Celebrities, lobbyists among the guests at the White House

WASHINGTON - Celebrities Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney and Denzel Washington, leading Democratic fundraisers and severe financial and high tech industries were among those landing visits with President Barack Obama or any other person Whitehouse in the first months in office for Obama. The White has sent home late Friday afternoon, a partial list of people who visited since Obama took office in January. She has released more than 480 files in response to questions of whether some people attended. The White House plans to begin to publish complete lists of visitors in the coming months. The records are on a good step in the direction of Obama's promise of transparency. But they also show that despite a campaign promise to reduce special interest influence in politics, are lobbying with him and his closest aides long face. The visits, which are published in documents Thursday about eight dozen with Obama. Among the guests: • Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The wealthy benefactor had a meeting on 25 March with Obama in the Oval Office. The issue is not disclosed. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awards approximately 200 million U.S. dollars annually in grants for primary and secondary education, and insists that some changes too, that Obama will, like paying teachers based on student achievement test scores. • Chairman of the Labor Party and Obama said Andrew Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union. Twenty-two visits to star in the White House, are recorded in documents, including at least seven years with Obama. Most visitors were with Obama for group events, the topics of most of his visits to other persons were not disclosed. • Ed Yingling, chief executive of the American Bankers Association and a registered lobbyist. Yingling at least four meetings with Obama. A meeting were the CEOs of banks of several issues d'autres, on the credit card and housing. • Camden Fine, executive director of the Association of Independent Community Bankers of America and Washington lobbyist for the group. Fine Obama also had at least four meetings, including those with the CEOs of banks and housing. • Clooney, Messenger of Peace by the United Nations, met with Vice President Obama and Joe Biden 23rd February to discuss the humanitarian crisis in the Sudanese region of Darfur. Clooney said that Obama has asked to appoint an ambassador to full-time regional produce directly to the White House. • Steve Elmendorf, the Democratic strategist, lobbyist and former official of the house. Elmendorf, whose lobbying clients include Ford Motor Co., UnitedHealth Group and Verizon, at the reception for Obama 29th June and had at least four meetings with others in the complex of the White House. Lobbyist and Democratic fund-raising Heather and Anthony Podesta has made several visits, all contributors to Obama. Anthony Podesta, whose brother John, in the course of the transition team of Obama, visited the complex of the White House at least five times, all on lobbying on behalf of clients. "I think they are meetings that are worth under "Anthony Podesta said in a telephone interview on Friday evening, when asked whether his relationship with Obama's fundraising and brother helped land the meetings." The few meetings I was in the White House - I'm the White House every two months in average - have focused on issues that the White House took to heart. Not because the White House cared about me. "" I understand that you could not interpret differently, "he added." I think these meetings have all the benefits of the interest of people in the White House have been learning and understanding of the issues that the White House took to heart. "Podesta said the first meeting in February at the Old Executive Office Building, energy, securing the future of America to reduce a group lobbying the government to the U.S. dependence on foreign oil report. Podesta said, was that neither safe nor requested by its clients a May meeting of lobbying for the measure. The May meeting at the White House with Obama and Pete Rouse helps customers Podesta NetJets Cessna and a strong decline in sales-focused Small Plane, "he said. Podesta said he did not consider the meeting lobby, because it does not require "." We were not saying, "If you please give us the money" or "Please implement a special program for us," says Podesta . We simply let the administration know that in this difficult situation on the market for small jets production. "Podesta believes there are two other down - both for the customer with the Sallie Mae Education Obama advisor Robert Gordon - lobbying. Podesta, he said, Sallie Mae has asked the administration, several companies willing to spend much with the students rather than a company, Accenture. The administration has not done so, it had failed a lobby, "he said. Podesta said he had no memory, a further meeting with Obama, Jason Furman, economic adviser to the White House March, Ms. Podesta, Heather, has at least three visits, the total assistance for Obama at the Old Executive Office Building Complex in the White House records show. The subjects were not disclosed. Other visitors, talk show host Winfrey, who asked for Obama, the first lady of the 17th February and was on the guest list for a private viewing of the 20th January. Actor Denzel Washington appears on the list of visitors for two hikes in the White House. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer met with Obama, Larry Summers, business consultants and technology adviser John Holdren, in June and had a West Wing tour in April, records show. The list also includes names, referring to the first draw: Michael Jordan, Michael Moore, William Ayers and Jeremiah Wright. The White House was soon found that visitors were in fact not in a basketball favorite, the documentary filmmaker and activist preacher and controversial - just people who share her name. ___ Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed to this report. ___ On the Net: White House visitor records http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/disclosures/visitor-records