 You haven't decided, Joe. And you're on the clock. It seems like Joe's realizing that the presidency is not the most powerful thing in Washington. The Democratic machine is. He's a smart guy. Jesse apparently was right because according to Politico, Clooney reached out to Obama to give him a heads up to write the op-ed. While Obama did not actively encourage Clooney's public criticism, he notably did not dissuade him either.