It is a little like getting dieting tips from Jabba the Hut," he says.

The stereotype of the Hollywood activist is that they'll step up for international humanitarian causes but it's tough to get interest when it comes to their own backyard.

This week one issue did strike a chord: a city of Los Angeles ban on supermarket plastic bags. Environment California, which had lobbied for the measure, signed on some four dozen or so industry figures in support, including Eva Longoria and Rosario Dawson who were among those who lobbied. Spokesman Marshall Wright said that it received more show biz attention "than anything I have worked on" in the three years he has been with the org.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus spoke in support of the ban during the City Council's public comment period on Wednesday. "What is hideously ugly, gigantically dangerous, and outrageously expensive and yet we still use it every single day in Los Angeles? No, it is not the 405. It is plastic bags," she said, per LAObserved.

Louis-Dreyfus did run out of time, and was cut off by Council President Herb Wesson, but the ban was passed shortly thereafter.

The issue has resonance in the entertainment community. Environment California is pursuing a statewide ban, something that a number of activists sought in 2010 but came up short. Back then, Jeremy Irons narrated a mock documentary for the cause.

President Obama's reelection campaign is mining all sectors of show biz for fundraising opportunities, with the bonanza success of an event at George Clooney's home earlier this month and plans for an event at the home of Sarah Jessica Parker next month.

The latest event scheduled is called Barack on Broadway, scheduled for the 1,800 seat New Amsterdam Theater on June 4. Tickets start at $100 per person, and Obama will be joined by former President Bill Clinton.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Obama will appear on stage with Broadway performers James Earl Jones, Stockard Channing, Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Angela Lansbury, Mandy Patinkin and Jeffrey Wright.

After the tech community successfully sidelined key anti-piracy legislation earlier this year, there was an assumption, even among some Hollywood donors, that Silicon Valley was gaining the edge as a source of presidential fundraising support.

That is not neccesarily so, according to an analysis of the Sunlight Foundation.

As of last year, Hollywood was still beating Silicon Valley in total donations to Obama. In 2011, the Obama Victory Fund, which raises money for the campaign and the Democratic party, collected $5.5 million from Hollywood sources and $4.7 million from Silicon Valley donors. The gap is narrower than it was in the 2008 cycle, when Obama raised $16.1 million from show biz and $11.1 million from the computer and Internet sources. The figures were collected by the Center for Responsive Politics.

The entertainment industry also has come through for the President when it comes to contributions to the pro-Obama SuperPAC Priorities USA Action, which Jeffrey Katzenberg and Bill Maher among its top individual donors. And among campaign bundlers, those who are tapping contacts to raise money, Hollywood has raised $7.3 million and Silicon Valley has raised $4.9 million, according to CRP.

According to CBS News' Mark Knoller, Obama has had 24 fundraisers in California so far this cycle, out of a total of 139.

The President will be back soon: He's raising money at the home of "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy on June 6 and at a larger event aimed at the LGBT community in Los Angeles.

Former President Bill Clinton is headlining a fundraiser to raise money for the Democratic National Convention at the home of longtime Democratic donors Haim and Cheryl Saban.

The event is raising money for the Committee for Charlotte 2012. According to the invite, tickets are $100,000 per couple, which includes a photo and lunch, as well as a "convention package" of the donor's choice. One offers two hotel rooms and four credentials, the other offers one "premier uptown hotel room" and two "premier credentials." Other tickets to the lunch go for $50,000 and $25,000, offering credentials to the convention.

The Committee for Charlotte is set up as a 501(c)(3) organization and does not take money from corporations or lobbyists. But organizers in Charlotte have set up another committee, New American City, that can take money from corporations, with the contributions used for hospitality and promotional events.

The conservative website Judicial Watch has posted documents revealing the extent to which the White House, the Pentagon and the CIA gave access to filmmakers Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal as they prepared their upcoming movie about the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Although leaders of Special Operations Command could not talk to them, Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Mike Vickers said that they would make available an unidentified NavySEAL who was involved in the planning.

"That's dynamite," Boal said, according to a transcript of the conversation he and Bigelow had with Vickers and others.

"That's incredible," Bigelow said.

Vickers added that the Seal TEAM member would "speak for operators and he'll speak for senior military commanders, because their all the same tribe and everything, and so you should get most of what you need from him. Now, again the reason Adm Olson and Adm McRaven didn't want to talk is this command conflict of interest. And then with REDACTED the only thing we ask is that you not reveal his name in any way as a consultant, because again, it's the same thing, he shouldn't be talking out of school, this at least, this gives him one step removed and he knows what he can and can't say, but this way at least he can be as open as he can with you and it ought to meet your needs and give you lots of color."

The full transcript of the filmmakers' interiew with Vickers is here.

Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, last year called for an investigation into whether the filmmakers were given classified information. Suspicions were raised after the New York Times mentioned the access given to the filmmakers in a column in August.

Also released were emails and other documents revealing some coordination with Glover Park Group, a lobbying firm, and other documents suggesting that access was given to a CIA facility.

King said in a statement on Wednesday, “After reviewing these emails, I am even more concerned about the possible exposure of classified information to these filmmakers, who as far as I know, do not possess security clearances. The email messages indicate that the filmmakers were allowed an unprecedented visit to a classified facility so secret that its name is redacted in the released email. If this facility is so secret that the name cannot even be seen by the public, then why in the world would the Obama Administration allow filmmakers to tour it? The emails also tell of these filmmakers being allowed to tour the CIA’s vaults, which is absolutely shocking to those of us who know the sensitive nature of materials kept there.

“Also troubling is the fact that the Democratic lobbying firm Glover Park Group was so intimately involved in brokering these filmmakers’ access to clandestine officers and potentially special operators only weeks after the mission and when details were otherwise still very closely guarded, and one of Glover Park’s primary contacts within the Administration, CIA spokeswoman Marie Harf, left shortly thereafter to join President Obama’s reelection campaign in Chicago.

