Actor and activist George Clooney told Meet the Press host Chuck Todd that protesters at his recent fundraiser for Hillary Clinton were absolutely right to be upset about the "obscene" amount of money in politics. It seems Clooney isn't any happier about the need to raise the money if Democrats are going to have any hope of retaining the Senate than the people lining the streets outside of his event were for him having it.
CHUCK TODD: Let me start with dinner you co-hosted on Friday night. A big fundraiser, I know that you have planned for later tonight. Do you look at how much is being raised and I think the co-host of the Friday night dinner -- $353,000 a couple to be a co-chair, do you look at it yourself and think, "That's an obscene amount of money?"
GEORGE CLOONEY: Yes. I think it's an obscene amount of money. I think that, you know, we had some protesters last night when we pulled up in San Francisco and they're right to protest. They're absolutely right. It is an obscene amount of money. The Sanders campaign when they talk about it is absolutely right. It's ridiculous that we should have this kind of money in politics. I agree completely.
CHUCK TODD: You know, it was interesting. We caught, our camera caught you having a conversation with the protesters last night. What did you say to them?
GEORGE CLOONEY: Well, it was a funny thing. I went over to try to talk to them and you said I was some corporate chill which, you know, me that's one of the funnier things you could say about me. And their t-shirts said, you know, "You sucked as Batman." And I was like, "Well, you kind of got me on that one."
And then I walked away and that was basically it. But, you know, I think what's important and what I think the Clinton campaign has not been very good at explaining is this and this is the truth: the overwhelming amount of money that we're raising (and it is a lot but the overwhelming amount of the money that we're raising) is not going to Hillary to run for President, it's going to the (UNINTEL) ticket.
It's going to the congressmen and senators to try to take back Congress. And the reason that's important and the reason it's important to me is because we need (I'm a Democrat so if you're a Republican, you're going to disagree but we need) to take the senate back.
Because we need to confirm the Supreme Court justice because that fifth vote on the Supreme Court can overturn Citizens United and get this obscene, ridiculous amount of money out so I never have to do a fundraiser again. And that's why I'm doing it.
CHUCK TODD: So you don't enjoy doing these fundraisers?
GEORGE CLOONEY: No, I don't think anybody does. I don't even think politicians do. You know, I'm sure you've covered them before. It's not the most fun thing to do. You know, I spend probably a quarter of my time now raising millions and millions of dollars to fund my foundation which is basically chasing and looking for money that these corrupt politicians all around the world are hiding.
The Panama papers have been actually incredibly helpful. We have forensic accountants so this is all a very big part of things that are important to me. I really want Citizens United. I think it's the worst, one of the worst laws passed, since I've been around.
