Wilshire & Washington

What Wasn't Asked

At the Kodak Theater debate, there were no questions about global warming. It was a curious omission, given that a question was posed to John McCain at the CNN debate on Wednesday.

Environmental activist Laurie David, executive producer of "An Inconvenient Truth," showed up at the Kodak on Thursday to deliver some 225,000 petitions calling on the media to stop ignoring the issue of global warming. The petitions are part of the What Are They Waiting For campaign launched by the League of Conservation Voters.

The group says that the Sunday talk show hosts have interviewed the candidates more than 175 times and have asked more than 3,000 questions, but they have mentioned the words "global warming" or "climate change" in six questions. 

David worked the press room to get her message across --- although she did not stay for the debate. She also said that she has yet to decide who to support in the presidential race. She did seem pleased that McCain chose Solar Integrated Technologies to make his announcement that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would be endorsing him.

The petitions also were delivered to ABC's offices in Washington.

The League of Conservation Voters was a bit encouraged by the Republican debate. All four remaining candidates said that they would side with Schwarzenegger in his effort to get a federal waiver so that California can enact tougher auto emissions standards.

"I side with states to be able to make their own regulations with regards to emissions within their own states," Mitt Romney said.

Romney, however, backpedaled a bit when his campaign released a statement saying that while he supports state's rights, he doesn't support them in the case of CO2 emissions. So essentially, he doesn't support a waiver.

Said the League, "Romney would win an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics for that flip-flop. In the span of one night he reversed his position."

The Scene Outside

Given the pleasantries exchanged by the candidates, you'd think they left the real fighting between their campaigns to the mosh pit of supporters that gathered in the center of the Hollywood & Highland shopping complex.

Their chants were so great that CNN's Wolf Blitzer had trouble controlling the noise so he could do interviews on "The Situation Room."

As there tends to be on Hollywood Boulevard, there was some guy on a bullhorn --- and he was delivering messages about Obama and Clinton rather than about God and being saved.

The great thing was seeing the political engagement in a city that normally gets stereotyped as obsessively focused on celebrity. The star contingent in the audience certainly gives the media ammo to make that claim, not to mention the ongoing Britney saga. But at least among the Walk of Fame stars and Grauman's Chinese footprints, there was a sense of excitement about the upcoming primary and that it will matter --- at last.

Photos: Karen Ocamb

Covering the Arrivals

It wasn't a rope line or red carpet, more like hanging out around the elevator bank.

But LA Observed contributor Jacob Soboroff captured a few of the celebrities as they walked into the debate.

He asked Antonio Villaraigosa, Diane Keaton and Stevie Wonder whether the media's horse race coverage helps or hinders participation. It's part of Soboroff's "Why Tuesday?" project.

The Entertainment Question

Given the level of Hollywood's political involvement in the election, it's amazing how little actual questions about the entertainment industry are discussed with candidates at fund-raisers and other events.

But it was not lost on CNN, the Los Angeles Times and the Politico, the sponsors of the debate.

Doyle McManus posed a question to Barack Obama about sex and violence --- what I think is the only time that the issue has come up in a debate this campaign cycle.

Here's the transcript:

MCMANUS:  Senator Obama, we're in Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world.  The audience here in the Kodak Theatre includes many of the nation's most influential directors, producers and actors.  Now, for many years, parents have worried that there's just too much sex and violence coming out of Hollywood.  Do you agree with that?  And if you do, what will you do about it if you're elected president?

OBAMA:  Well, I've got a 9-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old daughter.  So I look at this not just as a legislator or a presidential candidate, but as a parent.  And as a parent, yes, I am concerned about what's coming over the airwaves.  Now, right now, my daughters mostly are on Nickelodeon, but they know how to work that remote.

(LAUGHTER)

And, you know, the primary responsibility is for parents.  And I reject the notion of censorship as an approach to dealing with this problem.

(APPLAUSE)

I do think that it is important for us to make sure that we are giving parents the tools that they need in order to monitor what their children are watching.  And, obviously, the problem we have now is not just what's coming over the airwaves, but what's coming over the Internet.  And so for us to develop technologies and tools and invest in those technologies and tools, to make sure that we are, in fact, giving parents power -- empowering parents I think is important.  The one other thing I will say is -- I don't mean to be insulting here -- but I do think that it is important for those in the industry to show some thought about who they are marketing some of these programs that are being produced to.

(APPLAUSE)

And I'm concerned about sex, but I'm also concerned, you know, some of the violent, slasher, horror films that come out, you see a trailer, and I'm thinking, "I don't want my 6-year-old or 9-year-old seeing that trailer while she's watching 'American Idol.'"

And sometimes you see that kind of stuff coming up.  I think it is appropriate, in a cooperative way, to work with the industry to try to deal with that problem.  And I intend to work in that fashion when I'm president of the United States of America.

Photos: WireImage.

Hollywood Loves the Democrats

That was surely the message from CNN's coverage of the Democratic debates --- chalk full of images of Leonardo DiCaprio and Diane Keaton and many other stars sitting in the audience. The camera panned to Rob Reiner so many times that you would have thought that he was hosting the proceedings.

The front row seats --- which they would surely get on Oscar night --- were reserved for the likes of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

To be fair, Hollywood doesn't just support Democratic candidates, as there was a celebrity contingent out at the Reagan Library at the Republican debate on Wednesday.

But in the spirit of the Kodak Theater, here's who the New York Times gave awards to:

Tonight, Senators Clinton and Obama faced off in the Kodak Theatre, the home of the Academy Awards… And the Oscars go to:

Actor in a leading role: Barack Obama – For his performance as Clinton’s “friend” after snubbing her three days earlier.
Actress in a leading role: Hillary Clinton – For her performance reaching out her hand in “friendship and unity” for three days.
Writing (Adaptation of a Screenplay): Hillary Clinton – For rewriting her record.
Writing (Original Screenplay): Barack Obama – For writing fiscal and security policy proposals with virtually no experience.
Picture: The Democrats’ skewed vision for higher taxes and weaker security.
Director: John Edwards – For dictating the first 15 minutes.
Cinematography: CNN – For capturing Hollywood’s love of the Democratic candidates.”

Photo: New York Times

Civil Discourse

Before a crowd of celebrities, industry donors and politicos, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama engaged in their final encounter before Super Tuesday in a Hollywood debate where substance often trumped style.

Sure, there was a carnival atmosphere outside the Kodak Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, where the usual assortment of costumed superheroes and characters wore campaign buttons, and some in the audience were decked in gowns and high heels, as if it were Oscar night.

Just about everyone who entered the theater viewed it as a sense of history, not just because the possible first female president was facing off against the first African-American president, but because their hard fought battle for the nomination had so much riding on this evening. For many voters, it is the last time they will see the candidates in an extended format before 22 states go to the polls on Feb. 5.

But the debate between the two candidates was civil, and extensive time was devoted to the differences between the two candidates on health care, immigration, the mortgage crisis and, of course, Iraq.

One contention was on their various plans to get out of Iraq. Obama has said that he would get troops out in 16 months after the inauguration, but Clinton has not set a specific end date.

