Would Gore Lead the Pack if He Announced? An Informal Air America Poll Says Yes

So let's assume Al Gore enters the presidential race. What next? Would he capture the attention and support of Democratic voters so late in the game? If an informal poll conducted Friday evening during Air America Radio's Rachel Maddow show by stand-in host David Bender is any indication, the answer is yes. By a 3-1 margin, callers stated their support for Gore over Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. This result is most astonishing given that Gore's not even a declared candidate...yet. Could this be a foreshadowing of what's to come this Fall once The Goracle flings his hat into the crowded ring?

As Bender said of the results of his poll, "it's a landslide." But the real question is, by what margin would he blow past the two leading Dem's when he does actually make his announcement? With Gore actually in the race, I believe, as do many pundits, that Obama and Hillary wouldn't stand a chance against the highly credentialed former vice president.

We continue to believe that Gore will be in the race by October. With a personal fortune worth an estimated $100 million, and the ability to generate bazillions in Internet fundraising--let alone the fact that he's still the darling of several key Democratic fatcat donors--Gore's starting to look more and more promising by the minute. Stay tuned.....


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmaking lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, the Independent Feature Project, and the Nantucket Film Festival. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" opened in theatres May 2nd to incredible rave reviews from the NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, People, Entertainment Weekly, Ebert & Roeper ("Two Thumbs Up"), Leonard Maltin and more. Since then, it's been playing to packed audiences across America. It's a truly wonderful film that you're sure to love. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

Is this the Sign We've Been Waiting for About Al Gore Running for President?

On Air America Radio's "Sam and Army" program Thursday morning co-host Sam Greenfield said he has learned that Al Gore has instructed the Harry Walker Agency to cancel all of his scheduled speaking engagements for the next six months, indicating that the former VP has decided to seek the presidency in 2008. "I guess he's running, " Greenfield said.

If this story is true, then it certainly would be a very strong sign that The Goracle is indeed getting ready to announce his candidacy...which I've said many times here will occur by October. Stay tuned...


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmaking lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, the Independent Feature Project, and the Nantucket Film Festival. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" opened in theatres May 2nd to incredible rave reviews from the NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, People, Entertainment Weekly, Ebert & Roeper ("Two Thumbs Up"), Leonard Maltin and more. Since then, it's been playing to packed audiences across America. It's a truly wonderful film that you're sure to love. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

"President Bloomberg?" Part II

NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced Tuesday that he's ditching his Republican Party affiliation and becoming an Independent. With that, the 2008 presidential election just got a helluva lot more interesting. And ya know what? Bloomberg's got the chops to actually be our next president, which is why the national news media is now obsessing over this new wrinkle. But it's a subject I wrote about over a year ago in a piece titled "President Bloomberg? The Mayor Says No, But His Actions Say Maybe." Well, his actions now say "Yes."

Here's what I wrote back in May '06:

There's been a lot of chatter lately about a possible '08 run for the White House by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Despite repeated denials of a presidential bid, he's been expanding his political horizons by commenting on a wide-variety of national-interest issues such as the environment, illegal immigration, gun control, stem-cell research, intelligent design and gay marriage. Regardless of his broader political aspirations or lack thereof, I happen to think a Bloomberg candidacy has a lot of viability.

It's unlikely he'd be able to win either the Democratic or Republican nomination. But with voters' anger and frustration with Bush and the Republicans never greater, and with their clear lack of enthusiasm for Democrats, the time has never been better for a 3rd party candidate to race down the middle and capture the disenfranchised on both sides. Though such independent candidates have never fared well in American politics, that doesn't mean they never will. What Bloomberg has that no other candidate has is party duality. He's the only one who could say "I've been a Democrat, I've been a Republican, and I can give you the very best of both parties while also giving you the fresh perspective of a Washington outsider who's not beholden to any special interests." He could run on a bi-partisan platform that promises to bring the nation together after more than a decade of unprecedented nastiness between the parties. In an era of unjust war, record deficits, skyrocketing energy costs and rampant corruption, this sort of message could strike a major chord with voters and change history.

Unlike the current White House occupant and "CEO" president, Bloomberg is a highly effective and successful chief executive in both business and politics. His media empire has made him one of the richest people in the world with an estimated $5 billion fortune. This success has translated into political success as mayor of New York. On his watch, NYC has amassed a $5-billion budget surplus; crime has continued to drop; the public education system has been overhauled, and test scores have risen; the streets are cleaner; and tourism has never been stronger.

As if this record wasn't enough to attract voters, consider that his politics represent the mood of a majority of Americans today: socially moderate and fiscally conservative. He's got the track-record, the deep pockets, and the f**k-you attitude towards special interests to appeal to the tens of millions who are fed up with the current state of politics.

The big question is, if he did run, and he didn't win, would he simply be a spoiler as Ralph Nader was in 2000? And if so, who would he pull votes from, the Dems or the Repugs? Stay tuned. I have a feeling we're going to be hearing a lot more about "non-candidate" Bloomberg's candidacy over the next several months.

What a difference a year makes. The GOP's in a state of flux, with no clear frontrunner to give Mayor Mike a run for his endless supply of money. Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, once the party's "sure thing," has alienated his core conservative base; they're not sure whether they should worry more about his pro-abortion stand, his delusions about the Iraq war, or his penchant for cross-dressing. Sen. John McCain (AZ) has firmly attached himself to Bush's shredded coattails and subsequently watched his campaign self-implode. And Stormin' Mormon Mitt Romney has about as much chance of becoming president as I do. That leaves them with their new great white hope, former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson, who very well might have more skeletons in his closet than a forensic pathologist. Over on the Left, Sen. Barack Obama (IL) is on a fast train to nowhere, while the ever-posturing, always polarizing Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY) is pulling away from the pack. But will that pack soon include Al Gore? I say it will, and that could really help The Goracle. An Independent Bloomberg would surely on some level split the GOP ticket. But let's look at it from Bloomy's perspective and assume Gore's not running. That means he goes head-to-head against Hillary and whichever weak candidate the GOP props up. Suddenly, Mayor Mike starts to look like President Mike.

Maybe Bloomberg-as-president is what America needs right now. Our two-party system has failed us miserably, and maybe the one true positive legacy of the failed Bush administration is that it made voters sick of the current political process and of politicians in general. And only Bloomy can run as a "non-politician." Unlike our current "CEO President," who's truly not equipped to run the corporate mailroom let alone the boardroom, Bloomberg essentially turns everything he touches into gold.

I am more convinced now than I was a year ago that Bloomberg will indeed run, and quite possibly forever change America's political system in the process.

Fear-Mongering Giuliani Losing Ground to Clinton

Is the American voting public finally getting fed up with Republican politicians who continue to spew the infuriating and offensive rhetoric that the Iraq war and the 9/11 attacks are connected? Are they sick and tired of the GOP's playing the politics-of-fear game? If a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll is any indication, the answer is yes.

Back in March, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani led Democratic front-runner Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY) 47%-42%. The new numbers are in, and the table has turned on Giuliani, as he now trails Hillary 48%-43%..and has seen former Tennessee Senator and TV star Fred Thompson hot on his trail, leapfrogging over McCain into second place among GOP candidates.