“This is a very serious issue. We simply cannot forget what then-Secretary of Defense Bob Gates said a week after the raid: ‘Frankly, a week ago Sunday, in the Situation Room, we all agreed that we would not release any operational details from the effort to take out bin Laden. That all fell apart on Monday, the next day.’”

The movie, "Zero Dark Thirty," to be released by Sony, became a flashpoint for conservatives over orginal plans to release it in October, during campaign season. The release date has since been moved to Dec. 19.

With just two weeks to go in a hotly contested San Fernando Valley congressional race, pitting longtime Democratic incumbents Howard Berman and Brad Sherman against each other in the June 5 primary, one question that came to the fore on Tuesday was: How much will show biz matter?

Berman, with strong support from studio and recording industry leaders, as well as the endorsement of IATSE, went on an “accomplishment tour” of Valley sites on Tuesday that included a stop at the Universal lot. As he has before, Berman highlighted the front-and-center role he has taken in championing anti-piracy legislation, as well as a recently introduced bill along with Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) to extend a tax deduction for film and TV production.

Berman said that piracy creates a “massive disincentive” for the creative community to produce new product.

“It has massive implications for jobs in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, and we have to confront this,” he said on the soundstage for “Parenthood,” where he was joined by the DGA’s Kathy Garmezy and IATSE’s Thom Davis, as well as Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield and Mark Binke, senior VP, production of cable and digital production for Universal Cable Productions.

Sherman doesn’t have nearly the same level of support in industry contributions, but he is chairman of the Congressional Entertainment Industry Caucus. And as Berman has emphasized his Washington influence, Sherman has highlighted local connections, including frequent town hall meetings. He also has represented more of the newly drawn district, reconstituted after redistricting last year forced the two incumbents to face each other, along with Republicans Mark Reed and Susan Shelley. The district has a heavy concentration of industry employees and freelancers.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, other than President Obama and Mitt Romney, Berman is the top recipient of show biz money so far this cycle, collecting $363,010. Real estate, accounting and legal professionals are at the top of those contributing to Sherman.

Berman has played up that support from Hollywood figures --- his campaign has an ad featuring an endorsement from Betty White and her costar on “Hot in Cleveland,” Wendie Malick --- but he has also used intellectual property protection as a talking point. It is featured prominently on his website, and he cited it frequently on the U lot.

Sherman says that while IP protection is important, it is probably 10th on the list of an online survey his campaign has done, with jobs and the economy at the top, followed by social security.

"KIlling Them Softly," which made its debut at Cannes, is set in the grim backdrop of the mortgage and financial crisis of 2008, and features a clip of Barack Obama giving one of his soaring hopeful speeches as he ran for president that year.

But the movie's star, Brad Pitt, told a press conference at Cannes today that it should not be taken as a slam on the President's record in office.

"I see the section that is chosen for the end of the film not as a cynical look back, a statement of failure, but a real expression of hope," he said. "...It speaks more to our toxic divide where it is more about the party winning the argument than the issues themselves. It is a serious serious problem."

He added that he didn't want the movie, to be released during the fall campaign, to be seen as part of the propaganda of the moment.

"We are going to see more negative ads than ever before, and I certainly don't want this film to be mistaken as part of that, with the SuperPAC groups, and I think it is going to be rather ugly."

Pitt was in Chicago on the night Obama was elected, and he called it an "electric, kinetic event." But he also expressed some wonder that more finance figures were not held accountable for the mortgage meltdown.

"It was criminal, by the way, and there certainly weren't any repercussions," he said.

Variety's Justin Chang writes in his review that "the picture cynically and over-insistently foregrounds the economic crisis throughout, updating the setting of George V. Higgins' 1974 Boston-set novel, "Cogan's Trade," to Louisiana in the weeks preceding the 2008 presidential election. Lest one miss the tale's topical import, TV screens and radios are continuously blaring speeches by President George W. Bush and then-candidate Barack Obama, full of false hope and lofty talk of choices and consequences, repeatedly suggesting that the era's financial gloom and air of general malaise have trickled down even to America's scuzziest back alleys."

President Obama collected a record amount from his recent fundraiser at the home of George Clooney, but a pro-Obama SuperPAC has yet to see a flood of money coming from Hollywood donors.

In April, Priorities USA Action collected $50,000 from Michael King, co-founder of King World, as well as $1,000 from John Matoian, former entertainment chief of the Fox network. The SuperPAC raised $1.6 million overall during the month.

The SuperPAC, which has been courting show biz donors, has drawn hefty contributions from Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg, Bill Maher and Chelsea Handler, but it is still raising less than SuperPACs that are spending heavily to support Mitt Romney and other Republicans. Maher gave $1 million in February, intending to encourage others in the entertainment business to do the same. Among the other industry figures who gae in April are Michael Barrie, a writer for "Late Show with David Letterman," who contributed $1,000.

The largest contribution to Priorities in April came from the National Air Traffic Controllers Assn., which contributed $1 million.

Priorities had $4.7 million cash on hand at the end of April, but most was spent on a commercial buy earlier this month. GOP SuperPACs are expected to greatly outraise those on the Democratic side, a point that the Obama campaign has often mentioned in fundraising pleas to smaller dollar donors.

Fresh off the $15 million haul from last week's fundraiser at the home of George Clooney, much of it from an online contest to win tickets to the event, President Obama's reelection campaign is doing it again.

The event this time is a contest to win tickets to a June 14 fundraiser at the New York home of Sarah Jessica Parker, a longtime Obama donor who also sites on the President's Committee for the Arts and Humanities. One supporter and their guest can win.

Parker wrote to the campaign's huge email list, "I'm honored to be hosting the President and the First Lady at my home for an evening next month.

