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Celebs Spread Cash Among Candidates

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By FREDERIC J. FROMMER, The Associated Press

Published: January 14, 2008

WASHINGTON - The nation's capital may be Hollywood for ugly people, but Hollywood celebrities are still attracted to Washington politicians.

A host of movie stars, directors, writers, producers and singers has contributed to presidential hopefuls for the 2008 election, with many making donations to competing candidates, an Associated Press review of campaign records has found.

Actor Michael Douglas, for example, has contributed to five current and former Democratic presidential candidates. As of Sept. 30, the latest reports available, he had donated the maximum $4,600 - $2,300 for the primary campaign and $2,300 for the general election - to Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson and Chris Dodd, and $1,500 to Dennis Kucinich.

As in past elections, the overwhelming majority of celebrity donors contributed to Democrats, who are far more popular in the entertainment world than Republicans.

The movie, television and recording industries gave $33.1 million to federal candidates and parties in 2004, with much of that coming from Hollywood, according to the nonprofit Center for Responsive Politics. Those industries were more generous in 2000, contributing $38.6 million to federal candidates and parties, the center found. In both election cycles, Democrats got the majority of the money - 69 percent in 2004 and 64 percent in 2000.

Another serial donor in the current election is Paul Newman, who gave the maximum contribution to Obama, Clinton and Dodd, and $2,300 to Richardson.

Some donors have spread the wealth around but have decided to back one candidate. Barbra Streisand gave $2,300 each to Clinton, Edwards and Obama, and $1,000 to Dodd, but recently endorsed Clinton for president.

"Madame President of the United States - it's an extraordinary thought," Streisand said in her endorsement statement.
Steven Spielberg and Rob Reiner are two other celebrities who donated to multiple presidential candidates, four apiece, before settling on Clinton. Reiner also shot a spoof video for Clinton's Web site.

Another actress supporting Clinton is Fran Drescher, former star of the TV show "The Nanny," who contributed $2,300 to the campaign. In an e-mail, Drescher told the AP that she considers Clinton "the best man for the job!"

"I also think that having Bill Clinton is a plus," she said.

Hollywood had a long romance with Bill Clinton when he was in the White House, but Obama also has benefited from the star treatment, most noticeably from a high-profile endorsement from Oprah Winfrey, who has donated $2,300 to his campaign.

Other black celebrity donors to Obama include Will Smith, Chris Rock, Sidney Poitier and Branford Marsalis ($4,600 each), and Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Halle Berry, each of whom gave $2,300.

But Obama's star quality transcends race. Other celebrities who have contributed to him include George Clooney, Ed Norton, Jennifer Aniston, Leonard Nimoy and Brooke Shields ($2,300 each).

Republican presidential candidates got donations as well: Singer Pat Boone donated to Mitt Romney, producer Jerry Bruckheimer contributed to John McCain, and Rudy Giuliani got money from Kelsey Grammer.

GOP candidate Mike Huckabee has the support of actor Chuck Norris - but none of his money, as of the latest campaign filings.

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