What's causing this downturn for the GOP's most famous crossdresser? In the recent Democratic debate, Clinton came off extremely polished, poised and presidential. Her star is rising. To the contrary, at the recent GOP debate, Rudy, like his fear-mongering counterpart Sen. John McCain (AZ), seemed utterly delusional and out of touch. Unbelievably, both McCain and Giuliani continue lying through their teeth about the origins and justifications for the war, and the need to continue the carnage. Despite the fact that four years after the invasion not one reason the Busheviks gave for toppling Saddam has been proven out (WMD, ties to Al Qaeda, Yellowcake uranium purchases, etc), Giuliani still invokes the 9/11 attacks at every possible turn, especially when justifying his delusional position on the war. Despite the facts on the ground that would indicate the war is out of control, that the Bush "surge" has been a lesson in futility, and that victory is but a fantasy, Giuliani's been pounding the hawkish table on this debacle. And it's all about fear, fear, fear. Big bad scary terrorists are swallowing up Iraq. "We gotta fight 'em over there so we don't have to fight 'em over here" is the popular refrain of the GOP fear-mongers. "If we pull out of Iraq they'll follow us home." Puh-leeze. Somebody get me a barf bag.

Apparently voters are finally sick of this deceptive rhetoric, and it shows in Rudy's numbers. Let's get it straight: the invasion of Iraq was planned well before the 9/11 attacks. The attacks simply gave the insane White House Iraq Group the justification they were looking for to bring down Saddam. We are not fighting the 9/11 terrorists in Iraq. 95% of those we're fighting are Iraqi insurgents who themselves are embroiled in civil war. There was no connection between the 9/11 attacks and Iraq. No alliance between Saddam and Al Qaeda. In fact, the secular Saddam hated the Muslim extremists, and vice-versa with bin Laden. If we pull out of Iraq, we face no threat whatsoever from Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites "coming to America to kill us." These factions--the Iraqi people--do not want us in their country. Statistics published in Sunday's NY Times show that an overwhelming majority of Iraqis believe their country is headed in the wrong direction. What does that say four years, $300 billion and 3400 dead U.S. soldiers later?

This relentless morphing of 9/11 into Iraq has finally disgusted voters to the point that those who continue to be guilty of the deception--Giuliani and McCain in particular--are being pounded to the pavement. I guess if you insult the intelligence of the American people long enough, they will eventually come back swinging. Let's hope the rejection of these shameless fear-mongers continues unabated.


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmaking lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, the Independent Feature Project, and the Nantucket Film Festival. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" opened in theatres May 2nd to incredible rave reviews from the NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, People, Entertainment Weekly, Ebert & Roeper ("Two Thumbs Up"), Leonard Maltin and more. Since then, it's been playing to packed audiences across America, and is currently #6 in America. It's a truly wonderful film that you're sure to love. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

What Bill Clinton Told Me About Al Gore

I had the pleasure of meeting former president Bill Clinton at a party held at Air America president Mark Green's Manhattan apartment Thursday evening in celebration of the purchase he and his brother--real estate magnate Stephen Green--made of liberal radio network Air America back in March. The event was a veritable lovefest, with Clinton signing autographs, posing for pictures, and chatting with anyone who approached him. After experiencing it firsthand, it's easy to understand his legendary charisma and larger-than-life presence. The man is a certifiable rock star . No one like him before (not even JFK) and probably never again. He's a once-in-a-lifetime political phenomenon. And he was in his element as he addressed the adoring crowd for about fifteen minutes on the upcoming presidential election and the critical role the liberal media plays for the Democratic Party in today's political landscape.

When I found myself literally standing next to a surprisingly unengaged Clinton as we were about to watch an Air America promotional video on Green's large-screen television, I leaned over and asked him "Do you think Gore's going to run?" With his arms crossed and one hand resting on his chin in a true Clintonesque pose, he leaned into me and replied, "I don't know, he could. Someone's got to fizzle. If someone fizzles, then yeah he could enter the race. He's got plenty of money, his own money, to do it." He then agreed when I asked if having that kind of personal wealth could mean Gore would be able to wait until the last stages of the campaign before he'd enter the race. I wanted to ask him about that "fizzling" thing--was he referring to his wife Hillary's chief rival Sen. Barack Obama or was he also allowing that as a possibility for Hillary herself?--but the crowd absorbed him. I was lucky to have had as much face time with him as I did.

So here's my own scenario: as I've written here countless times before, Gore will indeed run, and most likely no later than October. To borrow from Bill, it'll be Obama who will "fizzle" by September, and Gore will toss his hat into the ring and enlist the junior Senator from Illinois as his running mate. An unbeatable ticket. Stay tuned......


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmaking lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, the Independent Feature Project, and the Nantucket Film Festival. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" opened in theatres May 2nd to incredible rave reviews from the NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, People, Entertainment Weekly, Ebert & Roeper ("Two Thumbs Up"), Leonard Maltin and more. Since then, it's been playing to packed audiences across America, and is currently #6 in America. It's a truly wonderful film that you're sure to love. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

Obama Blows Big Opportunity at Dems' Debate

The Democratic candidates for president in the 2008 election gathered in New Hampshire Sunday for another round of posturing and rhetoric. Media darling Sen. Barack Obama (IL), when tossed the mother of all softballs when asked if President Bush was keeping us safe from terrorist attack, failed to hit the home run, choosing instead to play it like a gentleman (message to Obama: gentlemen--especially those of Democratic persuasion--do not get elected president). While saying that we are indeed less safe since 911, not more, he did give Bush credit for "some things." This is not the time for Obama, or any Democrat for that matter, to jab with kid gloves. What the presidential hopeful should have forcefully, and passionately, said is this:

"The September 11th attack came on Bush's watch, despite doing nothing after being warned (August PDB and several Richard Clark missives) that a major attack might be imminent. After a successful invasion of Afghanistan, he took his eye, and our financial and military resources, off bin Laden and al Qaeda, and instead squandered these resources in the colossal, wasteful distraction known as Iraq. Let's remember the first World Trade Center attack occured in 1993, eight years before the 2001 horror...which was only six years ago. Let's not forget how methodically al Qaeda plans its attacks. Let's not be lulled into any false senses of security here. Our ports are still unsecured, as are our Southern and Northern borders. And, unlike Ramsay Yousef and company--perpetrators of the 1993 attack--bin Laden, Ayman Al Zawahiri and other 911 masterminds still roam free while al Qaeda and the Taliban is reconstituting in Afghanistan. And over the weekend we learn of an arrest in a plot to blow up JFK airport in New York. No, sir, we are anything but safe today...and President Bush, and the former Republican-controlled Congress, is directly to blame."

When are we going to have a Democratic candidate who not only has the balls to speak up and speak aggressively on this issue, but is one who is not saddled with the burden of having supported Bush's mess up until campaign time? Well, his name is Al Gore, and I suspect after watching the debate Sunday he'll be even more motivated to enter the race.


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmaking lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, the Independent Feature Project, and the Nantucket Film Festival. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" opened in theatres May 2nd to incredible rave reviews from the NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, People, Entertainment Weekly, Ebert & Roeper ("Two Thumbs Up"), Leonard Maltin and more. Since then, it's been playing to packed audiences across America, and is currently #6 in America. It's a truly wonderful film that you're sure to love. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

Why Gore's Time Magazine Interview Says "I'm Running"

The signs are all there. Despite the coy denials, the Washington-outsider positioning, and his status as the global warming rock-star, a position through which he enjoys immense power and freedom, Al Gore is running. Make no mistake. And it has never been more evident than in this week's Time Magazine cover story and interview, The Last Temptation of Al Gore. Consider the following, when The Goracle was asked what it would take for him to run:

"I can't say because I'm not looking for it. But I guess I would know it if I saw it. I haven't ruled it out. But I don't think it's likely to happen."

"I haven't ruled it out," Gore says. Of course he hasn't. The man who's had his eye on the White House for thirty years knows exactly what his chances are this time around, and he's biding his time until the right opening occurs in order to make the biggest splash (most likely when the frontrunners Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton implode on the campaign trail).