"I feel like it's the least I can do for someone who has inspired me -- and so many other Americans -- since he announced his candidacy. I'm proud to say I'm a supporter.

"I have a feeling you know what I mean -- and that's why you're invited, too, along with a guest of your choice."

She adds, "By pitching in $10 or whatever you're able to help re-elect President Obama, you'll be automatically entered for the chance to join us (airfare covered)."

The campaign is billing the eent as "A New York Night with the President, First Lady and Sarah Jessica Parker."

The Clooney event raised about $6 million from high-dollar donors attending the dinner, and the remainder from the online contest. A New Jersey school teacher and a Florida woman were selected to attend the event, along with their husbands.

Americans Elect, the ambitious effort to put forth a centrist presidential ticket, which drew support from such show biz figures as Michael Eisner and George Nolfi, officially called it quits today, and there are all sorts of post-mortems on why the effort didn't work.

It faced criticism over its sources of seed money, the lack of any issue-based platform, and even the need for a centrist candidate after Mitt Romney beat the more extreme candidates for the GOP nomination. But the lack of a viable candidate --- none reached the threshold to qualify for the nominating convention --- is what forced the org to decide whether to change its own rules midstream or call it a day. The candidates who would have sparked interest, like Hillary Clinton and Michael Bloomberg, certainly didn't want to run, while the one who definitely sought support, Buddy Roemer, wasn't exactly the kind of contender that they were looking for when organizers hatched the lofty plan.

Its system of an online "primary" --- open to all, drawing on the best social media tools of today --- was not as simple as voting for "American Idol," even if the way that the nominating process was set up to pare down the pool of nominees over a period of weeks. You still have to be a verified registered voter to participate in the selection process, far easier than going to the polls but certainly not hassle free, as any group staging get out the vote efforts this year will tell you. The idea was that the Internet's democratic impulses could easily be channeled to the process of selecting candidates. As promising as it is to apply the election process to the digital age, Americans Elect ran up against the reality of making sure that this was a legitimate contest and not an unscientific popularity poll.

The White House paid tribute to 70s disco icon Donna Summer, issuing a statement from President Obama.

"Michelle and I were saddened to hear about the passing of Donna Summer.  A five-time Grammy Award winner, Donna truly was the 'Queen of Disco.'  Her voice was unforgettable, and the music industry has lost a legend far too soon.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to Donna's family and her dedicated fans."

Jay-Z declared his support for same-sex marriage earlier this week, and unlike many celebrity endorsements, Mychal Denzel Smith thinks it will resonate among young voters and African Americans.

He writes at The Grio, "As for Jay-Z, he has long represented the sort of hyper-masculine idea of black manhood that lends itself toward homophobia, even if only casually. He comes from a world that has been openly hostile toward homosexuality. He has embodied some of the most perilous virtues of what it means to be a man. From the pimp to the gangster, Jay-Z has mastered each hat, and as such, positioned himself as the a macho hero. Now, that persona also includes being for basic equality along the lines of sexual orientation. That's nothing to sneeze at."

On Monday, Jay-Z told CNN, "I've always thought it as something that was still, um, holding the country back. What people do in their own homes is their business and you can choose to love whoever you love. That's their business. It's no different than discriminating against blacks. It's discrimination plain and simple."

Alan and Cindy Horn are hosting what's called the "Ultimate Women's Power Luncheon" on May 22 to raise money for Democratic women congressional candidates.

The event, with tickets starting at $500 per person, will be headlined by Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona) and her husband, Mark Kelly.

Money will go to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which hopes to win back the House in November, although it looks like a long shot at this point.

Also on the bill are Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.).

In his appearance on "The View" today, President Obama said that he had considered announcing his support of same-sex marriage on the ABC show, underscoring the importance the White House places on reaching audiences may not be attuned to politics.

No other president has been as aggressive in the strategy, as this was Obama's second appearance on the show since taking office, a daytime drop by that would have been unthinkable in another era, as curious as it would have been if Nixon had done a guest spot on something like "Dinah!"

What was also interesting about Obama's latest appearance was that, as much as the White House has used daytime chat and late-night talk to advance their message in a friendly environment, they also appear unfazed by Republican attacks. Days after Obama "slow-jammed" the news on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," the GOP SuperPAC American Crossroads released an ad spot slamming the "celebrity President" for engaging in frivolity at a time when the country was in economic dole drums. They included shots of Obama talking about the "jackass" Kanye West, the President dancing with Ellen and his Fallon gig, among other things.The idea was to make the Commander-in-Chief's "cool" and election year liability.

On "The View," Obama answered a pop culture quiz, where he revealed that he knew about Kim Kardashian's ill-fated marriage, that Sherri Shepherd was on "Dancing with the Stars" and that he has already seen "The Avengers." He knew about "Modern Family," and noted how the stars of the show met his daughters on weekend of the White House Correspondents Assn. dinner. Two of his favorite shows are "Mad Men" and "Homeland," and he admitted that he catches up on his DVR recordings of them on long flights, after he's gone through all of the policy briefings.

Mitt Romney has appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Show with David Letterman," and if recent cycles are any guide, as the GOP standard bearer he won't pass up a chance to do a "Saturday Night Live" cameo and a profile in People. But he has a long way to go before he uses pop culture to loosen up his image, if that would even be advisable at all.

Update: John Paul Rollert writes in the Washington Post that Obama's celebrity and "cool" aren't the same liabilities that they were in 2008.

By Paul Harris in Washington

Few D.C. figures are as agile in navigating the worlds of show biz and politics as George Stevens Jr., evident on Monday as the MPAA hosted a book party at its Eye Street headquarters for his latest "Great Moviemakers" tome.

"Your friends who come to book parties are your really good friends," Stevens said, to a crowd that included MPAA chairman Chris Dodd, former Secretary of Defense William Cohen and Frank Mankiewicz, who was press secretary for Robert Kennedy and is the son of screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz and Sara Aaronson Mankiewicz.

