Republican celebrities get the party going
The GOP's uninvited guest, Hurricane Gustav, initially cast a pall over festivities at the Republican National Convention this week, but by Wednesday the party was popping.
Actor Jon Voight made the rounds; so did singer Pat Boone (easy to spot in white suit and boots). Former Nixon speechwriter turned actor and columnist Ben Stein worked the convention floor between appearances on CNN. Five for Fighting's John Ondrasik, a John McCain fan who donated to the senator at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills in June, performed at a downtown nightclub. Singers Aimee Allen and Sara Evans serenaded political maverick (a popular word here this week) Ron Paul at his parallel gathering of the faithful across the river from the more conventional Republicans, who somehow had resisted Paul's charms.
Longtime McCain supporter Robert Duvall made an aural appearance as the narrator of one of the convention's mini-documentaries, and LeAnn Rimes sang for the GOP faithful at the party aptly called "Red, Rhythm & Rimes."
In Denver, where the Dems gathered, the parties were nonstop and the celebrity wattage was high enough to light the Las Vegas Strip. No one expected that sort of glitz here. But that meant that the celebs who did show up became major attractions on the convention scene.
Maybe the biggest star of the week was Fred Thompson, the only participant with one foot firmly planted in Hollywood and the other in electoral politics. (Thompson is unique because unlike, say, Ronald Reagan or Arnold Schwarzenegger, he came to Hollywood from politics, rather than the other way around.)
Thompson, who delivered a rousing speech Tuesday night at the convention, joined a group of reporters for breakfast Wednesday morning, where he talked about his Hollywood plans. This led to a discussion of an alleged blacklist against McCain supporters and other Republicans in the entertainment industry.
"I would be happy just to be listed," he said with a chuckle, dismissing the possibility that Hollywood is discriminating against anyone who could make money on camera. Producers and casting directors are "more interested in the bottom line than they are your politics," the former Tennessee senator said.
When asked by a reporter if he planned to return to acting, he quipped: "I'm gratified you think I never stopped."