"If he ran, there's no question in my mind that he would be elected," says Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. And we all know that Jobs is quite the visionary. The Mac, iPod and Gore. My money's on Jobs' time-tested prescience.

And while Time cites Tipper Gore's frequent couching, even she admits: "If the feeling came over him and he had to do it, of course I'd be with him." That's not quite "Al's definitely not running."

Another sure-fire sign is Gore's new found emphasis on weight-loss. Many a well-respected pundit has said that when Al starts dieting, we can start the countdown to the campaign announcement. Time reports that he's been "dieting and working out hard these days." It's the first time in seven years he's caring about his appearance and we're supposed to believe it's pure coincidence? Fat chance (pun very intended).

On his status as the global warming lightening rod, Gore admits: "I have enjoyed the luxury of being able to focus single-mindedly on this issue. But I am under no illusions that any position has as much ability to influence change as the presidency does. If the President made climate change the organizing principle, the filter through which everything else had to flow, then that could really make a huge difference." There it is. Al Gore placing the greatest power to save the planet firmly in the hands of the Unites States presidency. This opportunity is way too good for him to pass up.

In addition to his 3-decade-long environmental advocacy and his early anti-war stand with regard to Iraq, Gore's been a harsh critic of President Bush, his corrupt administration, and the GOP in general. Messages that are timely and resonate tremendously with voters. His orating is almost messianic to many, and he commands a respectful 12% poll number (same as John Edwards) without even being in the race. Throw in his untouchable dossier--two terms in the Senate, four in the House, eight years as VP, and his Vietnam service--and Gore's about as attractive as they could possibly come for the Dems. An Oscar and Nobel Peace Prize would be delicious icing on his campaign cake. Ya think he doesn't know all this? Get real people. Al Gore is no more gonna sit on the sidelines in '08 than Peyton Manning will in next year's Super bowl.

When Time cited a Buffalo college student's literal begging of Gore to enter the race, complete with a one-kneed "Please, I'll vote for you," The Goracle, with his usual unconvincing coyness, replied "I'm not planning to run." And I'm not planning to be surprised when he announces his candidacy by October.


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmaking lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, the Independent Feature Project, and the Nantucket Film Festival. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" opened in theatres May 2nd to incredible rave reviews from the NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, People, Entertainment Weekly, Ebert & Roeper ("Two Thumbs Up"), Leonard Maltin and more. Since then, it's been playing to packed audiences across America, and made it to #10 last weekend. It's a truly wonderful film that you're sure to love. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

My Lunch with Gov. Bill Richardson

New Mexico's Gov. Bill Richardson is a guy who's got the chops to be president. He was a 7-term Congressman. He was Bill Clinton's Ambassador to the United Nations and his Secretary of Energy. He's sat at the negotiating table with the North Koreans, the Palestinians and the Israelis. He's extremely charismatic and has a killer smile. He's downright likable. He just might be the smart, highly qualified guy you'd like to have a beer with.

But Gov. Richardson is not your father's Democrat. He's pro-choice, pro-guns, pro-business and believes the rich get socked with too much taxes. "If you tax the rich too much they'll become destitute," he said. And that's what I like about this guy. He marches to the beat of his own drum.

I joined the Governor for lunch at a friend's office Tuesday as part of a group of about a dozen influential New Yorkers who came to hear the 2008 presidential hopeful discuss the issues and hold an intimate Q&A. Richardson spoke freely and candidly about the Bush administration, the challenges America faces today, and how his 6-point plan makes him the best candidate for the job.

First and most important on his list is the Iraq war. In a break with all the other Democratic candidates, he seeks a complete pullout of US troops by the end of this year. He promises a diplomatic approach that would engage the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds in building a coalition government. He believes Iraq should be secured by a Muslim peacekeeping force. "I believe in diplomacy first and then using force second, unlike our president who believe in shooting first and then using diplomacy second."

The other positions he discussed, on subjects ranging from energy and the environment to education, health care and jobs creation, are well documented and can be explored on his website. Rather than regurgitate them here, let me just say he makes an awful lot of sense and brings a creative, sincere approach to the process. Talking with him is like talking with a real guy, not a political automaton. Washington could use a fresh thinker like Richardson. He talks of his political "fate" in no uncertain terms when refering to the 'big event' that will likely thrust him into the "first tier" while bouncing one of the current front-runners into the second. Though he cannot articulate just what that event actually will be. Pretty trippy stuff, but you get the sense that he truly believes in his own brand of karma.

Readers of this blog know of my staunch support of Al Gore and my prediction that he will enter the race by October. I asked Richardson if he thought Gore would run, and if he would leapfrog to the head of the pack if he did. The Governor joked that "I don't want him to run!" Actually, I don't think he was joking at all. He said Gore would be a "formidable" opponent, but that he didn't think (read: hope) he would run. That said, should The Goracle continue to lambaste Bush and sound the global warming alarm from afar and not toss his hat into the ring, I could easily throw my support to the affable Governor from New Mexico. Take a look at Richardson. He could very well be the Dems' dark horse candidate.


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmaking lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, the Independent Feature Project, and the Nantucket Film Festival. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" opened in theatres May 2nd to incredible rave reviews from the NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, People, Entertainment Weekly, Ebert & Roeper ("Two Thumbs Up"), Leonard Maltin and more. In its first weekend, its gross-per-screen finished second to Spiderman 3. It's a truly wonderful film that you're sure to love. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

Is the "Dieting" Al Gore Preparing to Enter '08 Race? Bloomberg Urges Him to Run

Like bookmakers watch the Vegas odds, political pundits have been closely following former VP Al Gore's weight as a barometer into his presidential ambitions. The theory is, if he sheds the weight he enters the race. On "The Chris Matthews Show," former CBS anchor Dan Rather said "Al Gore is thinking seriously about running. He's beginning to lose weight." Matthews replied, "I hear he's made a commitment to a friend for a crash course to lose 40 pounds right away." Said Rather, "Well, the prosecution rests, your honor." Gore has recently said that his desire to lose weight came after he saw himself at the Oscars and concluded that he was overweight. But as I've been saying on this blog for a year and a half now, Gore will be running, and the sudden emphasis on losing weight is a clear indication of his intention.

The prospect of a Gore candidacy is continuing to garner the attention of prominent politicians. Earlier in the week at the opening ceremony of the Tribeca Film Festival, New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged The Goracle to run. "I hope Al Gore enters the race. I think it would be good for the country." And a new Quinnipiac poll shows Gorefaring better than front-runner Hillary Clinton in key states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. "Mayor Rudoph Giuliani remains the front-runner, but he and the entire Democratic field should wonder if Al Gore will become an inconvenient truth in the 2008 presidential race and go for the biggest Oscar of them all," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Gore's been playing it real coy while doing everything humanly possible to set his campaign table...from his Nobel Peace Prize nomination and Oscar award to his many engaging TV appearances and fiery anti-Bush political speeches. Factor in his four terms in the House, two in the Senate, eight as VP, his Vietnam service and his positions on the Iraq war and global warming--both of which resonate highly with the majority of voters right now--and he clearly becomes the Democrats' most electable choice for president. And he knows it.

Given the colossal foreign and domestic policy failures of the Bushevik Monarchy, this is the opportunity of a lifetime for Gore to capture the big prize. He's already gone through the vetting process in 2000 and he's skeleton-free. He's the only Democrat who can enter the race at virtually the last minute, with massive funds behind him, and shoot right to the head of the pack. And let's not forget the most important thing from 2000: he's already won the popular vote once before, and, as many believe, the election. Mark my words, Al Gore will not only run, but he will be re-elected.