Called "Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers: The Next Generation" (Alfred A. Knopf), it distills conversations with 32 members of showbiz's creative class, gathered from an American Film Institute seminar series. It’s a broader collection than the first, released in 2006, and combines perspectives of leading actors, cameramen, composers and editors with the era’s top directors, producers and writers.

Stevens, a writer, director and producer, established AFI’s Center for Advanced Film Studies to bridge the study of film with the filmmaking profession.

It also was Stevens who conjured up the idea of the Kennedy Center Honors following a successful AFI fundraiser there. He has produced the event ever since. His ability to coax reluctant stars to accept the honor, such as Katherine Hepburn, are well known, and the December event is a regular part of the President's schedule.

"The Stevens family has been involved in the film industry during almost its entire history," said Dodd in his introduction amid posters of "Shane," "Giant" and other vintage George Stevens Sr. pics. His mother was a Mack Sennett player, Dodd noted.

Among those also present were Catherine Wyler, daughter of director William Wyler, as well as Bob Schieffer, Wolf Blitzer, Chris Matthews and John Cochran; Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki; and attorney Bob Barnett.

Stevens noted that it’s been 41 years since AFI debuted its seminar series with Harold Lloyd and King Vidor. "Before then, there was no training of any consequence for filmmakers," Stevens said. "It all happened by chance, unless you were Cathy Wyler or me who could work alongside your father."

Photo of Stevens and William Cohen by Ralph Alswang

I wrote about the Americans Elect effort several weeks ago. The org was set up to democratize the process of picking a viable candidate to be placed on the ballot in all 50 states. The latter was the main draw, as securing ballot access is one of the biggest challenges to contenders trying to break the two-party hold on the electoral process.

While Americans Elect has made progress in ballot access, it hasn't had much luck in finding a viable candidate. It announced today that no candidate has reached the support threshold to make it to the online convention planned for next month. It's now going back to the drawing board to figure out what to do next.

Paul Krugman is scathing. "What went wrong? Well, there actually is a large constituency in America for a political leader who is willing to take responsible positions — to call for more investment in the nation’s education and infrastructure, to propose bringing down the long-run deficit through a combination of spending cuts and tax increases. And there is in fact a political leader ready and willing (maybe too willing) to play that role; his name is Barack Obama."

President Obama, on a swing through Manhattan today, appeared at a fundraiser at the Rubin Museum of Art where he elaborated on his decision last week to support same-sex marriage.

"I want everyone treated fairly in this country," he said. "We have never gone wrong when we've extended rights and responsibilities to everybody. That doesn't weaken families, that strengthens families."

"It's been said this election is going to be about values. I absolutely agree, It's about the economic values we have, about the values I believe will make America so special. Everybody gets a fair shot. Everybody gets a fair share. Everybody plays by the same set of rules."

Ricky Martin, among the cohosts of the event, introduced him to the crowd.

"We admire his courage, like the courage he showed last week in affirming his belief in marriage equality," Martin said. "That is the kind of courage we expect from our president and that is why we support him."

Hollywood played a significant role in pressing President Obama to come out with his statement last week in support of same-sex marriage. Coming off his record $15 million fundraiser last week, Obama is set to enjoy a big uptick for another visit on June 6, one that will unite two important bases of support: Los Angeles' gay and lesbian community and show biz. That's my latest column in the print version of Variety, which you can read below.

President Obama's embrace of same-sex marriage may go a long way toward giving his campaign something it's been missing from Hollywood this time around: genuine enthusiasm.

Along with the advocates, bundlers and donors who have been pressuring him on the issue, there has been a significant influence from showbiz -- not just via the cultural impact of shows like "Will & Grace" and "Modern Family," but a push from the industry's own activists, who have taken a much more visible and strident role in clamoring for equality.

Three years ago this month, producer Bruce Cohen and political consultant Chad Griffin got some face time with the President at his first Hollywood fundraiser since taking office, this one at the Beverly Hilton.

They used the opportunity to press Obama on same-sex marriage, knowing that while he didn't embrace gay nuptials, he was opposed to California's Proposition 8. Griffin and Cohen, along with other Hollywood activists and donors, had just filed a federal suit challenging the state's same-sex marriage ban. They asked the President if he knew about the suit, and a bit surprisingly, Cohen recalls, Obama told them that he knew all about the case. "He said, 'You have two great people,'?" referring to the legal team they assembled, Ted Olson and David Boies. Obama supported the idea that Prop. 8 was unconstitutional, Cohen says.

As their org, the American Foundation for Equal Rights, won victories in federal district court and in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the legal rationale behind the case, as well as a skilled publicity strategy, undoubtedly helped make opponents' positions that once sounded nuanced instead appear just plain contradictory and illogical. Where once Obama and other politicians expressed dismay about Proposition 8 yet were still dragging their feet on support of same-sex marriage, the argument presented by Olsen and Boies helped clarify the issue. "We feel our case is one element that closed that gap," Cohen says.

After attending President Obama's fundraiser on Thursday, Rob Reiner appeared on "Hardball" and told MSNBC's Chris Matthews that he expects that donors will step up to the plate.

"I don’t think Obama came out in favor of same sex-marriage to build his donor base, but I think that the end result is that it will," he said.

Earlier in the day, Chad Griffin, Reiner's political adviser who is incoming president of the Human Rights Campaign, told Andrea Mitchell that he thinks there will never be another president who does not support marriage equality.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This morning President Obama woke early to trek (before 7 a.m.) from the Beverly Hilton to Cheviot Hills Recreation Center at Rancho Park to play basketball with a group that included White House staffers and George Clooney and Tobey Maguire.

