Little else makes a politician’s heart flutter like a big payday, and actor George Clooney’s $15 million, star-studded, Wolfgang Puck-fed gala for President Obama Thursday night had the prez positively gushing about his budding bromance with Batman.

From jealously bragging about how handsome the actor is to their basketball exploits and even to their equal portrayal by famed artist Shepard Fairey, the president’s love for his favorite actor was on stage as he wrapped his first “official” week on the campaign trail.

“People have commented on the fact that I've got gray hair now,” said the president. “It was sort of distressing. George doesn’t have to go through these things.”

His pal piped in, “Look at me!”

Smiled Obama, “I like that in you, brother.”

As Barbra Striesand, in a black beret, and other stars looked on, Obama started with a thank you nod to Clooney. “I want to thank Clooney for letting us use his basketball court. This guy has been talking smack about his basketball game ever since I've known him.”

Then he poked a little fun at the actor over the famous Fairey “Hope” portrait that’s become the unofficial campaign poster for the president’s campaigns.

“People don't realize that the photograph of me is actually me sitting next to George.  Because George had come into D.C. to advocate on behalf of Darfur and to make sure that we were doing the right thing for so many people who were going through such horrific events, and we struck up a friendship. And this is the first time that George Clooney has ever been photo-shopped out of a picture. Never happened before. Never happened before, will never happen again,” said Obama.

“The wonderful thing is the artist actually sent George  -- some of you have seen this -- a print with my picture and his picture right next to each other with the same -- in the same format.  Why he said at the bottom, ‘Dope and Hope’ I don't know. I don't think that's fair. That's not fair. That's not right. It ain't right.”

Technically, the artist used that picture as a model for his eventual 2008 poster.