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmaking lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, the Independent Feature Project, and the Nantucket Film Festival. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" will hit theatres May 2nd. Early reviews have been terrific. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

It's Time to Bring Down the Bushevik Monarchy

The recent debate over the Iraq war and the Democrats' push for a withdrawal timetable has made it perfectly clear that George Bush and Dick Cheney are dangerous and delusional, repeatedly defiling the Constitution and ignoring the will of the people. To bolster the Busheviks' reckless war policies Cheney, aka Dr. Evil, tried this week to engage Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) in a pissing contest, but the feisty Democrat fired off the perfect opening and closing salvo: "I’m not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody who has a 9 percent approval rating." Bravo, baby, bravo. It's time to bring down the House of Bush. The Bushevik Monarchy must come to an end.

Back in November the American people sent a loud, overwhelming message to Washington that it disagreed with the Monarchy's foreign policy strategy and that it wanted an end to the war. It kicked Republicans out of office and handed control of Congress to Democrats. Since then, support for the war has dwindled to a small minority of kool-aid drinking Repugs. But does any of this matter to King George and his faithful Court Jester Cheney? Not a chance. They so arrogantly and defiantly march on in Iraq, slandering and maligning anyone or anything that gets in their way. Cheney accuses of Reid of "defeatism" for his recent comments that "the war is lost" but the simple fact is that Reid's statement resonates with a majority of Americans....as well as the facts on the ground.

Message to Bush and Cheney: America is not a Monarchy, and George Bush is not King. They've created this war under false pretenses, and have subsequently botched it on every imaginable level since day-one. They refuse to accept responsibility for the debacle that exists there now, and they ruthlessly attack the patriotism of anyone who dares come out against this military disaster. It's the Busheviks who are the unpatriotic ones. They're nothing but a vicious pack of self-serving, power-hungry draft-dodging cowards who are using the uniforms and bodies of our brave soldiers to prop up their own lack of real testosterone. I still find it mind-blowing that a battle-fearing wimp like Cheney can, on any conceivable level, attempt to smear a true war hero, patriot and military expert like Rep. John Murtha. But alas he will try, and keep trying. Because that's what these cowards do in their quest to hold onto their precious Monarchy.

The Busheviks shamelessly defend their exploitation of our men and women in the military by saying that we on the left who don't support the war therefore do not support the troops. This is irresponsible and reprehensible political rhetoric. The Busheviks and the GOP prides itself on its military prowess, and its support for, and of, our soldiers. Well, what about sending troops to die four years ago in an unjust war? What about failing to properly arm and equip them? What about increasing their tours of duty to 1 1/2 years? What about the outrageous health violations and living conditions at Walter Reade Hospital? What about the lies and cover ups involving Pat Tillman and Jessica Lynch? What about the consistent cutbacks of veterans' benefits? You call this support?

The war is lost and the Monarchy needs to accept that and stop blaming everyone but itself for it. How many soldiers have to die before we bring this conflict to an end? How many years must pass before, like Vietnam, we throw our collective hands up in defeat and say it's time to bring our brave troops home? How long must we as a nation endure the desperate, delusional rein of Bush and Cheney before we can get back on course to being the greatest nation on Earth?

On Tuesday Ohio Congressman and presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich introduced articles of impeachment against Cheney. This came ahead of a series of protests planned for this weekend calling for the impeachment of both Deadeye Dick and King George. Let's just hope this is just the start of something much bigger.


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmaking lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, the Independent Feature Project, and the Nantucket Film Festival. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" will hit theatres May 2nd. Early reviews have been terrific. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

The Bushies Lied About Tillman and Lynch

She was the petite war hero. The "Little Girl Rambo from the hills of West Virginia" who was critically injured in a blaze of gunfire in Iraq and was subsequently rescued by American troops from a hospital in Hollywood-like fashion. He was the NFL star-turned-war-hero who actually looked like Rambo and was killed heroically battling the enemy in Afghanistan. At least that’s what the lying Bush administration wanted us to believe since 2003. In Congressional hearings that began Tuesday, testimony and evidence was put forth reinforcing charges that the White House intentionally misled the public over the details of the ambush of Pfc. Jessica Lynch and death of Cpl. Pat Tillman in an effort to keep Americans behind the Iraq war.

Henry Waxman, (D-CA), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, accused the Bushies of inventing "sensational details and stories" about these two highly publicized incidents. "The government violated its most basic responsibility," said Waxman.

As we now know, the dramatic stories put out by the Bushies about Lynch and Tillman were 100% false. Lynch in fact was taken prisoner after her maintenance convoy went astray and she was ambushed. Tillman met his untimely death at the hands of friendly fire. Lies, lies and more lies by the pathological lying liars who’ve been running our country since 2000. This was government propaganda at its best.

"I am still confused as to why they chose to lie and tried to make me a legend when the real heroics of my fellow soldiers that day were, in fact, legendary," said Lynch. Well, I can answer that one for her. Since it stepped foot into the White House, this administration has been lying through its collective teeth and breaking law after law in order to further its aggressive, reckless right-wing agenda. The amount of lies and misdeeds has been mind-blowing: WMD; Saddam and Al Qaeda connections; yellowcake uranium purchases; nation-building; the real cost of the war; the war’s progress; and illegal wiretappings to name a few. Is it any real wonder why Bush would lie about Lynch and Tillman in a shameless effort to exploit them for partisan political purposes? To use them as pawns in his delusional campaign to keep the public behind the war? This is an administration that was founded on lies, for Pete’s sake.

The real question is, what will the Democratically-controlled Congress do about it now? Will it merely wrist slap these liars as Congress has in the past when Republicans were in charge or will it finally demand accountability this time around? It’s time the legislative branch of government starts doing its job and stops enabling our liar-in-chief. Can you say…impeachment?


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmaking lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, the Independent Feature Project, and the Nantucket Film Festival. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" will hit theatres May 2nd. Early reviews have been terrific. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

Harry Reid is Right About the Iraq War

Last week Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) caused a ruckus in Washington by saying that there is no military solution to the Iraqi conflict. That it’s over and it’s time to get out: "I believe myself that the secretary of state, the secretary of defense -- and you have to make your own decision as to what the president knows -- that this war is lost, and that the surge is not accomplishing anything, as indicated by the extreme violence in Iraq yesterday." Republicans were quick to pounce, calling the Democratic leader unpatriotic and unsupportive of our troops, 3300 of whom have died fighting this debacle.

What Reid said is 100% true, and he is not alone. For example, conservative columnist William F. Buckley is also on record saying that the war "has failed." It’s no secret that Iraq has been torn apart and gutted as a result of the Unites States’ March 2003 invasion. The country is mired in civil war, and the violence worsens with each passing day. Let’s face it, Bush is not sending in an additional 20,000 troops because things are going well. Our soldiers are getting killed daily; the troops are forced to do longer tours of duty; and our National Guardsmen are being sent back into battle before they even have a chance to unpack here at home. It’s a disgrace.

Bush and his war-mongering cronies took it upon themselves to invade a sovereign nation under the guise of (a) retaliating against 911; (b) protecting America and Britain from WMD "mushroom clouds;" and then (c) building a stable Democracy in the Middle East. As we now all know, there were no WMD in Iraq; there was no connection to bin Laden and Al Qaeda; and true, sustainable Democracy is but a fantasy. Failure, failure, failure. And the insurgents have been empowered and emboldened by this failure, not weakened. And Bush’s desperate "troop surge" is not going to make one bit of difference in changing Iraq’s military and political landscape.