Obama had joked about Clooney at the event as his home on Thursday night, thanking him for "letting us use his basketball court." The event was held in a tent erected on the court.

"This guy has been talking smack about his basketball game ever since I've known him," Obama said to laughter from the crowd.

Also at the game, according to Jacob Soboroff, was Don Cheadle.

Obama later told CBS News' Mark Knoller who won: "Of course George and I won but we're all winners because nobody got hurt."

President Obama left George Clooney's home just before 11 p.m., staying far longer than he typically does at fundraising events as he went from table to table (14 in all) to have face time with individual donors.

But donors who were there said that, while they do not believe the President's decision to come out in favor of same-sex marriage was politically motivated, it will prove beneficial to the campaign in rallying his base, as well as younger voters. The issue was top on the minds of many of the guests who were there.

Skip Paul, senior adviser for Centerview Partners, called it a "defining point in his campaign."

"Everybody we talked to made the point that this was a personal statement of the President's, that this is who this man is, that this is what he believes," he said. He added, "I will be a lot more active. But more importantly, ten million more people will be active. It will energize a lot of young people."

Paul was there with his husband, Van Fletcher, and they thanked Obama.

The President credited Jeffrey Katzenberg, president of DreamWorks Animation, for organizing the event, a record setter for an evening of presidential fundraising. The mogul and his political adviser, Andy Spahn, had spent months preparing for the evening, designed to rally the industry around the campaign just as the Republicans coalese around Mitt Romney.

Organizers say there has been a spike in donations to Obama's next Los Angeles event on June 6. Plans now include not just a concert aimed at the gay and lesbian community, but a $40,000-per-person dinner at the home of "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy.

"It really has woken people up, both to the specific issue and in a lot of ways to the campaign," said Ken Solomon, the CEO of the Tennis Channel, while adding that the political "optics" of the President's decision "are so not a part of his thinking."

Among those also present at the Clooney event were Barry Meyer, Bryan Lourd, Marta Kauffman, Byron Allen, Lynda Resnick, Michael Govan, Rob Reiner, Yarl Moan, Robert Downey Jr., Herb Alpert, Chris Silbermann, Colleen Bell, Blake Byrne and the campaign's two Southern California finance co-chairs, John Emerson and Solomon. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was also there, and from the White House and campaign were David Plouffe, Julianna Smoot, Jon Favreau, Valerie Jarrett, Jay Carney, Patrick Gaspard and Rufus Gifford.

For the record, the entree for the evening was lamb and beef, with smoked potatoes, and bacon and figs. Dessserts were do-it-yourself ice cream sundaes.

President Obama drew big applause when he told the stars and other Hollywood figures gathered at George Clooney's home, "Yesterday we made some news."

"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."

Clooney briefly addressed the crowd --- which included Barbra Streisand, James Brolin, Tobey Maguire, Barry Diller, Diane Von Furstenberg, Robert Downey Jr., Salma Hayek, Billy Crystal and Trina Turk --- before turning over the introduction to Jeffrey Katzenberg. The DreamWorks Animation chief said that the eent raised just shy of $15 million.

"Yesterday, he did the right thing yet again," Katzenberg said, adding that with the huge haul from the event "once again the entertainment industry has stepped forward in a big way."

Obama said that walking through Clooney's house, he spotted Shepard Fairey's iconic "HOPE" poster. "People don't realize that the photograph of me is actually me sitting next to George," at an event when Clooney was advocating for Darfur.

"We struck up a friendship," Obama said, then adding, "This is the first time that George Clooney has ever been photoshopped out of a picture. Never happened before. Will never happen again."

He then went on, "But the wonderful thing is the artist actually sent George  -- some of you have seen this -- a print with my picture and his picture right next to each other with the same -- in the same format.  Why he said at the bottom, "Dope and Hope" I don't know."

He added, "We raised a lot of money because everybody loves George. They like me, they loe 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 state of grace, and uses his extraordinary talents on behalf of something truly important."

The pool reporter for the event wasn't overly impressed by Clooney's digs, held in his Tudor style home, or the dinner locale, in a tent on his basketball court. But the reporter did spot a sign on a tree in the winding driveway: "pot-bellied pig crossing," for his late pet Max.

Obama's complete remarks are below:

Tonight on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," correspondent Jason Jones reports from the Clooney fundraiser --- an event that plays into every Hollywood stereotype. (Think Sean Penn doing a headstand next to Fidel Castro.) Jones talks of the fortuitous timing of Obama's visit, the day after coming out in support of same-sex marriage. "This is like going to Israel after you kill Hitler. This is like going to Burning Man after legalizing pot," he tells Stewart.

The full video --- via Mediaite --- is here.

To those watching Rep. Howard Berman's race against fellow San Fernando Valley Democrat Brad Sherman, President Obama's visit has significance. Berman rode with Obama to the fundraising at George Clooney's home, per the pool report. Berman represents Clooney's district, and hopes to continue representing the area as he faces a tough primary battle against Sherman, as redrawn maps have them facing off for the turf.

The event --- which could raise upwards of $15 million --- has started. Obama landed at LAX, then flew by Marine One to Burbank Airport, where he trekked down Sherman Way, to the 170 and then to Laurel Canyon Boulevard. It was there that the motorcade encountered "throngs of gawkers" holding signs including "Obama 2012," "Welcome to Studio City," and "Our Gay Family Says Thanks Mr. President."

The winners of the "Obama, Clooney & You" contest --- which helped the campaign raise millions online --- are Beth Topinka, a science teacher from Manalapan, N.J., and Karen Blutcher, a communications coordinator for a local utility company from St. Augustine, Fla. Both will be there with their husbands.

Per the pool report, here's the background on the winners:

The songwriters were honored as part of the latest "In Performance at the White House," the PBS concert series from the East Room. Bacharach and David received the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize, with Lyle Lovett, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder and Arturo Sandoval among those performing.