"I've been very clear in saying that I will begin to withdraw troops in 60 days," Clinton said. "I believe that it will take me one to two brigades a month, depending on how many troops we have there, and that nearly all of them should be out within a year. It is imperative, though, that we actually plan and execute this right."

Obama, however, argued that a specific plan is needed to send a message to the Iraqi government. "It can't be muddy. It can't be fuzzy," he said. "They've got to know we are serious about the process. And I also think we've got to be very clear about what our mission is."

But their tiffs were over the issues, right down to nuance, compared to the past debate, when each candidate came prepared with a collection of opposition research on the other.

In fact, given the body language of the candidates, you'd wonder what all of the fuss was about over the past two weeks, and whether there ever was any kind of bitterness.

Obama, accused of snubbing Clinton earlier this week at the State of the Union address, at times guided Clinton to her chair on stage, and appeared to laugh together with her at the end. By the same token, when Wolf Blitzer noted that Obama had made a veiled swipe at Clinton's record on Iraq and Iran, the New York senator didn't take the bait.

"Really?" she said, in a bit of irreverence. "We're having a wonderful time."

While issues dominated much of the forum, and perhaps helped tamp down the fireworks, the debate touched on the underlying difference between both campaigns --- change vs. experience.

Clinton drew the biggest applause of the night when she was asked about why voters should continue the Bush-Clinton dynasty.

"You know, it did take a Clinton to clean up after the first Bush and I think it might take another one to clean up after the second Bush," she said.

Yet unintended laughs came in the form of one of Blitzer's questions, about the Clinton years of the 90s. "Should they be remembering those eight years with pleasure?" Perhaps "pleasure" wasn't the right choice of words.

Blitzer also got some boos when he asked Clinton whether she was "naive" in trusting President Bush in authorizing the use of force in Iraq.

"Nice try, Wolf," Clinton said, before going into a lengthy explanation of her vote, including "legitimate concerns" that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

In the audience were Stevie Wonder, Steven Spielberg, Pierce Brosnan, Diane Keaton, Rob Reiner, Leonardo DiCaprio, Garry Shandling, Bradley Whitford and Sherry Lansing, among others.

The heavy industry presence apparently inspired a question to Obama about sex and violence on TV. While concerned about it, he said, "I reject the notion of censorship as an approach to solving this problem." He did call on industry executives to limit the marketing of violent movies when children are watching.

Obama and Clinton sat together at a three-person desk with just two chairs --- the empty spot having been for John Edwards, who dropped out on Wednesday. On this night, he wasn't going for style or substance, but sports. He was attending a college basketball game.

Live from the Debate

I am in the debate hall, where the well dressed gathering of politicos and major donors are almost all seated, and Wolf Blitzer is now on stage. He couldn't resist: "...And the Oscar goes to..."

The irony is that, if the strike goes on, there may be more famous figures (mostly political) in the audience tonight than the date of the Oscar ceremony.

"This is an exciting moment," Blitzer said, echoing a theme that has been

Blitzer just opened it up to questions.

"Where's Anderson?" someone asked, to audience laughs.

"Anderson worked last nigt," Blitzer said, wryly adding, "Thank you."

A bittersweet moment for Edwards supporters: The candidates will be seated at a three-person desk, but it has only two chairs.

Someone has just asked Blitzer what his favorite movie of all time. He says it is "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

"Just get ready for history because you will be present at this historic event."

In the audience: Carl Reiner, and Steven Spielberg was on the guest list. Also present: former Governor Gray Davis and just about every Democratic state official.

The shocking thing is just how many empty seats there are --- given that they were so hard to get.

CNN Scores in GOP Debate

CNN's coverage of the GOP debate at the Reagan Library drew 4.02 million viewers, making it the fourth most-watched debate on cable.

On the Boulevard

The scene on Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Kodak Theater is a circus. As usual, vendors are out selling T-shirts --- but they are of the Hillary and Barack variety.

The usual cast of costumed superheroes and movie icons are still out in full force, some wearing their political stripes. But the Clinton campaign probably wouldn't appreciate the slasher from "Scream" wearing a Hillary sticker. Supporters are everywhere brandishing campaign signs as CNN's Wolf Blitzer does "The Situation Room" from the boulevard.

In the theater, things are still relatively quiet, but it will fill up soon. CNN reports that tickets are being sought online for $100-plus.

Arnold: McCain is "Extraordinary Leader"

As expected, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave his backing to John McCain this morning, calling him an "extraordinary leader" who can unite two parties.

According to ABC News, Schwarzenegger cited McCain's efforts in improving the environment and at limiting "wasteful spending." He also called McCain "a great American hero."

They appeared together at a morning ceremony at Solar Integrated Technologies.

Joining them was Rudy Giuliani, whose national policy director, Bill Simon, joined the McCain campaign today as national policy co-chair.

Hollywood Heat

That, and other news, in today's Political Panorama.

Updated

Politicos, key Hollywood donors and top political journalists will be sitting in spots usually reserved for Oscar nominees tonight when Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton take to the stage at the Kodak Theater for the final presidential debate before Super Tuesday.  More than 500 journalists have been credentialed, so comparisons to Hollywood's big Academy Award night are inevitable.

Both candidates and their surrogates are stumping in Los Angeles and the rest of California through the weekend, even if most polls still give Clinton a wide lead in the state.

After the forum, Obama will speak to supporters at a fund-raiser at Hollywood nightclub Avalon, while Clinton attends a gathering at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

And You Thought...: This will be the last debate before Feb. 5, but not the last candidate forum. On Saturday, MySpace, MTV and the Associated Press are hosting what is being called "Closing Arguments: A Presidential Dialogue." Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul will appear individually to answer unfiltered questions from a youth audience at MTV's Times Square studios.

Stars on Stump: USA Today looks at the state of celebrities on the trail. The verdict: They are being deployed quite a bit more this year, perhaps because of the "Oprah effect." She was willing to get involved in partisan politics, so why not they? There has been some fallout. James Denton, who campaigned with John Edwards, says, "I've gotten a surprising amount of mail from unhappy fans, some real conservatives who say that they're disappointed in you and will never watch your show again. It's been eye-opening."

Where To Now?: With John Edwards dropping out, that leaves people like Susan Sarandon candidate-less. She, too, campaigned extensively for him. In an interview with Time.com (before Edwards dropped out), she wasn't exactly gung-ho about Hillary.

"There's absolutely no reason why a woman shouldn't be in that office, but I am not sure about this woman. It's insulting to assume that because you're a woman or a person of color, you would automatically back any woman or person of color. It's a little more complicated."

Switching to Obama: David Mixner, a prominent Edwards supporter in the gay community, is going for Obama, my fellow blogger Karen Ocamb reports. Mixner told GayWired.com, "Like many of his devoted supporters, I feel a great sadness at the loss of this critical voice in the Presidential race. Edwards, alone at times, represented a powerful voice for the poor of America and for bringing our troops home from Iraq. His articulate and passionate advocacy on these issues kept them in the forefront of this campaign season. He was uncompromising in his determination to put our troops on planes and bring them home. He insisted that we face the issue of poverty in America and stop turning our backs on the plight of American poverty."