The Republicans don’t like Harry Reid and his assessment of the war. But too bad. This is not Harry Reid’s mess. This military disaster belongs 100% to Bush and the Republican Party. This is their war. If they don’t like it being called a failure, or that it is "lost," then they should demonstrate its successes and spare us the incessant partisan rhetoric. Stop regurgitating all this BS about progress and success and show it to us.

Bush and the Republicans, in their supreme arrogance, are choosing to ignore the will of the electorate; choosing to forget that a majority of Americans voted for a change in leadership last November, and that the administration’s failed Iraq policy was the primary reason for this changing of the guard. Harry Reid is doing what the American people asked him to do: exercising greater Congressional oversight than when the GOP foxes were the ones guarding the henhouse. Bush and his Iraq War Mob don’t get to run amok in Iraq, causing tens of thousands of deaths, and then expect a free pass here at home on the PR front.

What’s worse, saying those who are against the Bushies’ failed Iraq war are therefore against the troops, is a shameful, despicable political calculation. Sorry George, Sen. Reid and the Democrats just don’t believe that the way to support the troops is to send more of them to die in an unjust, miserable failure of a war that you and you alone created. Kudos to Reid for having the courage to stand up and say what needs to be said.


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmaking lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, the Independent Feature Project, and the Nantucket Film Festival. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" will hit theatres May 2nd. Early reviews have been terrific. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

ImusGate Demonstrates What's Really Wrong With America

I've always been fascinated by the phenomenon known as "media frenzy." Why is it that just as one sensational case seems to be in its last throes there's always another that steps right in to take its place: Anna Nicole Smith, meet Don Imus. Is it that the media itself helps create the fodder for the frenzy in some highly manipulative attempt at self-preservation? Just as the dope pusher keeps his users perpetually stoned? I am aghast at how much attention both the media and its trash-addicted public will dedicate to perhaps the least important matters in the country. When there is so many more important issues to report on and stir public debate, the media deftly obfuscates its responsibilities by feeding the beast with diversionary crap. It's sickening. And it's getting worse.

This week the vultures are feeding on ImusGate. The frenzy is out of control. It's hard to imagine that there's any more room on the bandwagon for anyone else to pile on and take a swat at the pathetic shock jock. To be sure, the poor blathering idiot Imus brought this mess on himself last week when he made a moronic, highly offensive comment about the Rutgers women's basketball team, calling them "nappy-headed ho's." As a result, he's been publicly flogged and dragged over the coals non-stop, despite a constant chorus of what I consider to be very heartfelt, genuine apologies. But the vultures do not want apologies. They do not want redemption. And they offer no forgiveness. They want Imus' head on a black platter. MSNBC announced Wednesday that they're canceling his simulcast show. And several major advertisers--including Sprint, GM and American Express--have pulled their sponsorships.

Most people who know me know that I am as liberal as they come. I am a true lefty Democrat, and I champion the rights of women, gays, minorities, the poor and the oppressed. Nothing pushes my buttons more than bigotry, prejudice, ignorance and intolerance. I abhor racism and racists. But I am truly disgusted by ImusGate. The double-standards are mind-numbing. We allow shameless racial-antagonists like the Rev. Al Sharpton to destroy people's lives (Steven Pagones) and then reward them with the honor of running for U.S. president. Rev. Jesse Jackson is still a media darling and respected civil rights leader despite his 1982 "HymieTown slur. We slap the wrists of on-air bigoted criminals like Rush Limbaugh because he's part of a much bigger political machine. Ann Coulter, the right-wing SpinWitch, calls presidential candidate John Edwards a "faggot" and continues to sell millions of books and do talk shows. William Bennett can say that aborting "every black baby in this country" would reduce the crime rate, and he somehow still has a thriving media career. It's ok for MTV and network television execs to poison our children's minds with garbage programming. Corporate America capitalistically attaches itself to gangsta rappers who extol the virtues of drugs, violence and misogyny--where the terms bitches, ho's, muthufucka and nigga' make up just about every lyric--and then in a fit of supreme self-righteousness and sanctimony punishes Don Imus in order to publicly self-cleanse. None of this excuses the racist comment Imus made, which may ultimately result in his firing, and perhaps rightly so. But this hypocrisy is enough to make ya sick.

What's worse, as a society, we allow George Bush and his cronies to rape the constitution. We allow our government to lie about war and kill our young men and women in the process. We allow Republicans to cut funding for programs that benefit the poor and minorities. We allow voters in minority areas to be disenfranchised and their rights violated. We allow the oil companies to push fuel prices to record levels. We allow Republicans for ten years to keep the minimum wage at $5.15 per hour. And no one seems to give a shit because they're too busy obsessing over Anna Nicole Smith, Britany Spears and now Don Imus.

Wake up America. Nothing is going to change in this country until we get our priorities straight and demonstrate some consistency.


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmaking lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, the Independent Feature Project, and the Nantucket Film Festival. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" will hit theatres May 2nd. Early reviews have been terrific. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

The True Racism Behind the Don Imus Saga

Racism in 2007 America is no less shameful than it's been at any other period in our nation's 231 year history. There is simply no excuse, ever, for racial prejudice and intolerance, and that holds true for entertainers like Don Imus, who last week on his nationally-syndicated radio program referred to female basketball players from Rutgers University as "nappy-headed ho's." Was this comment despicable? Yes. Extremely inappropriate and highly insensitive? Of course. Just plain stupid? Without question. But are we to surmise from this comment that deep down in his core Don Imus is truly a racist? I think not. But the public outcry from people like the Rev. Al Sharpton serves to hold a mirror up to what is the real racism in America. The double-standard that exists between whites and blacks; the rules of engagement that are imposed upon us by the PC Police. Don Imus, reprehensible and irresponsible behavior aside, is now the victim of an even bigger racism.

Let me say first that I am no fan of Don Imus. I never listen to his show and I don't think he is funny. In fact, his incessant mumbling makes anything he says unintelligible in my opinion. But I have been listening these past several days only because of the incredible controversy surrounding him and this story. During this period, Imus has been taking a pounding from just about anyone who's gotten in line to have a swat at this alleged poster-boy for racism. As a result he's been on the receiving end of perhaps the biggest bitch-slapping in media history. And his personal mea culpas have been non-stop. On Monday he was pilloried for two hours by Sharpton on the black leader's own radio program. It was brutal. It was relentless. And it was wrong. What's really wrong with society today is that someone like Sharpton is allowed to capitalize on a stupid remark and exploit it to death to further his own racist agenda. Society says it's ok for a black man to publicly crucify a white man so long as that white man even skimmed the racism surface. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't remember Jesse Jackson being subjected to a two-hour on-air skewering after his infamous 1984 "HymieTown" comment. Was this anti-Semitic ccomment publicly condemned? Yes. Did Jackson pay a huge price politically for it? Yes. But did he have to sit through a two-hour flogging, which is what Sharpton perpetrated on Monday? No. That would've resulted in public cries of racism from the black community.

What about Sharpton himself, and his own highly checkered racial past? How did Rev. Al somehow end up as the standard-bearer of high morals and racial equality? How did someone who plays the race card to exploit every possible situation for his own self-aggrandizing selfish interests--as he did back in the late '80's with the sensational Tawana Brawley case--become the official voice of the racially oppressed? As Slate Magazine wrote in 2003: According to the Associated Press, Sharpton and Brawley's lawyers asserted "on 33 separate occasions" that a local prosecutor named Steven Pagones "had kidnapped, abused and raped" Brawley. There was no evidence, and Pagones was soon cleared. Sharpton then accused a local police cult with ties to the Irish Republican Army of perpetrating the alleged assault. The case fizzled when a security guard for Brawley's lawyers testified that the lawyers and Sharpton knew Brawley was lying. A grand jury investigation concluded in late 1988 that Brawley "was not the victim of forcible sexual assault" and that the whole thing was a hoax. The report specifically exonerated Pagones, and in 1998 Pagones won a defamation lawsuit against Sharpton, Brawley, and Brawley's lawyers. Sharpton was ordered to pay Pagones $65,000. Johnnie Cochran and other Sharpton benefactors subsidized the payment.