President Obama's remarks are below:

After President Obama's announcement that he supports same-sex marriage, Norman Lear and his wife Lyn sent a check to his reelection, reversing an earlier decision the sit out fundraising and instead devote their resources elsewhere.

A spokeswoman for Lear said that they made the contribution "because of the President's leadership on this issue."

The New York Times first reported on the donation, and he told the paper, “This is the kind of leadership we support, and we are happy to max out today to his re-election campaign.”

Lear's support could be a signal that the issue will ignite more enthusiasm among progressive donors who have expressed disappointment in the administration, including Obama's attempts to compromise with Republicans.

The Lears will not be attending the dinner at George Clooney's home on Thursday night.

Here's a list of talking points the White House sent out today on the President's decision to support same-sex marriage, or what you can expect to hear as campaign surrogates take to the airwaves.

The President’s personal view is that it’s wrong to prevent couples who are in loving, committed relationships, and want to marry, from doing so.

White House photo of Obama with Robin Roberts by Pete Souza.

Chad Griffin, incoming president of the Human Rights Campaign, said of President Obama's announcement, “Excitement, enthusiasm, I think, is an understatement.”

“What he said today changed lives,” Griffin told Variety. “The fact that he spoke in such personal human terms sends a tremendous message to LGBT people across the country.” He added, “For LGBT people who have never heard a president of the United States talk about his support for gay marriage, that is historic and important and has advanced the lives of Americans in a major way.”

Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black had, as recently as two weeks ago, questioned why gay activists and donors supported candidates who did not embrace same-sex marriage rights. Today, Black said, "I am incredibly moved by the President taking such a strong position at this point in his presidency.

"In my heart, I felt this president does support us, that he does support full equality, but that he had to say it."

Following the stinging defeat in North Carolina on Tuesday, where voters soundly passed a ban on same sex marriage, as well as civil unions and domestic partnerships, Black said that "there were a lot of young people feeling less than equal, less than valued, by what they saw on the news last night." The President, he said, sent the message "that you are loved and you are valued.

He even quoted Harvey Milk, who called on the gay community to stop being "satisfied with the crumbs" and that "if they demand everything, they may be surprised if they get it."

"This is day that gay and lesbian people will look back on forever as perhaps one of the greatest moments in our movement," Black said.

"This is one of those days when we as a community are very vocal that we are not going to take anything less than full equality."

Obama's announcement also changed Black's thinking toward his reelection campaign. "As unenthusiastic as I was two weeks ago, I am equally if not more enthusiastic today."

Other reactions:

Ellen DeGeneres: "Thank you President @BarackObama for your beautiful and brave words. I'm overwhelmed."

Ricky Martin: "I applaud President @barackobama for affirming that ALL Americans should enjoy equal rights. Historic! I will be a very proud host on Monday." (Martin is a host of an Obama event in New York.)

Ellen's video from her show below:

Updated

President Obama's fundraiser at the home of George Clooney is expected to raise just shy of $15 million, according to sources.

That would shatter records of previous fundraisers, although figures include $6 million raised for the event itself and the remainder from an online contest in which supporters could enter a drawing to attend the dinner.

Obama's previous record-setting evening was in fall, 2008, when he raised $10 million at a pair of events in Los Angeles, including one in which Barbra Streisand performed.

Update: The campaign has not officially announced how much it raised off the online contest, so there is some question as to whether the $9 million figure is too high. Jeffrey Katzenberg told the New York Times that the figure was $15 million, but that was disputed by an unnamed campaign official. Even if it falls short of that, it is still expected to set a record.

Politico reports that Vice President Joseph Biden will deliver one of the categories on Wednesday night.

In an interview with ABC News, President Obama endorsed same-sex marriage, after substantial pressure from advocates and after earlier characterizing his position as "evolving."

"I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama said.

“It’s interesting, some of this is also generational,” the president continued. “You know when I go to college campuses, sometimes I talk to college Republicans who think that I have terrible policies on the economy, on foreign policy, but are very clear that when it comes to same sex equality or, you know, sexual orientation that they believe in equality. They are much more comfortable with it. You know, Malia and Sasha, they have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. There have been times where Michelle and I have been sitting around the dinner table and we’re talking about their friends and their parents and Malia and Sasha, it wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently. It doesn’t make sense to them and frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.”

ABC News broke into regular programming at noon to announce the news.

Reaction: Rufus Gifford, finance director for Obama's reelection campaign, via Twitter: "Sitting in ohare. Heading to LA. Tears in my eyes. Thank you president Obama. Never been more proud."

Gavin Newsom: "Historic moment. So proud to see our President come out in support of marriage equality and full equal rights for ALL Americans."

Michael Bloomberg: “This is a major turning point in the history of American civil rights."

Chad Griffin, incoming president of Human Rights Campaign: "President Obama's words today will be celebrated by generations to come. For the millions of young gay and lesbian Americans across this nation, President Obama's words provide genuine hope that they will be the first generation to grow up with the freedom to fully pursue the American dream. Marriage-the promise of love, companionship, and family-is basic to the pursuit of that dream. Our Constitution's promise, the promise of liberty, is one that every generation must realize. As President Obama recognized today, the fight to secure marriage equality is the defining element of our generation's search for greater freedom."

Ted Olson: "Today is a proud day for all Americans. The bedrock American principles of freedom and human dignity are central to the political and legal convictions of Republicans, Democrats, liberals, and conservatives alike.  President Obama’s words remind us that marriage and equality are universal values that unite us all.  They remind us that we are all—as a People and a Nation—striving to form a more perfect Union.”

Log Cabin Republicans: “That the president has chosen today, when LGBT Americans are mourning the passage of Amendment One, to finally speak up for marriage equality is offensive and callous.”

Shepard Smith, Fox News: "The president of the United States, now in the 21st century."