Arnold's Sideshow

In the press room at the Reagan Library --- actually a very chilly tented space near the Air Force One hangar where the debate was held --- journalists struggled with where to put Arnold in their stories.

Is he the lead, or is the debate the story?

Just as the debate was starting came the news that Schwarzenegger would endorse McCain, even though he refused to say so just minutes earlier at a short press conference.

The announcement will be made on Thursday in Los Angeles, and apparently Schwarzenegger held off revealing it himself because he didn't want to upstage Rudy Giuliani's announcement. McCain will appear with the governor at a press conference at Solar Integrated Technologies in Los Angeles.

In the post-debate "Spin Room," Rob Stutzman, a former adviser to Schwarzenegger now working as an adviser to Romney, was careful in explaining how it isn't a major blow for his candidate.

He said, "In California, I don't think it is a huge impact. Schwarzenegger has been a great governor and is very popular with Republicans. But Republicans, while grateful and fans, also know that he is not necessarily a conservative. And this race will be decided by where the conservatives go on Tuesday, who they will coalesce around. And I don't think they will take whole a lot of cues from what the governor does or even what Rudy Giuliani does, even though I think they are very popular with conservatives. It doesn't necessarily translate into attracting conservative votes for John McCain."

Still uncertain is what will happen to Giuliani supporters, particularly those in Hollywood. It's likely that many will go to McCain, although they may not take an active role in the process like they have in the past year. And that is where it really hurts: Because his campaign started and ended in Florida, it never even got to California. He was supposed to have a Hollywood fund-raiser this evening, but that was obviously scuttled when he dropped out today.

Obama's Gay Gold Mine

In the new LA Weekly, Patrick Range McDonald profiles Jeremy Bernard and Rufus Gifford, the fund-raising consultants and gay couple who have been raising much of the money in Los Angeles for the Barack Obama campaign.

Among other things, they were instrumental in raising some $850,000 at a recent Obama fund-raiser in Pacific Palisades that drew Mike Medavoy, Bill Paxton and Richard Zanuck --- who rarely donates to Democrats.

McDonald writes, "With Hillary Clinton's powerful political machine pounding away at the Obama campaign, with each primary costing more and more money to fend off the attacks through television and radio ads, and with the need to send out Obama's own message leading up to Super Duper Tuesday, Bernard and Gifford are pivotal players in his continuing survival and hoped-for nomination as the Democratic candidate for president."

But they also have had influence on the candidate and gay causes. Obama, for instance, was the first of the candidates to agree to attend last August's Logo debate on gay issues. They are ex-officio advisers to the Obama campaign on gay issues --- and McDonald follows them along to Las Vegas, where they attended a rather cringe-worthy reception organized by the Human Rights Campaign.

Writes McDonald, "Two days before the Nevada Democratic caucus on January 19, Bernard is stuck inside the Caramel Lounge at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, attending a gay social mixer disguised as a political event. Jean Smart, the blond actress from the 1980s TV show Designing Women, begs the three dozen or so gays in the room to vote for U.S. Senator John Edwards.

"He's made it be known that he's not comfortable with gay marriage," she tells the boys, "but he's such a great leader, and he's very passionate."

"Bernard stands there, staring at Smart and grinding his teeth. The Human Rights Campaign, one of the most high-profile gay-rights groups in the country and host of the mixer, has invited celebrities to pitch their favorite candidates. No star shows up to back Hillary Clinton, but an actress from Grey's Anatomy is there for Obama. Bernard sees it as amateur hour — an insulting and embarrassing reminder of the old guard, or Old Gay, approach to politics.

"Straight celebrities to woo the gay vote in 2008? It's as if time had suddenly reverted back to 1992, when Bernard worked on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign."

Photo: Ted Soqui of LA Weekly.

In the House of Reagan

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. --- Everything was set up for drama at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Wednesday for what may be the final Republican presidential debate of the primary season.

The place, after all, is marked with an Air Force jet that evokes the era of "Top Gun," and fittingly the candidates were placed on a stage framed by the Gipper's Air Force One.

Confrontation was in script, and they delivered.

In a moment that will undoubtedly be replayed over the next news cycle, Romney challenged McCain's contention --- laid out during the Florida primary race over the past week --- that he actually supported the idea of "timetables" in Iraq.  So worked up was Romney that he struggled to get the word "unequivocally" out of his mouth, part of his way of insisting that he would support no such thing.

"It is absolutely wrong," Romney said, as McCain sat back in his chair with a kind of sly grin.

Romney hit him with everything, even the idea that these were "dirty tricks that Ronald Reagan would have found reprehensible."

McCain continued to just grin, at one point rubbing something off his tie as if not even paying attention to his chief rival. He pointed to all of Romney's attack ads on him, noting, a bit bitterly, "a lot of it is your own money. You can spend it all."

Finally, it was Ron Paul who largely put an end to it when he said, "We have these silly arguments about who said what when."

It was hard not to agree that this was engaging to watch. The audience --- which industry figures like Grammer and Joel Surnow, the executive producer of "24" --- was somewhat muted compared to past debates, but this forum was more exclusive than others.

In survey after survey, voters insist that they watch debates to get a sense of the issues. But who wouldn't say that? The rhetorical play-by-plays gave way to personality a long time ago, and viewers don't seem to mind. As the field of candidates whittles down by the day, ratings for each debate seem to just keep going up, a new kind of reality show in a prime time landscape of reruns and reality shows that don't really mean anything.

CNN, co-sponsoring the debate with the Los Angeles Times and the Politico, had little trouble pumping up the moment.

This was McCain's day, and he probably didn't even have to say much on this evening to still come out ahead. Just hours earlier, with an entourage that included supporter Kelsey Grammer, Rudy Giuliani appeared with McCain in the media "spin room" to announce that he was endorsing him. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared before the press later, but was cagey about a McCain endorsement. It leaked out anyway.

So Romney, it seemed, had to do something to get back in the swing of the race.

Seated right next to McCain, he shifted his seat a bit away from him. In the first hour, he went after McCain with well-worn policy points: That the Arizona senator favored liberal immigration proposals ("the McCain-Kennedy bill"), that his campaign finance reforms backfired, that he didn't vote for the Bush tax cuts, that he was endorsed by the "liberal" New York Times.

"I was endorsed by your two hometown newspapers that know you best," McCain retorted.

Sure, the tiffs didn't equal their media billing, and how could they? McCain is 71, and isn't exactly an attack machine, and Romney rarely if ever gets steamed up enough to let a hair fall out of place. And by an large they were civil throughout the 90 minutes, and shook hands in the end. And when it came to brush offs, the only one who seemed to have gotten the cold shoulder  was moderator Anderson Cooper, who repeatedly tried to ask the candidates about the George W. Bush years --- whether we are better off than we were 8 years ago. They would have none of it. By and large, McCain and Romney dodged.

Instead this was an exercise in proving who could really capture Reagan's magic --- and they both competed to set themselves up as the natural heir.

With Nancy Reagan in the audience, McCain said he was a "foot soldier in the Reagan revolution." Romney noted repeatedly that he was in the "house that Reagan built."