And what did white and black America subsequently bestow on this racial firebrand? The opportunity to run for U.S. president. Furthermore, Sharpton never subjected himself to the kind of public castration Imus himself was foolish enough to volunteer for.

Look, Imus is an idiot. We all know that. Just like Rush Limbaugh, who makes fun of handicapped people like Michael J. Fox. These babbling blowhards suffer from the kind of foot-in-mouth-disease that most of us never experience because we somehow know better than to make such moronic comments. But I do agree with Imus that there's a contextual element that needs to be considered here. Imus is not a journalist. He is not a politician. He is not an educator. He is a comedian. What Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Don Rickles, Lisa Lampanelli, Sarah Silverman, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and countless others have taught us is that under this comic umbrella certain people get to use the N word, make shit jokes, Jew jokes, aborted-baby jokes and mock the handicapped. That's what comedians do. They make fun of life and the people in it. Do they push the envelope? Absolutely. And they sometimes go too far. But does it make them racist? That's a tall order, and I'm just not buyin' it. Sorry. Imus' highly offensive remark needs to be viewed within the context of a comedian making a joke, albeit a horribly racist one, within a comedy program.

Imus is a bonehead. And he should be disciplined. He's been suspended for two weeks, and he's promised to tone down the insensitive rhetoric and use his radio show as a platform to help mend the racial divide. He deserves that chance. He's got a 35-year broadcast record that is not representative of that one stupid comment. As he's pointed out in his own defense, his charitable work on behalf of children with cancer (many of them black) and in finding a cure for sickle-cell anemia is well known. We live in a country where the punishment fits the crime. Firing Don Imus over his mistake does nothing to fight racism. To the country, it only fuels it in a much bigger way by giving inciters like Sharpton a much bigger voice, and a much stronger hand, in spewing their own racism. One could even ask the Rev. Al, a follower of Jesus and the Bible, about "forgiveness." That he fails to practice what he supposedly preaches only makes his ulterior motives even more suspect. Don Imus...Tawana Brawley...only the names have changed. For Al Sharpton, it's the same old story.

RuPaul Giuliani Says He's the Ultimate Tough Guy to Fight War & Terror

Former NYC Mayor RuPaul Giuliani would like us to believe that when it comes to fighting terrorists and Iraqi insurgents, he's best suited for the job. And he may actually be right...at least when it comes to pumps and Bob Mackie gowns. The NY Times on Saturday reported from the Giuliani campaign trail that the would-be Philanderer-in-Chief told supporters in South Carolina: "What they say in Washington is not going to affect the fact that there are terrorists around the world that are planning to come here and kill us. It is something I understand better than anyone else running for president."

Really? Just because he happened to be at the World Trade Center that fateful morning, running for his dust-covered life on national TV, qualifies him as a 911 hero? This is something I will never understand. Back in September 2001, Giuliani was nothing more than a lousy, racially-insensitive, mayor-turned-opportunist who exploited the nation's worst tragedy for his own political self-interests. Who will ever forget his shameless land-grab when he attempted to have the November election postponed so that New Yorkers could bask in his alleged greatness for several more months?

And now, the guy who never met a lacy beaded gown that he doesn't like, wants to be president and lead our military forces. Where is the outcry from Democrats? Giuliani is the GOP's frontrunner (and this writer's bet for most likely nominee), and the Democrats are so far looking a gift horse in the face and saying "no thanks." When the Repugs desperately wanted to win in '04, it didn't matter to them that John Kerry was a highly decorated enlisted Vietnam war hero. It didn't matter to them that Kerry had also been a successful prosecutor, like Giuliani. No, they chose to SwiftBoat his ass into oblivion. Think about that. Our guy was a decorated war hero and the ruthless Rovians convinced Americans that he wasn't tough enough to fight Iraq and Al Qaeda. And to discredit his bravery, his medals and his overall patriotism they rolled out a bunch of lying scum who claimed to have fought with him, and who claimed he was a military fraud. It was despicable. The Repugs also vilified Kerry using repeated film clips and sound bites from his emotional 1971/72 Winter Soldier anti-war testimony. They even showed him windsurfing, as if somehow this should disqualify him from office. One election later, their frontrunner shows every indication of being a closeted drag queen for Pete's sake, and Democrats refuse to fight fire with fire. They have multiple photos and film clips of RuPaul Giuliani dressed like (and I might add looking like) Shelly Winters and what are they doing with them? Nothing. It's infuriating. How do you think those photos would play in the Heartland? In the South? Across middle-America? Republican voters would likely be horrified, and it would instantly derail the whole tough-guy image that's propping up his candidacy. Just imagine what Rove would be doing with drag photos of Barack Obama or John Edwards. There'd be bloodshed.

If the Democrats ever want to inhabit the White House again, and if they truly want to show Americans that they are tough enough to handle war, then they need to start proving that they have the cajones to start battling their own enemy right here in Washington. And they can start by sending RuPaul Giuliani for a little SwiftBoat ride down the Beltway.


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmkaing lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, the Independent Feature Project, and the Nantucket Film Festival. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" will hit theatres May 2nd. Early reviews have been terrific. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

Too Many (Unqualified) Cooks in the Giuliani Kitchen?

On Friday evening Judy Guiliani will have her political coming out party on ABC’s "20/20" during a taped interview with correspondent Barbara Walters where she and hubby Rudy said that she could very well attend cabinet meetings and advise on policy in a Giuliani administration. Rudy currently leads the pack of 2008 GOP presidential hopefuls. Judy is a registered nurse. She is not qualified to attend such important senior-level gatherings, and certainly not equipped to deal with the serious subject matter that’s discussed in them. One unqualified Giuliani in the White House would be enough. Excuse me for being blunt here, but I don’t want Judy sitting in on cabinet meetings anymore than I want Rudy sitting in on my next rectal exam.

To be sure, most everyone consults their spouse at some point on sensitive work-related matters. But there’s a difference between a private, personal conversation between a husband and wife, and a "two-for-one" proclamation to the American public that the spouse could be injecting her opinions into the mix along with members of the president’s cabinet. Those of us with business partners can appreciate that the partner’s spouse is a likely confidant and advisor to him or her. But I don’t think that anyone would want that spouse attending our board meetings and shaping policy. That’s taking the spousal consultative role a bit too far. And there’s no place for it in Washington either.

Elected officials are just that: elected. Americans don’t vote for the spouses. They vote for who they believe to be the most experienced, capable candidates, and that’s who they expect to make policy. Not only is involving one’s spouse in presidential politics setting a dangerous precedent, such souped up involvement, as we saw with Hillary Clinton back in 1992 and ’93, can serve to undermine the president and the party’s overall agenda, weakening its position against the opposition. It can be a major distraction, and provide much needed fodder for the other party to go on the offensive.

We need to get back to the good old days in Washington where the president is the one who wears the pants in the White House. George Bush gave unprecedented power to VP Dick Cheney and the result was an unjust war and a raping of the Constitution. Bill Clinton gave unprecedented power to Hillary and it turned what should’ve been his presidential honeymoon into an embarrassing and exhausting battlefield with Republicans. There's so many reasons why we don't want Rudy Giuliani in the White House. Telling us now that his wife would be "his best advisor" is just the icing on the cake.