Neil Patrick Harris: “@BarackObama: President Obama announces his support for same-sex marriage:  Bravo, Mr. President, and thank you."

Michael Keegan, president of People for the American Way: "Today the president did the right thing. For thousands of supporters who donated, canvassed and phone-banked to help elect Barack Obama in 2008, this is a powerful reminder of why we felt so passionately about this president in the first place."

The White House has scheduled an interview with ABC News' Robin Roberts this afternoon, where President Obama is expected to be asked to clarify his position on same-sex marriage, as the issue made it to the forefront of the campaign.

ABC News is expected to release details of the interview this evening.

A number of gay rights advocates are hopeful that Obama expresses support for gay nuptials, especially in the wake of stinging defeat in North Carolina and a civil unions bill that stalled in Colorado.

President Obama's fundraiser at George Clooney's Studio City home could very well snarl rush hour traffic on Thursday --- but hasn't L.A. gotten used to this?

The event, expected to draw about 150 donors, at a ticket price of $40,000, is expected to shatter fundraising records if included are the returns from an online contest to win tickets to the dinner. Sources say that the dinner is expected to raise about $6 million, and the contest could raise that same amount.

Via LAObserved is this CBS News video of Clooney touring his home in Fryman Canyon, part of an interview he gave earlier this year for a revival of "Person to Person."

One other thing: This will be Obama's first fundraiser in the San Fernando Valley this cycle, but Mitt Romney actually beat him to the region when it comes to holding a campaign event. Last summer, Romney had a press conference at a decaying Valley Plaza strip center to make the point that the economy had failed to revive once vibrant areas.

Former presidential candidate Rick Santorum was a guest on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" this evening, and he used the occasion to clarify his stance on contraception, a controversy that overshadowed him throughout his campaign.

"These are my religious beliefs...but I would never impose that on anybody else. I have never voted to stop contraception."

He went on to compare it to cigarettes. "I don't believe in smoking, but I wouldn't vote for any ban on smoking."

Leno then needled him. "So a gay couple smoking, and with contraception, would be the worst thing."

Santorum put his hands up in the air and said, in mock anger, "Oh my God! The worst thing."

Video below.

North Carolina's Amendment One, which bans same-sex marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships, has passed handily, a sober wake-up call to advocates bolstered by nationwide shifts in public opinion toward favoring gay nuptials.

And in a week where renewed pressure has been placed on President Obama --- in the media, from donors and from show biz figures --- to come out in favor to same-sex marriage, it is also somewhat of a reality check of the risks that he faces in doing so in a state his campaign is spending heavily to win.

Gay rights leaders had expected a loss, and were setting their sights on battles later this year in Maine and Minnesota. The Democratic National Convention will take place in Charlotte, and there could be a contentious intra-party dispute over whether to include support of same-sex marriage in the party platform.

Although North Carolina joins many other states in passing such constitutional bans, its amendment goes farther than California's Proposition 8 in that it restricts any legal recognition of same-sex relationships.

The American Foundation for Equal Rights released this statement from executive director Adam Umhoefer following the vote: “The passage of Amendment One is a profound injustice.  Singling out a class of citizens for discriminatory treatment is unfair, unlawful and violates basic American values. Gay and lesbian Americans, like their fellow citizens, want nothing more than to marry the person they love.  Committed, loving couples and their families should not be denied this most fundamental freedom.”

Other reactions:

"Hollywood, withdraw your productions from NC!" tweeted Roseanne Barr, who is running for the Green party presidential nomination.

Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of GOP Proud, a conservative gay rights org, tweeted, "Wow. The last week has been pretty rough.....it feels like I've been in a time warp back to 2004."

Jesse Tyler Ferguson: "This is an interesing fact I just learned: First cousins can marry in North Carolina. (Unless they are of the same sex, I assume)."

Damon Lindelof: "If Travolta goes on a despondent masseur handjob rampage tonight, it"s YOUR FAULT, NORTH CAROLINA!"

President Obama is trekking to Los Angeles on Thursday for a star-studded fundraiser at the home of George Clooney, but he'll be back to the California ATM less than a month later.

Obama's reelection campaign has scheduled a breakfast fundraiser at the View Park home of developer Charles Quarles and his wife JoAnn. Co-chairs of the event include Clarance Avant and Nicole Avant, as well as Shelly and Ronald Gillyard, Jerry and Angela Johnson, Kerman Maddox, Candace and Steve McKeever, Danielle Smith and Yolanda Parker. Tickets start at $2,500 per person, and go up to $40,000 per couple. The latter also includes a "greet," photo reception and, of course, breakfast.

The night before, on June 6, Obama will be at the SLS Hotel for a fundraiser aimed at L.A.'s LGBT community, with tickets starting at $1,250 per person. Pink is scheduled to perform.

In perhaps the most biting election year video yet, Funny or Die gathered Kate Beckinsdale, Judy Greer and Andrea Savage for the spot, "Republicans, Get in My Vagina!," spoofing GOP efforts to restrict access to abortions. The spot was shown on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" on Friday.

The creators of “Will & Grace” said they were thrilled when Vice President Joseph Biden credited their series with swaying public attitudes about gays and lesbians, but like leaders in the effort to win same-sex marriage rights, they are still critical of President Obama’s hesitancy to embrace gay nuptials.

On “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Biden said he was “absolutely comfortable” with same-sex marriage, which many activists and journalists took to mean an endorsement even as he made clear that the President “sets the policy.” Obama has stopped short of supporting same-sex marriage but has said that his views are “evolving.”

In the interview with David Gregory, Biden also gave a shout out to “Will & Grace,” saying that “when things really begin to change is when the social culture changes. I think ‘Will & Grace’ probably did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody’s ever done so far.”

Series co-creator David Kohan called the reference “thrilling and surprising and humbling.”