Paul and Mike Huckabee also sought the coattails of the Great Communicator, not to mention CNN itself. At one point, Cooper brandished the actual Reagan diary, a Bible of conservatism that nevertheless contained a passage of Reagan's praise for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a supporter of abortion rights.

Suddenly, they were struck with the reality of Reagan nuance.

So would they have chosen O'Connor?

"I am not going to come to the Reagan library and say anything about Ronald Reagan's decisions," said Huckabee, otherwise sidelined for much of the forum. "I'm not that stupid."

Yes, it would be dramatic if he actually disagreed with the Gipper, but it was just not in the script.

 

Schwarzenegger: Will He Endorse McCain?

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was cagey on whether he will follow Rudy Giuliani and endorse John McCain.

Speaking to reporters at the Reagan Library, he said "I have no news today." There has been increasing speculation that he will throw his support behind McCain, perhaps on Thursday. The Los Angeles Times reports that the governor already has made the decision.

But Schwarzenegger said that he was proud that California will play such a major role in the nomination contests on Super Tuesday.

"This becomes the big prize --- who wins the primaries on the Democratic side and the Republican side."

Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger's kin-by-marriage, Sen. Edward Kennedy, is scheduled to make a campaign stop for Barack Obama in Los Angeles on Friday.

Giuliani Endorses McCain

As expected, Rudy Giuliani has endorsed John McCain.

The former New York mayor was smiling as he came into a press conference at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, and he joined McCain on stage for a short statement and press conference.

With Giuliani was an entourage that included actor Kelsey Grammer, who had endorsed him, and Bill Simon, who was leading his campaign in California. Other Giuliani supporters are here as well, and I have to say that the mood is pretty much shell shock, particularly given the fact that Giuliani had devoted so much time to California.

"If I endorsed anyone else, you would say I was flip flopping," Giuliani told the throng of reporters gathered.

McCain and Giuliani called each other national heroes, with McCain citing an instance in 2001 when the Arizona Diamondbacks faced off against the New York Yankees in the World Series. McCain took him to the game at the Phoenix stadium, and when the Jumbotron flashed on the image of Giuliani, the stadium of Diamondback fans cheered.

Noting McCain's come-from-behind wins in early voting states, Giuliani said, "Watching where he was and where he came from made me admire him even more."

They spoke in the debate "spin room," on a podium that resembled the layout of the White House press room.

After their press conference, McCain shook hands with Giuliani supporters (such as Simon), some apparently for the first time.

Special Delivery

Laurie David and a coalition of environmental and progressive groups plan to deliver petitions to Wolf Blitzer on Thursday calling on the media to "stop ignoring global warming when interviewing presidential candidates."

David will deliver some 225,000 signatures to the Kodak Theater, where the Democratic presidential debate is being held later in the afternoon. The effort includes the League of Conservation Voters and MoveOn.org Political Action, in addition to other groups.

Edwards: Dropping Bid "So History Can Blaze Its Path"

Here's the full text of John Edwards' announcement in New Orleans to drop out:

Thank you all very much. We're very proud to be back here.

During the spring of 2006, I had the extraordinary experience of bringing 700 college kids here to New Orleans to work. These are kids who gave up their spring break to come to New Orleans to work, to rehabilitate houses, because of their commitment as Americans, because they believed in what was possible, and because they cared about their country.

I began my presidential campaign here to remind the country that we, as citizens and as a government, have a moral responsibility to each other, and what we do together matters. We must do better, if we want to live up to the great promise of this country that we all love so much.

The Snub

That, and other news, in today's Political Panorama.

Much of the media devoted at least some time to the moment --- the State of the Union address, where it looked like Barack Obama was giving Hillary Clinton the cold shoulder, just as she was chatting with Edward Kennedy, who had endorsed Obama that day. The next day, Obama and his campaign quickly offered explanations, but it didn't stop the exercise in analyzing body language. Some outlets even admitted that they were obsessed with the trivial --- even while devoting attention to it.

But the incident could very well end up hurting Obama, because it fits so neatly in the media narrative --- that he has flashes of rudeness. "You're likable enough," he said at the pre-New Hampshire debate, in a comment that some took as arrogant and others took as deadpan delivery. 

As much as just about everyobe bemoans the parsing of personality, images still are more powerful than words. They have been for quite some time in politics. But this year the moments that linger are much more about emotion, not stagecraft: Hillary Clinton welling up, Bill Clinton wagging his finger, Mitt Romney (just barely) arguing with an AP reporter.

That is why, absent major policy differences, the debates today and tomorrow will be about the body language, the flashes of indignation, the attempts at humor and, surely, the quality of the handshake.

Candidate Plans: Candidates are firming up schedules for their final swings through California. One scenario I have heard is that Bill Clinton will appear at several African-American churches in Los Angeles this weekend in an attempt to diffuse some of the tensions and mitigate Barack Obama's advantage. Meanwhile, John McCain is expected to announce the endorsement of Rudy Giuliani in a joint appearance at the Reagan Library today at 3 p.m.

More Endorsements: Barack Obama has picked up the endorsement of Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl,  who represents Venice, Pacific Palisades and other parts of the Westside. Rosendahl has been backing Dennis Kucinich.

Campaign Event: Rep. Adam Schiff and former Rep. Mel Levine, who have endorsed Barack Obama, hold a discussion of the candidate's Middle East policy at the Stephen S. Wise Temple in Los Angeles.

Grisham's Nod: John Grisham, promoting his new book "The Appeal," tells Charlie Rose why he's for Hillary Clinton.

Edwards to Drop Out

And then there were two...

Sen. John Edwards plans to abandon his presidential campaign in a speech in New Orleans, but won't immediately give any endorsement.

"John Edwards has spent a lifetime fighting to give voice to the voiceless and hope to the struggling, even when it wasn't popular to do or covered in the news," Barack Obama said in a statement.

Rudy's Retreat

The New York Times sizes up what went wrong in the Giuliani campaign. In essence, it was built on his celebrity, but that couldn't sustain with the other candidates gaining all of the momentum coming out of the early states.

Giuliani all but ignored Iowa, invested heavily in New Hampshire but eventually pulled out of the state and then focused almost entirely on winning Florida.

Much of this is hindsight --- but it is perhaps a lesson learned when looking at national polls with six months to a year out. And it is confirmation that momentum matters.

McCain Wins Florida, Giuliani May Quit Race

John McCain won the Florida presidential primary, in a narrow victory over chief rival Mitt Romney. Rudy Giuliani, who had staked the future of his campaign on Florida, placed third.

Giuliani was set to drop out and endorse McCain on Wednesday, according to Time's Mark Halperin.

McCain now takes the status of Republican front-runner, although Romney's showing was significant enough to keep him in the race through Feb. 5 Super Tuesday and perhaps beyond.

"As I am frequently reminded of lately, an all Republican primary," McCain told supporters, after doubts that he could capture party support with his appeal to indepndents having proelled him to victory elsewhere.

"Our victory may not be of landslide proportions, but it is sweet nonetheless."

