Obama Campaign’s Clooney Contest Twist: Pick-Your-Own Celebrity

After a record breaking $15 million event at the home of George Clooney, the re-election campaign of President Barack Obama has come up with a new variation to the fundraising lottery that awarded the winners a dinner with the Oscar-winning actor.

For a suggested donation of $3 (or more), donors can win the opportunity to choose the next celebrity to be featured at a future meal with Obama. The winners and their guests will then be able to dine with the president and the chosen star.

Deputy Obama campaign manager Julianna Smoot explained the new campaign finance sweepstakes in an email to supporters.

“You not only have the chance to sit down for a meal with the President and a guest of your choice. You also get to help pick the President’s guest,” she wrote.

“He’s had some pretty amazing dinner guests lately: George Clooney, Sarah Jessica Parker, and of course, President Bill Clinton. So tell us, who’s next?”

Obama’s pattern of campaigning with the stars has left him open to criticisms from conservatives including Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus referring to the president as the “Celebrity-in-Chief,” and talk show host Rush Limbaugh labeling him as “Barack Hussein Kardashian.”