Celebs, lobbyists among White House guests

Celebrities Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney and Denzel Washington and heavyweights from the financial services and high-tech industries were among those landing visits with President Barack Obama or others at the White House during Obama's first months in office.

The White House late Friday afternoon released a partial list of people who have visited since Obama took office in January. It released roughly 480 records in response to questions about whether specific people visited. The White House plans to start disclosing comprehensive visitor lists in coming months.

The visits included in the records released Friday include roughly six-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. The subject isn't identified. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gives about $200 million a year in elementary and secondary education grants and is pressing for some of the same changes that Obama wants, such as paying teachers based on student test scores.

_ Labor leader and Obama supporter Andrew Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union. Twenty-two Stern visits to the White House are reflected in the records, including at least seven with Obama. Most of the visits to Obama were for group events; the subjects of most of his visits to other people weren't disclosed.

_ Ed Yingling, the chief executive of the American Bankers Association and a registered lobbyist. Yingling attended at least four meetings with Obama, including one the president held with bank CEOs and discussions on credit cards and housing.

_ Camden Fine, chief executive of the Independent Community Bankers of America and a Washington lobbyist for the group. Fine went to the White House for a March 16 announcement on a small business loan program and the May 20 meeting on housing.

_ Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic strategist, lobbyist and former House staffer. Elmendorf, whose lobbying clients include Ford Motor Co., UnitedHealth Group and Verizon, attended a June 29 Obama reception and had at least four meetings with others at the White House complex.

Visitors to Michelle Obama and others at the White House also appear in the records.

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who campaigned for Obama, interviewed first lady Michelle Obama on Feb. 17 and was on the guest list for an Inauguration Day reception Jan. 20.

Actor George Clooney met with Vice President Joe Biden on Feb. 23. Actor Denzel Washington is on the visitor list for group White House tours May 7 and 9. Tennis star Serena Williams went to the White House in July to take part in an event and take a tour.

Lobbyists and Democratic fundraisers Anthony and Heather Podesta made several visits, all with Obama aides. Anthony Podesta, whose brother, John Podesta, headed Obama's transition team, visited at least five times, while his wife Heather made at least three visits. The subjects weren't disclosed.

Democratic donor and wealthy businessman George Soros went to the White House in February and March. The records show he visited Obama aides including economic adviser Larry Summers, but do not describe the subjects of the meetings.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer visited Summers at the White House in June, toured the West Wing in April and met with Obama technology adviser John Holdren in May, the records show.

Former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle was also a repeat visitor in Obama's first months in office.

Daschle, who withdrew as Obama's nominee for Health and Human Services secretary amid tax problems, went to the White House complex at least 11 times, according to the records, including an administration luncheon on Inauguration Day and meetings with Biden, Summers and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. Daschle is a policy adviser at the law and lobbying firm Alston & Bird's Washington office specializing in issues including financial services, health care, energy, telecommunications and taxes, according to the firm's Web site.

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Associated Press writer Alan Fram in Washington contributed to this report.

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On the Net:

White House visitor records: http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/disclosures/visitor-records