The results were particularly crushing for Giuliani and his supporters in California, where he had set up a significant operation and had made numerous campaign stops. He enlisted the support of celebrities such as Jon Voight and Robert Duvall, and top Republican donors in the industry.

McCain, Romney Battle for Florida Win

John McCain and Mitt Romney were engaged in a tight battle for the Florida primary on Tuesday, as Rudolph Giuliani trailed in what may be his final shot at the Republican nomination.

Hillary Clinton easily won the state’s Democratic primary over Barack Obama, although the race was nothing more than a beauty contest as the state was stripped of its delegates in a dispute with the national party.

The Democratic candidates pledged not to campaign in the state, leaving much of the attention to the five remaining GOP candidates.

The winner in the Republican contest could gain particular momentum moving into the Super Tuesday states, and Giuliani in particular had staked much of the future of his campaign on winning. He signaled to reporters in the past few days that he would decide the future of his campaign on Wednesday morning.
If anything, Clinton’s appearance in Florida may make more of a psychological difference to the campaign, after suffering a big loss on Saturday in the South Carolina and the key endorsement of Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Obama’s campaign tried to minimize the importance of Florida, noting its lack of delegates. Sen. John Kerry, who has endorsed Obama, told reporters on Tuesday morning that “the bottom line is that Florida does not offer any delegates. It is not a legitimate race. It should not become a ‘spin’ race. It should not become a fabricated race.”

Oprah's Return to the Trail?

Barack Obama left open the possibility that Oprah Winfrey would return to the campaign trail with Barack Obama, perhaps in California, MSNBC reports.

"There's nothing scheduled right now," Obama said on his campaign plane today.

"I've been in contact with her consistently and she's open to helping out in any way she can," he added.

Obama saw a jump in the polls after his appearance with Winfrey in South Carolina, where some 30,000 attended their appearance together.

New Clinton, Obama Ads in California

Here's the latest spots that the Clinton and Obama campaign are airing in states including California.

Clinton's ad, called "Lifetime," focuses on "a lifetime of standing up for people" and perhaps hits voters who see realism in politics.

Obama's ad features Caroline Kennedy and, in its invoking of images of John F. Kennedy, certainly appeals to the idealistic side of public service.

Stop McCain Movement

A new ad will hit Fox News Channel on Thursday that is aimed at John McCain, linking him to Hillary Clinton and other liberal causes.

Mark Halperin of Time reports that the spot could mark the start of a concerted effort to stop McCain, especially if he wins the Florida primary today.

The spot comes from the Citizens United Political Victory Fund, the group led by activist/filmmaker David Bossie. Virtually the entire spot features an image of Clinton, ending with a shot of McCain standing right behind her.

Bossie is behind a new documentary, "Hillary, the Movie," that premiered last week in New York.

Hillary Returns to Letterman

Hillary Clinton plans another appearance on "Late Show with David Letterman" on Monday, the evening before Super Tuesday.

Unlike a cameo she made in advance of the Iowa caucus, Clinton will be on set, marking her ninth visit on the show.

Creative Coalition Pushes Pre-Debate Policy

Tied to this week's presidential debates in California, the Creative Coalition will host a healthcare policy roundtable on Thursday at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles.

The event is described as a way of "building a consensus platform for healthcare reform," perhaos especially timely in light of the failure of Gov. Arnold Schwarzengger's healthcare proposal to make it through the state Senate.

Lawrence O'Donnell will moderate the panel with former Surgeon General Richard Carmona. Also participating: James C. Greenwood, president and CEO of BIO-Biotechnology Industry Organization; Alan Miller, the CEO of COPE Health Solutions; Peter Delgado, CEO of USC Medical Center and Ken Thorpe, executive director of PFCD.

Among those signed on for the event: Quentin Tarantino, Tim Daly, Tim Allen, Kerry Washington and William Baldwin.

The Creative Coalition also is embarking on a new documentary, "Poliwood," about the intersection of entertainment and politics.

Edwards to Walk Pickets Again

John Edwards will join striking writers on the picket line in front of Fox Studios on Thursday, in advance of participating in that evening's Democratic presidential debate at the Kodak Theater.

All three remaining presidential candidates have released statements in support of writers, but only Edwards has walked pickets. In November, he spoke to striking writers in front NBC's Burbank studios and attended a rally in Manhattan later that month.

Edwards has singled out Fox News and News Corporation as examples of the perils of media conglomerates, although his campaign is casting his participation in Thursday's pickets as part of an overall effort to save middle class jobs.

Edwards plans to attend a debate watching party later in the evening.

Endorsement Endgame

That, and other news, in today's Political Panorama.

With Edward Kennedy and Barack Obama blanketing talk and news shows, Hillary Clinton's campaign is pointing out that it has its own share of members of the Kennedy clan on its side. Although their backing was already announced, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Robert Kennedy Jr. and Kerry Kennedy  penned an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times explaining their support of Clinton.

They write, "The loftiest poetry will not solve these issues. We need a president willing to engage in a fistfight to safeguard and restore our national virtues.

"We have worked with Hillary Clinton for 15 years (and in Kathleen's case, 25 years) and witnessed the power and depth of her convictions firsthand. We've seen her formidable work ethic, courage in the face of adversity and her dignity and clear head in crisis. We've also seen her two-fisted willingness to enter the brawl when America's principles are challenged. Her measured rhetoric, political savvy and pragmatism shield the heart of our nation's most determined and most democratic warrior."

Meanwhile, according to Mark Halperin of Time, Clinton is expected to announce the endorsement this morning of Rep. Maxine Waters of Los Angeles.

Artist for Barack: Shepard Fairey is backing Barack Obama with a new poster (right) that can be purchased and, like his other work, blanketed  at street corners, bus stops, etc.

Richardson for?: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is hinting that he will endorse a candidate later this week --- or maybe not.

Addled by Ads: John McCain holds a slight lead in Florida polls, but certainly not in ads in the state. According to the Boston Globe, he has run 470 ads in the state, all this month, to 4,475 for Mitt Romney and 3,067 for Rudy Giuliani.

Margaret Truman Dies: The only child of Harry and Bess Truman has died at 83. Truman was a concert singer, TV personality and book author.

Al Gore's IPO

Al Gore and Joel Hyatt are trying to raise more than $100 million from an IPO for their Current TV, reports Variety's Dade Hayes.

The network, which depends on user-generated content and won an Emmy last year, has posted losses of more than $31 million, although Gore and Hyatt have said in interviews that the network has been profitable in recent years.

McCain's Hollywood Rebound

From Variety:

John McCain’s resurgence in the presidential race is bringing new life to his campaign in Hollywood.
Last week, he won the endorsement of Sylvester Stallone, and MGM chief Harry Sloan will host a fund-raiser for him at his home Jan. 31.

Supporters of Rudy Giuliani, who has all but dominated Hollywood’s recent attention among the field of GOP candidates, are understandably anxious as he faces the critical test of performing well in the Florida primary Jan. 29. Jon Voight has been campaigning for him in recent weeks, and recently told the Associated Press, “I know there is no second place. I know this has to happen, and Florida’s got to do it.”