Co-creator Max Mutchnick said they were “absolutely thrilled when he referenced the show,” while making clear they they “never made the show to have a political and social impact,” but to entertain. The series, which ran from 1998 to 2006, was a key feature of NBC’s Thursday night lineup, and has been a success in syndication. Biden’s comment “was the dot on the exclamation point,” Mutchnick said.

Although they will be among the event chairs at an LGBT fundraiser for Obama in Los Angeles on June 6 --- Mutchnick sent a check on Monday --- he said that the President “needs to catch up with his vice president in terms of his views.”

“I have always thought that his language, where he has stated that his views are ‘evolving,’ I personally find that wholly offensive,” Mutchnick said. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to say that about other minorities in the United States. I couldn’t speak that way about other people.”

While the White House on Monday defended Obama’s progress on LGBT issues, like the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and downplayed Biden’s comments, Mutchnick said he considered Biden’s seeming embrace of same-sex marriage as akin to “testing material out of town.” Kohan called it a “tip of the hat to the people who need to hear it.”

“The reason I feel most offended by this is because I don’t believe the President believes this,” Mutchnick said. “I don’t believe he is evolving. I believe he is a man seeking reelection, and he all but breaks it down into Morse code.” He was referring to the nuance of the President's position, as he tries to woo LGBT support yet does not embrace same-sex marriage for fear of jeopardizing votes in key swing states.

He added, “The President should take a page from his friend Oprah Winfrey who takes a page from her friend Maya Angelou. ‘We do better when we know better.’ I believe the President knows better.”

Mutchnick said the check he wrote for the campaign “was written for Joe Biden.” They also sent the Vice President a complete series homevideo set of the show.

Mutchnick was among the 40 or so prominent gay donors and activists present on April 19 when Biden was in Los Angeles for a roundtable at the home of HBO’s Michael Lombardo and architect Sonny Ward.

At that event, Biden made a similar reference to “Will & Grace,” but on “Meet the Press” he also made reference to a question he was asked by Chad Griffin, incoming president of the Human Rights Campaign, during a Q&A session.

Biden recalled a question as, “How do you feel about us?” “And I had just walked into the back door of this gay couple and they’re with their two adopted children,” Biden told Gregory, referring to Lombardo and Ward. “And I turned to the man who owned the house. I said, ‘What did I do when I walked in?’ He said, ‘You walked right to my children. They were seven and five, giving you flowers.’ And I said. ‘I wish every American could see the look of love those kids had in their eyes for you guys. And they wouldn’t have any doubt what this is about.'”

Tickets for the June 6 Obama event at the SLS Hotel start at $1,250 per person, with event chairs paying $25,000 per couple. Pink is scheduled to perform.

Update: Biden's comments made for a contentious White House press briefing today, as spokesman Jay Carney defended the administration's progress on LGBT rights but reporters repeatedly queried him on whether Obama would change his position once the election is over. The complete briefing is here.

"And by the way, my measure, David, and I take a look at when things really begin to change, is when the social culture changes. I think Will and Grace probably did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody's ever done so far." Vice President Joseph Biden, to NBC News' David Gregory on "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

What Biden didn't say is that, given "Modern Family" and many other primetime portrayals of same-sex relationships, "Will & Grace" now seems like a distant memory.

George Clooney rather famously promised Barack Obama, some five years ago: "I'll give you whatever support you need -- including staying completely away from you."

Clooney's reticence has to do with the Republican habit of turning the Democrats' embrace of Hollywood against them (despite Republicans' own success with candidates like Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger), and while there is every sign the GOP will use that anti-Hollywood brush again as Clooney hosts a fundraiser for the president on May 10, Obama's reelection team is doing the opposite of keeping Clooney away from the candidate; instead, they're in full hyperlink.

With roughly 125 people paying about $40,000 per person, the evening at Clooney's Los Angeles residence is expected to raise $5 million-$6 million, sources say, and another $4 million-$5 million from an online contest in which supporters who made a small donation were invited to enter a drawing for two to attend the fundraiser. The president's reelection team has played up the contest to the hilt, marketing it as "Obama, Clooney and You," and sending almost daily reminders to supporters as a way to boost low-dollar donations.

"This is going to be a record-breaking evening here in Los Angeles, with tremendous support at every level in the entertainment community," says Andy Spahn, a political consultant for Jeffrey Katzenberg. Both are Obama bundlers, and are organizers and among the co-hosts of the event, which was to be held at Katzenberg's new Trousdale Estates home, but according to sources was not yet ready for a presidential visit.

Instead, Clooney agreed to host, having already attended presidential fundraisers for Obama, and having been one of his most prominent and loyal Hollywood supporters.

Still, Clooney has made it clear he doesn't plan to go out on the campaign trail, wary of hurting Obama as much as helping him. Yet there is a difference between raising money for a candidate and hitting the stump as a campaign surrogate, with fundraising targeted more to supporters, while going on the campaign trail can draw mixed crowds. Obama has been drawing heavily on Southern California, where his fundraising team is co-chaired by Capital Group's John Emerson and Tennis Channel CEO Ken Solomon, as this will be the president's fifth visit since announcing his bid for reelection. Another presidential fundraiser aimed at the LGBT community is scheduled for June 6.

The Obama campaign is embracing Clooney as a draw to boost excitement not just in the entertainment community, where it has been more difficult to match the fervor of four years ago and some top level contributors complain of donor fatigue, but among the base of small-dollar donors that may be the lifeline of a campaign sure to face an avalanche of SuperPAC money from the right. Obama senior strategist David Axelrod told Politico last week: "I saw, the other day, that (American) Crossroads, Karl Rove's organization, got a $10 million anonymous donation. It takes 181,000 of our average donations to make up for that, so George is pitching in here and lending his name to this event and himself to this event. It's really helpful to us."