The Rudy & Judy Marital Mess

"Judy, Judy, Judy..." So you’ve been married three times, not two as you’ve previously reported. Judy Giuliani’s new revelation puts her in fine company: an astounding nine marriages between her, hubby Rudy and his 2008 presidential challenger Newt Gingrich. Maybe I’m missing something here, but this is the sacred institution that their party is trying to keep homosexuals from destroying? It’s this embarrassing hypocrisy that could have a very interesting impact on the next election.

Rudy Giuliani wants to be president. He wants it so bad he practically drools like a Pavlovian pup every time he talks about it. But is the country ready for him? More important, are conservatives ready for a thrice married, cross-dressing, pro-abortion candidate who shacked up with his gay pal after he cheated on his wife and left her for Judy, Judy, Judy? And the fact that his kids won’t talk with him because of it doesn’t help his image any.

While Rudy continues to maintain his front-runner status among Republicans, there is growing concern in GOP circles that his personal life is going to impede his political aspirations; that his campaign could implode as more juicy tidbits surface about his dysfunctional past (and present, if you count his penchant for Bob Mackey-type gowns and poorly applied make-up). His marital track record, his philandering, his estrangement from his kids and his strange dressing habits do not jive with the base and what it stands for. And his positions on the war don’t jive with the rest of the country. The only card he plays well, unjustifiably, is the terror card.

Let’s go back in time a bit. On September 10, 2001 Rudy Giuliani was a highly unpopular mayor of New York City with an abysmal 40% approval rating. He was viewed as an arrogant, stubborn bully insensitive to the plight of minorities and the poor, and with a weak record on everything except fighting crime. And somehow, by the sheer virtue that he was in office the following day, he has infuriatingly claimed the mantle of hero; the tough guy who can kick terror’s ass. And what did he actually do that day to merit such reverential status? He simply had the misfortune, like thousands of others, to be at the World Trade site that morning, only unlike thousands, he was lucky to run from the carnage and spare his own life...for all to see on the 6 o’clock news. It made for great political theatre, and it allowed a pretty crappy mayor to instantly gain the national currency necessary to further his dream of one day becoming a pretty crappy U.S. president.

Since September 11, 2001 The Honorable Drag Queen has exploited the worst tragedy in U.S. history at every turn, criss-crossing the country giving speech after self-aggrandizing speech about his larger-than-life status as a 911 hero. But as he seeks the most important job in the world, and as we approach the 2008 presidential election, no one should ever forget Randy Rudy’s attempt to circumvent America’s democratic principles for his own political gain. Let’s all remember how this narcissistic, shameless opportunist attempted to have New York’s November ‘01 mayoral election postponed so that the self-anointed great one could indefinitely stay in office and save the city as it dug itself out from its ghastly horror. This blatant disregard for our Democratic process, not the Rudy & Judy marital mess, is just one of the many reasons for keeping him out of the White House.


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmkaing lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, and the Independent Feature Project. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" will hit theatres May 2nd. Early reviews have been terrific. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

The Media's Castration During the Bush Presidency

The obligation of the media is to represent the people by serving as its watchdog over government. The bedrock of democracy is an educated, knowledgeable populace. As such, free press informs the public, holds leaders accountable, and provides a forum for debate of local and national issues. Freedom of the press is therefore a non-negotiable, fundamental prerequisite for a functional democracy. But since 2000, in the most secretive, media-hostile administration in our nation's history, the mainstream media has been neutered like a six-month old Labrador. It's allowed the Busheviks to rape the constitution with impunity, making a mockery of our sacred rule of law and turning the United States into a near Monarchy. As anyone who watches a White House press conference can attest to, the press fears speaking out against Bush, who has gotten a free pass for six years now despite having a presidency wrought with lies, corruption and miserable failure. And it's Americans who suffer as a result. If not for the advent of blogging and the power of 'netroots reporting, Bush would truly be king, and our citizenry would be completely ignorant of the truth.

If the press wanted to do its job it has plenty to work with, chiefly: (1) the failure of the Iraq war and the deception it was built on; (2) the colossal distraction of Iraq on the war against Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden and terrorism worldwide; (3) unprecedented criminal behavior by the president, his cabinet and several GOP leaders (CIA leak, illegal wiretappings, US attorney firings, etc). Why on Earth then is Bush continually allowed to duck the hotseat, like he was at a recent press conference when he blew off repeated questions about the Valerie Plame scandal with four "Pete, ain't gonna discuss that" deflections? Whatever happened to the media grabbing its nuts and demanding, "No, Mr. President, that is unacceptable from the President of the United States in times of crisis. The American people demand to know what your personal involvement was in this scandal." What the hell's going on in that White House Press Room these days? Bush says "I ain't gonna talk" and the media shoves its collective tail between its legs? How about embarrassing him to the point of capitulation. Or at least to the point of causing severe political damage to him and his party. Just what is the press so afraid of? Perhaps, as Dan Rather suggested last week on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, they're just too darned cushy with the Bushies and don't want to lose their coveted access and dinner invites.

Back in the 90's, the Repugs crucified Bill Clinton for lying under oath. To this day, they still refer to this "lying under oath" as the foundation of their legal and moral justification for Bubba's impeachment. Yet these hypocrites all refuse to testify to anything under oath--be it to the 911 Commission or to the Judiciary Committee regarding the current attorney firings scandal--because they know damn well just how much they're guilty of lies, deception and treason.

To the U.S. mainstream free press, wake up and do your job already and stop letting this president and his crooked cohorts walk all over you.


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of assisting women filmmakers. As you may know, Adrienne was brutally killed in NYC on November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmkaing lives on. We've finalized a scholarship with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; and grants with Columbia University, American Film Institute, NY Women in Film and Television, and the Independent Feature Project. Other initiatives will follow. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Adrienne's film "Waitress" will hit theatres May 2nd. Early reviews have been terrific. A link to the trailer is below. Enjoy.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/waitress/trailer/

Newt and Rudy’s Skeletons Could Fill Ten Closets (and BTW...Hannity Still Running Scared From Ostroy)

While Newt Gingrich was rabidly leading the 1998 crucifixion of Bill Clinton over his affair with Monica Lewinsky, the former House Speaker himself was dipping his libidinous joystick into the cookie jar of a young congressional aide behind wife #2's back. His mistress later became wife #3. The real question, as Bill Maher asked incredulously, is that "someone fucked Newt Gingrich?!" All kidding aside, the hypocrisy is mind-numbing. While he was gallivanting around DC ruining his wife's life, he was arrogantly justifying his own shameless indiscretions while holding the former president to a much higher standard. The old Republican do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do philosophy.

"The president of the United States got in trouble for committing a felony in front of a sitting federal judge," the Georgia Republican told Focus on the Family founder James Dobson in an interview last week.

Gingrich drew a line back then between his own philandering and that of Clinton by taking the moral high ground in defending America's rule of law: "I have no choice except to move forward and say that you cannot accept ... perjury in your highest officials." Poppycock. He was an out-of-control, power-drunk Republican who ruthlessly and mercilessly castrated, and publicly chastised, his Democratic rival in an effort to shift the political landscape. And he succeeded. Clinton was impeached by the House that year, although he was acquitted by the Senate in '99.