McCain and Giuliani each have garnered almost equal levels of support from donors in the entertainment industry: As of the end of September, McCain garnered $386,325 and Giuliani took in $376,826, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Those are significant tallies, but a far cry from the more than $2 million that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama each have raised in the Democrat-dominated industry.

Much of McCain’s money, however, was raised before his campaign faltered last summer, forcing him to cut staff and pare back ad spending. Naturally, fund-raising dropped.

Giuliani, meanwhile, drew high-profile support from Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Miller and Adam Sandler. Robert Duvall hosted a fund-raiser for him last fall. And he drew the backing of such prominent Hollywood Republicans as Lionel Chetwynd and Joel Surnow. Many cite Giuliani’s stance on national security, his “strength and resolve,” as Voight says. Giuliani is scheduled to attend fund-raisers this week in Northern California, Palm Springs and Orange County.

No one has switched their allegiances so far, but there obviously will be a lot hinging on Florida and Giuliani’s fate there. Unlike the rest of the field, Giuliani has deployed a risky strategy of bypassing early states and scoring well in Florida and the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday states. Essentially, he’s bypassing the momentum of early wins to devote more time and resources to states with large pools of delegates.

“At the end of the day, it is all about the delegates,” says Jon Liebman, CEO of Brillstein Entertainment Partners and a longtime friend of Giuliani’s, who is chairman of his California finance leadership team. “After the 29th, you essentially have a national primary.”

Sloan, meanwhile, says his event is drawing those still on the fence, contributing to multiple candidates, or backers of candidates who have dropped out of the race, like Fred Thompson.

“As (McCain) wins each primary, the ticket sales have gotten better and better,” he says.

He notes that McCain’s backing from independents in 2000 and his friendship with John Kerry in 2004 helped give him a positive stature in Hollywood.

Sloan says he actually sought McCain out in summer 2006, and, after meeting at the Beverly Hilton, agreed to help out his presidential bid. He hosted a fund-raising event for McCain in January 2007, where he told those gathered that he thought the Arizona senator was “the most principled political leader of our generation.”

Sloan thinks McCain may have crossover appeal in entertainment and the rest of California. Moreover, a polarizing race between Obama and Clinton could leave independents considering McCain.

“I do think that once the Democratic race is decided some Democrats will give John a good look,” Sloan says.

Hollywood has tended to steer away from candidates who, as one analyst put it, are perceived “as being captive to the social conservative wing of the party.” But it doesn’t mean support for such a candidate isn’t out there.

Mike Huckabee is scheduled to raise money at the home of producer Steve McEveety Jan. 30. And Huckabee, of all people, has made the most aggressive use of an entertainment figure, a man who follows him on the campaign trail: Chuck Norris.

The Reality of Debates

From Variety:

With presidential candidates advancing or dropping out as if they’re on “Survivor,” this year’s election contest “is almost like a reality show with real consequences for the nation,” says CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

So perhaps it’s fitting the final presidential debates before Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, will take place at two venues rooted in entertainment: Hollywood’s Kodak Theater, home of the Oscars, and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Blitzer will moderate the Democratic debate on Jan. 31 at the Kodak, and Anderson Cooper will preside over the GOP field at the Reagan Library Jan. 30.

It’s a last opportunity for the campaigns to make their mark before the Feb. 5 primaries in California and more than 20 other states, a juggernaut of voting that is bound to whittle down the field and perhaps produce a clear nominee from one or both parties.

Or maybe not.

“There’s so much uncertainty this year,” Blitzer says. “People come up to me and ask, ‘Tell me who’s going to win. You must know.’ But I really don’t know.”

The suspense has probably helped drive viewership. Some 4.9 million watched CNN’s coverage of the Democratic debate from Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Jan. 21, a record number for cable news coverage of a primary forum. What’s more, viewership actually increased in each of the four half hours of the debate.

Those just tuning in for the first time were met with the most contentious, bitter sparring between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to date — a far cry from the genteel, well-choreographed League of Women Voters matchups that were once the norm.

Some critics, however, cringe at the theatrics, and say the media are trying to turn the forums into a sideshow. The New York Times headline: “Issues Take Back Seat at Debate as Obama and Clinton Tangle.”

But Blitzer and David Bohrman, CNN’s Washington bureau chief and exec producer of debates, beg to differ. At the Myrtle Beach debate, Blitzer told the candidates several times the forum would stick to the issues, and just about all of the questions were topical, starting with the economy.

It was to no avail.

“We went out of our way to avoid the ‘horse race’ questions, or those about the politics and sniping in the race,” Bohrman says. “But you know what? You can’t stop a group of candidates who want to get a shot at one another.”

Blitzer says, “Trust me, I get blamed a lot. People will say, ‘Why do you egg them on?’ I was not trying to egg them on. … My deliberate goal was to hone in on the issues.”

Yet he also says he didn’t want to lord over the candidates as some sort of strict referee. As Blitzer says, “I sort of made the decision to let them debate.”

In its two California forums, CNN plans a similar hands-off approach, including allowing the audience to clap or even boo. As Bohrman notes, “There is a middle ground between a circus and dead silence. That is the note that we have hit.”

The two debates (co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times and the Politico) will have slightly different formats, Bohrman says, with the candidates seated at a specially designed table onstage.

The Democratic debate will use the same backdrop CNN has used in its other forums; the GOP debate  will have as its backdrop Air Force One, which is on permanent display at the Simi Valley, Calif., site.

“The plane itself will be the set,” Bohrman says. “It is Ronald Reagan’s Air Force One, and it is basically the prize.”

Not even a reality producer could have found a more fitting prop.

Clinton, McCain Hold California Leads

Hillary Clinton and John McCain hold wide leads in California, according to the latest poll from the Los Angeles Times/CNN/Politico poll.

Clinton leads Barack Obama 49% to 32%, with John Edwards trailing with 11%.

John McCain is backed by 39% to 26% for Mitt Romney. Rudy Giuliani was at 13% and Mike Huckabee was at 11%.

The poll was conducted before Obama's win of South Carolina and endorsement by Sen. Edward Kennedy today.

Aloof Proof

Updated

That, and other news, in today's Political Panorama.

As Barack Obama gets the endorsement of Ted Kennedy, Patrick Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy today, there's one JFK comparison that they won't be making: His relationship with the press. The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz writes that Obama doesn't make any attempt to put on the charm offensive with the travelling press corps, all but ignoring them save for scattered press conferences and media availabilities.

Not that it has necessarily hurts him.

"In an age of all-out political warfare, the Obama campaign is a bit of an odd duck: It is not obsessed with winning each news cycle. The Illinois senator remains a remote figure to those covering him, and his team, while competent and professional, makes only spotty attempts to drive its preferred story lines in the press.

"As Obama's blowout victory in Saturday's South Carolina primary shows, an aloof attitude toward the media may not be a liability for a candidate with his oratorical gifts. Even the pundits' attempts to minimize his win by focusing on Obama's capturing a quarter of the white vote -- no small achievement in a three-way contest -- came after a week in which journalists talked about race far more than he did. But the contrast in his press strategy is striking, not just with Clinton's campaign -- which aggressively lobbies journalists around the clock -- but also with the Bush White House and the Clinton White House before that. And that, Obama aides say, is by design."

