Barack Obama goes to Los Angeles tonight for a star-studded campaign fundraiser at the Los Angeles Music Center.

Nonprofits, no matter how serious their mission, understand that famous names attract money, connections and high attendance at organization events.

Brad Pitt is unlikely to quit his day job, especially with a houseful of Jolie-Pitt munchkins. And judging from the picture of partner Angelina’s much talked about “bump” during this past weekend’s Independent Spirit Awards, child number five may be on the way.

This was a year in which some of the least connected actors won the most coveted awards.

The often reclusive Daniel Day-Lewis took the Oscar for best actor, beating the omnipresent George Clooney. (Clooney has so many celebrity friends, colleagues and co-stars, he qualifies as a Hollywood hub.)

One of the biggest events this weekend for Oscar A-listers, aside from the awards ceremony itself, took place last night. The sixth annual Night Before Fundraiser raised $6 million for the Motion Picture & Television Fund.

Hosts included George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Matt Damon, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Reese Witherspoon.

Inspired by Barack Obama’s presidential run, a group of Hollywood stars has released a music video centered on his “Yes, we can” message.

An impressive 36 celebrities came together to help will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas create the 4 1/2-minute, black-and-white video. The project adds a melody to footage of Obama’s concession speech after the New Hampshire primary, with celebrities speaking or singing along with his words. It was directed by Bob Dylan’s son, Jesse.

It’s not the first time the Russians have gotten worked up over the culture of American celebrity.

But they’ve met a formidable foe in George Clooney. The handsome, publicity-savvy, immensely likeable man-about-the-world is the newest U.N. messenger of peace.

Celebrity support, always important in national campaigns, is likely to play an increasing role in the high-cost, heated presidential campaign of 2008.

When it comes to good-looking supporters, Barack Obama leads the pack, with Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, and George Clooney. And of course, there’s his powerhouse stumper, Oprah Winfrey.

Hillary Clinton is backed by a slightly older, more established, show business crowd which includes Chevy Chase, Danny DeVito, Rob Reiner and Steven Spielberg.

Who knew Bill Gates could be funny?

In his “last day” video shown at the Consumer Electronics Show Sunday, Gates debuted his comedic side, with the help of some famous friends.

In the video, Gates goes over the opportunities he could possibly pursue after leaving Microsoft full-time. He pumps iron with Matthew McConaughey, raps with Jay-Z, and offers his Guitar Hero skills to U2’s frontman, Bono. After trying to negotiate a biopic with Steven Spielberg and George Clooney, Gates offers his services as a running mate to both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Sportswriters have long lamented the fickleness of sports stars, those ingrates whose loyalty can be bought by the highest bidder.

But 2007 was also a year when high-profile writers (and some announcers) did some job jumping themselves.

Matt Damon, People’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2007, is in good company.

The magazine started the award in 1985, with Mel Gibson. Past winners include: Mark Harmon, Harry Hamlin, John F. Kennedy Jr., Sean Connery, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Nick Nolte, Richard Gere, Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington, George Clooney, Harrison Ford, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Affleck, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Matthew McConaughey.

Not every candidate would welcome an endorsement from a guy known as “Meathead.”

But when that guy is Rob Reiner — Meathead in the 1970s television hit All in the Family — you take the endorsement and run.

Reiner, the 62-year-old actor, director, comedian and political activist, and one of the most connected people in Hollywood and Democratic politics, came out for Hillary Rodham Clinton in September.

Sure, he’s won every award known to man except the Olympic gold. (Unless he gets into wrestling or weight lifting, that honor seems beyond even his reach.)

But the main achievement of Al Gore is not his comeback from having the White House snatched away, not his Oscar or even his sharing of the Nobel Peace Prize, announced today.

The real phenomenon of Al Gore is how connected he has become despite (and because of) his losing the presidency.

Gore has forged strong bonds not only in politics, science and the international environmental movement, but in finance, high-tech and Hollywood.