So now Newt Gingrich, the same guy who broke the news to wife #1 that he was leaving her as she was recovering from cancer surgery, wants to be our next president, and he's trying to come clean in an effort to win the conservative vote. His strategy is to get the skeletons out, and out early. Between the affair, his multiple marriages and his embarrassing, scandalous fall from power, it's going to be an uphill climb. But at least we know that if Newt did become president, while he might very well continue his cheating ways, he swears he'd never lie about it under oath. Now that's integrity.

And then there's that other 2008 GOP hopeful, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Like Gingrich, Rudy's also got three marriages under his belt, but unlike Newt, he's been photographed in drag almost as much as Ru Paul. Is this Rudy's idea of showing America that he can be as good a woman president as Hillary? He also must deal with the question of his relationship with his two kids, with whom he's estranged. Seems they don't like the way Pa treated Ma (wife #2 Donna Hanover) as he was dumping her for wife #3, Judy Nathan (man, you need a scorecard to keep track of these guys!). Again as Maher joked, 'the only Republican in this race who respects marriage is the Mormon,' Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Wow, I'm dizzy. Newt and Rudy. Six marriages. Infidelity. Dressing in drag. Estrangement from the kids. And these are the "family values" folks?? Al Gore, are you listening???

So what will the Democrats do with all this dirt? Can you imagine what the Rovians would do if they had drag photos of Barack Obama? Jeez, just look what they did to John Kerry when he was caught windsurfing. You'd think the man had been caught writhing on a stripper's pole. Could you imagine how filthy dirty they'd play if they had a picture of John Edwards, the man they disrespectfully and childishly refer to as the "Breck Girl," wearing a dress? Or a shot of Hillary in a suit and tie? There'd be no stopping them. And ya know what? We need to fight fire with fire. The Democrats need to roll out these drag photos of Rudy everywhere. At every turn. And ask America if this is the sort of man they want protecting them in times of war and terror. Lord knows that's exactly what the Repugs would do to our candidate if they had the chance, just as they've done so often in the past. And while we're at it, let's keep reminding voters that between them, Newt and Rudy haven more marriages than the Gabor sisters. Not something to be proud of. And let's demand an answer from Rudy as to why his kids won't talk with him. Hell, in '04 they trashed our guy for windsurfing and being a war hero. We certainly can beat that.


Update on Sean Hannity's Courage: He has none. Still waiting for the brash blowhard to choose live debate vs the safety of hiding behind his microphone to bash me in absentia. C'mon Sean, grow some nuts, will ya? This liberal's challenging you to a verbal duel, and you're shakin' in your boots. Hannity and his producers refuse to respond to repeated calls and emails after my initial call....when producer Jennie Lubart (212) 301-5715, Jennie.Lubart@FOXNEWS.COM) said..."Hmmm, interesting idea, let me discuss with my senior producer." I guess they discussed it and decided it was best to stick to the strategy of having Sean bash people when they're not around to defend themselves. Put me on the air, Sean, and I'll destroy you with facts and truth.


On another subject......we could use your help at The Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated in my wife's honor to help carry out her spirit and passion, with the goal of providing scholarships and grants to women filmmakers. And we're already underway: We've just made plans with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts to provide an annual Adrienne Shelly Foundation Scholarship; and at Columbia University's graduate school an Adrienne Shelly Foundation Grant to an end-of-year student film competition finalist. Other initiatives will soon be finalized as well. As many of you know, Adrienne was brutally killed here in NYC on November 1st. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and to make a donation. Every little contribution helps preserve Adrienne's legacy, and to help create something positive out of this horrible tragedy. Thank you.

Hannity Still Hiding From Ostroy. Why is He So Afraid of an On-Air Debate?

It's Day Three of "Sean Hannity Shows Just What a Coward He Really Is." Earlier in the week I was told that on his radio program Tuesday "The Hannitizer" berated me and ripped apart an ABCNEWS.com piece I wrote about Al Gore's likely 2008 presidential candidacy. All without me being there to confront him. The man who derives great pleasure from calling liberals "weak" and "cowards" is himself the biggest wuss of all. He'd rather bash someone on the air unchallenged than go head-to-head in debate and be outed in front of his audience as a fraud. He knows exactly how much he lies to them, and he refuses to have anyone on who'll use facts and the truth to skillfully and aggressively refute his GOP nonsense. Why else would he pair himself on television with Alan Colmes? Colmes couldn't win a fight against a bunch of Girl Scouts, for Pete's sake.

As I wrote Thursday, I called Hannity's producer, Jennie Lubart, and offered to go live with Sean. Haven't heard a peep. And I suspect I won't. Here's her contact info if you'd like to give her a shout and tell you'd like to see me get on the air her weak-kneed boss: (212) 301-5715, Jennie.Lubart@FOXNEWS.COM.

Stay tuned.

"And Now, Heeeeerrrrre's Johnny!" How TV Talk Shows Today Can Swing An Election

It’s a phenomenon that Bill Clinton perfected with his 1992 saxaphone-playin’ performance on Arsenio Hall: presidential-candidate-as-cool-TV-talk-show-guest. The goal? All you need is a musical instrument or some witty repartee and your likeability quotient will propel you into the White House. It worked for Bubba. Trailing in the polls, many believe his rendition of “Heartbreak Hotel” was the turning point in his campaign. Since then, every major candidate has bantered with the likes of Jay Leno, David Letterman, Oprah and has “chilled” with the MTV crowd. Some more successfully than others.

Ever since the infamous 1960 presidential debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon we’ve learned that a candidate’s telegenic appeal can mean the difference between winning and losing. Those seeking the nation’s top job are now regularly paraded before the cameras like the Flying Wallendas on a political tightrope. The pressure to be funny and appealing is immense. As Sen. John Kerry deftly demonstrated in 2004, not everyone is up for the task.

With the 2008 race heating up, let’s look at some of the top candidates on both sides of the aisle. Take Sen. John McCain, for example, who’ll be appearing on Thursday’s Letterman show. Here’s a guy whose presidential aspirations are larger than life, yet he’s as stiff as a board. So stiff in fact that his upper lip refuses to move, making him appear like his own ventriloquist dummy. When he speaks, all that’s missing is the string in the back of his head and someone pulling it. So does appearing with Dave make McCain any more appealing? To me, he could dance with Shakira and it wouldn’t change a thing.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is another story. An engaging chap, he’s usually full of humorous anecdotes and a big toothy grin. He’s charming and witty, and, both his lips move, which is a real asset when up against McCain. The camera loves him.

On the left, Sen. Barack Omaba is a bonafide rock star. In some circles, put him on a talk show and he can make you forget Shakira. Now that’s star power. He will only benefit tremendously by appearing on these shows. And I predict he will do as many of them as he can, possibly ruling out only Jerry Springer and Talk Sex with Sue Johanson.

Former Sen. John Edwards is generally a very entertaining, likeable guest, but so is Ashton Kutcher…and neither of them in my opinion is going to become president.

The oh-so-coy, I’m- not-running Al Gore stands to gain tremendously by his continued appearances all over the tube. Long lambasted as a wonkish bore, Gore’s shown an incredible sense of humor and a general ease before the camera. When (not if) he announces he’s running (likely in September), look for him to be everywhere…even on Springer and Sue Johanson. That’s right…Talk Sex with Al Gore. Now what would be cooler than that?

That brings us to the Big Kahuna, Sen. Hillary Clinton. With her hard-as-stone, polarizing reputation, she could score home run after home run on the talk show circuit, as she often comes off girly and giggly at the same time she’s brilliant and presidential.

Lastly, what about our current president, George W. Bush? Well, by law he can’t run again, so we won’t be seeing him on any talk shows in the near future. But if he could run again, Letterman’s “Stupid Human Tricks” would be the perfect segment.