Fox Plans: The network has found a way to meld coverage of the Super Bowl and Super Tuesday, writes the New York Times' David Carr.

Morrison Endorses: Author Toni Morrison is endorsing Barack Obama. "In addition to keen intelligence, integrity and a rare authenticity, you exhibit something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race or gender and something I don't see in other candidates," Morrison wrote. "That something is a creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom. It is too bad if we associate it only with gray hair and old age. Or if we call searing vision naivete. Or if we believe cunning is insight. Or if we settle for finessing cures tailored for each ravaged tree in the forest while ignoring the poisonous landscape that feeds and surrounds it." Morrison's name was invoked in the South Carolina debate last week, as she had once referred to Bill Clinton as the "first black president."

Kennedy Endorsement: His speech is here.

Edward Kennedy for Obama

Edward Kennedy will drop his neutrality in the presidential contest and endorse Barack Obama.

They will appear together on Monday at American University in Washington, D.C.

Obama's Victory

Obama's victory speech.

A Blow for Giuliani?

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is backing John McCain, potentially a big boost for his chances in Florida.

As reported here, it's a must-win state for Rudy Giuliani, who until recently has drawn much of the high-profile GOP Hollywood support.

The Camelot Endorsement

Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg will back Obama in a New York Times editorial on Sunday, according to MSNBC.

The op-ed will be titled "A President Like My Father."

"Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

"...I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans."

There's been increasing speculation on whether Sen. Edward Kennedy will endorse a candidate.

Obama has captured the support of Ted Sorenson, speechwriter for President John F. Kennedy, while  Hillary Clinton has been endorsed by Robert Kennedy Jr.

Obama Wins South Carolina

Barack Obama scored a lopsided victory over Hillary Clinton in the South Carolina primary on Saturday after a bruising week of campaigning tinged with questions about race and the role of former President Bill Clinton in the process.

Early returns showed Obama outpacing Clinton 2-1, with John Edwards in third.

With supporters shouting, "We want change, we want change," Obama said to supporters in Columbia, S.C., "Over two weeks ago, we saw the people of Iowa proclaim that our time for change has come.  But there were those who doubted this country’s desire for something new – who said Iowa was a fluke not to be repeated again. 

"Well, tonight, the cynics who believed that what began in the snows of Iowa was just an illusion were told a different story by the good people of South Carolina."

After a loss in New Hampshire and Nevada, Obama's campaign gets a much-needed dose of momentum as the campaign heads into Super Tuesday on Feb. 5, when New York, California and 20 other states go to the polls.

"This will not be easy," Obama told supporters, casting his campaign as one against the "status quo" that is "fighting back with everything it's got."

"We are up against the idea that it’s acceptable to say anything and do anything to win an election," he said.

Hillary Clinton issued a statement conceding the primary race to Obama.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is an interesting race," Bill Clinton said in a campaign appearance on Saturday night, adding, "He won fair and square."

Throughout the week leading up to the primary, both campaigns seemed to tangle on the issue of whether race was playing a polarizing role in the campaign. Obama and Bill Clinton, campaigning as a surrogate for his wife throughout the week, blamed the media for stoking such divisions.

Exit polls showed that Obama took a lopsided number of African-American voters (80%) and a majority of younger voters. He trailed in the number of white voters --- 24% to Clinton's 36% and Edwards' 39% --- but Obama's figure was more than expected. One poll in recent days showed him capturing just 10% of the white vote. He also won almost an equal number of white male voters as Clinton, and 50% of white voters under 30.

In his victory speech, Obama said that "what we’ve seen in these last weeks is that we’re also up against forces that are not the fault of any one campaign, but feed the habits that prevent us from being who we want to be as a nation." He cited "the assumption that African-Americans can’t support the white candidate; whites can’t support the African-American candidate; blacks and Latinos can’t come together."

The pitched nomination battle between Obama and Clinton took a twist this week with the presence of Bill Clinton, who drew charges that some of his criticisms of Obama were unfair and that the Illinois senator was facing a tag team of "good cop, bad cop." Hillary Clinton left much of the campaigning to her husband, and instead visited other states that will go to the polls on Super Tuesday on Feb. 5. Obama himself said at a particularly acrimonious debate on Monday night, "I can't tell who I'm running against at times."

CNN exit polling showed that 6 in 10 voters said Bill Clinton's campaigning was important in their decision, with 47% of those voting for Obama and 38% for Clinton.

The vote also raises questions about the effectiveness of going on the attack, as the campaigning turned increasingly acrimonious in TV ads and in a rancorous debate on Monday night. Although the rhetoric was tamped down by the end of the week, it was enough to have some Democrats worried about party unity come November.

According to MSNBC exit polls, Clinton's attacks on Obama may have hurt her campaign more than they helped. More people thought that Clinton unfairly attacked Obama --- 70%--- compared to 56% of the other way around. Some 74% of African-Americans thought that Clinton attacked Obama unfairly, and 68% of white voters thought so.

The campaigns did have a show business element: Kerry Washington, Chris Tucker and Usher campaigned for Obama, and Danny Glover and "Dukes of Hazzard" star and congressman Ben Jones hit the trail for Edwards.

But perhaps the most helpful celebrity for Obama was Oprah Winfrey, whose appearance with him on Dec. 11 drew more than 29,000. It proved an asset for the campaign in reaching voters, as some 68% who attended had never communicated with the campaign before.

Obama's remarks here:

The Romney Whisper

Just who whispered "he raised taxes" as Tim Russert asked a question to Mitt Romney at last night's debate?

Boycott Chuck

Mike Huckabee's deployment of Chuck Norris on the campaign trail now has some blowback.

Darryl Ng, the spokesman for Fred Thompson's presidential campaign, which ended this week, has launched a website, "Boycottchucknorris.com" to advocate shunning any Norris-endorsed products or even advertisers who sponsor reruns of "Walker, Texas Ranger" on USA Network.

"Republicans long decried celebrities telling us how to vote (see Sean Penn and Ben Affleck in 2004). Certainly, I support Chuck's First Amendment right to free political speech, but he has gone way beyond what other celebrities like Oprah, Sylvester Stallone or Jon Voight have done. These other celebrities have publicly endorsed, and maybe even spent a day or two campaigning with their chosen candidates. Fair enough.

"But Chuck Norris has endorsed a candidate, went out on the stump with him numerous times in different states and even appeared in a commercial with him. To me, that sets him apart and makes him fair game."

But the boycott is clearly aimed at the Huckabee camp. Among other things, Ng cites the fact that Norris has endorsed a candidate whose ideas are "far outside of the mainstream" and "who does not believe in evolution" and who "has called for the isolation of AIDS patients."

Is it sour grapes? After all, Ng worked for the one true actor/candidate, whose sputtering campaign was soon overshadowed in Iowa by the rise of Huckabee (with an assist from Norris).

Among the companies targeted: Total Gym, endorsed by Norris, and "Walker" advertisers KFC, Payless ShoeSource. Nutrisystem, Tylenol and Geico.

Ng also has worked for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Return of the 527s

That, and other news, in today's Political Panorama.

Barack Obama is the beneficiary of new ad spots now running in the Bay Area that come not from the campaign, but a "527" group called PowerPAC. And the San Francisco Chronicle reports that his campaign is taking heat from rival campaigns given that Obama criticized John Edwards when an independent group supporting him aired ads in Iowa.

The group, airing ads on BET and the CW, is supporting "candidates who champion social justice and (are) building support in California by encouraging young people to support Obama," a spokesman told the Chronicle. In contrast to other independent orgs, their spots are not attacking other candidates. But independent groups are a loophole in campaign finance laws, as donors can contribute unlimited amounts to them but are restricted to $2,300 contributions to each campaign.

Obama's California spokeswoman, Debbie Mesloh, said, "We do not think people should be donating to 527s. We would rather have them involved in our campaign. Obama thinks that candidates should be accountable for the campaigns they run, the donations they receive and the money they spend. It is our hope that anyone who supports Obama does so directly through his campaign and not through these outside groups."

Sundance Docs: Jeffrey Ressner of the Politico writes that politics dominated the lineup of non fiction pics, including titles on the war on terror and foreign policy. But there's also "I.O.U.S.A.," which looks to explain the current economic crisis.

Quotable: "Look out Chuck Norris, Sylvester Stallone is coming after you. He's coming after you and he's going to get you." John  McCain,  after  being endorsed by the "Rambo" star.

Obama's Top Ten

Appearing on "Late Show with David Letterman" tonight, he delivers a list of his top ten campaign promises.

No 1: "Three words: Vice President Oprah."

The full list, via The Politico:

10. To keep the budget balanced, I'll rent the situation room for sweet 16s.

9. I will double your tax money at the craps table.

8. Appoint Mitt Romney secretary of lookin' good.

7. If you bring a gator to the White House, I'll wrassle it.

6. I'll put Regis on the nickel.

5. I'll rename the 10th month of the year "Barack-tober."

4. I won't let Apple release the new and improved iPod the day after you bought the previous model.

3. I'll find money in the budget to buy Letterman a decent hairpiece.

2. Pronounce the word "nuclear," nuclear.

1. Three words: Vice President Oprah.

His campaign got a dose of good news. The Washington Post reports that Hillary Clinton's campaign has pulled a South Carolina radio ad in which Obama is quoted calling the Republican party the "party of ideas."

Kucinich Out

He's dropping his campaign to focus on re-election in his Cleveland district.

"I will be announcing that I'm transiting out of the presidential campaign," Kucinich told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I'm making that announcement tomorrow about a new direction."

The Pope's Slap at Media

Updated

That, and other news, in today's Political Panorama.

The assault on the media knows no bounds in the presidential campaign, and today came some critical words from the Holy See. Pope Benedict didn't use the phrase "shame on you," but he did call for more of an ethical underpinning. And his aim seemed to have been directed more at makers of TV shows and movies, i.e. Hollywood, than the news business.

"While claiming to represent reality, it can tend to legitimise or impose distorted models of personal, family or social life," Benedict said, according to Reuters.

"Moreover, in order to attract listeners and increase the size of audiences, it does not hesitate at times to have recourse to vulgarity and violence, and to overstep the mark," he said in a three-page message.

Obama Top Ten: Barack Obama will deliver the Top Ten list on "Late Show with David Letterman" tonight.

Stallone Support: On "Fox & Friends," Sylvester Stallone endorses John McCain for president. He says, "There's something about matching the character with the script."

Bill Clinton Slams Media Coverage --- Again

If there's a caucus or primary coming up, there must be another Bill Clinton moment.

It's not an outburst at the level of last week's engagement with a journalists over the Nevada caucuses, but he does say "shame on you" to a reporter.

Rather, he focuses on the media's coverage of the confrontational aspects of the race, and accuses the Obama campaign of issuing a "hit job" on him, among other things.

But coming out of a South Carolina event, he says, "The people don't care about this," noting that none of the questions from the crowd were about the various flaps that have engaged the campaigns and their media entourages in recent days.

Bush Postponed Plans on Ledger's Death

Updated

President Bush was slated to unveil a new series of public service announcements to discourage teens from abusing prescription drugs, but the event was quickly scuttled on news of Heath Ledger's death.

ABC News reports that "his staff realized the questionable circumstances of Ledger's death might send a mixed message and would be unavoidably linked to, or overshadow, the government's message."

Press Secretary Dana Perino told ABC News it would be better to postpone the event "rather than run the risk of anyone thinking that we were being opportunistic in highlighting the issue."   

"Given the tragedy of yesterday's passing of the beloved actor, " Perino explained, "we did not want anyone to think we were trying to link into that story in any way."

Toxicology tests were inconclusive on the cause of Ledger's death, and more will have to be performed to see if it was drug-related.

Others actually seized on the tragedy. Fox Radio host John Gibson actually mocked Ledger upon his death, even to the point of suggesting that he was a John Edwards supporter distraught with Monday night's debate.

"Apparently Heath Ledger was suicidal and his friends saw it coming. I think he watched the Clinton-Obama debate last night. I think he was an Edwards guy, cause he saw his Edwards guy was just completely irrelevant."

Unfortunately, that wasn't the worst of what Gibson said.

Obama's Hollywood Turn; Hillary's California Ad

Barack Obama will raise money at Hollywood's Avalon nightclub following the Democratic presidential debate on Jan. 31.

Hillary Clinton's campaign also is planning a fund-raiser that evening at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, and on the other side of the aisle, John McCain will attend an event at the home of MGM's Harry Sloan.

Tickets for the Obama event are $500, and $2,300 for a VIP reception.  Co-hosts of the event are asked to raise $25,000. The host committee includes Jamie and Michael Lynton, Irena and Mike Medavoy, Eric Paquette, Paula Weinstein and Kelly Meyer.

The Clinton campaign, meanwhile, unveiled a new California ad, "Serious," that focuses on energy independence.

"Party of Ideas"

Updated

That, and other news, in today's Political Panorama.

Barack Obama's comments about Ronald Reagan and the Republicans' "new ideas" continue to linger on the campaign trail, as Hillary Clinton unveils a new South Carolina ad that draws on the (much maligned) comments.

Here's the script:

VO: “Listen to Barack Obama last week talking about Republicans.

BO: “The Republicans were the party of ideas for a pretty long chunk of time there over the last 10, 15 years.”

VO: “Really? Aren’t those the ideas that got us into the economic mess we’re in today?  Ideas like special tax breaks for Wall Street. Running up a $9 trillion debt. Refusing to raise the minimum wage or deal with the housing crisis.  Are those the ideas Barack Obama’s talking about?”

BO: “The Republicans were the party of ideas.”

VO: Hillary Clinton thinks this election is about replacing disastrous Republican ideas with new ones, like jumpstarting the economy.  Putting an immediate freeze on foreclosures and mortgages. Cutting taxes for the middle class.  and creating millions of new jobs.  With the economy in crisis, we need a president with the ideas, the solutions th