The visit of the stars of "The West Wing" to Capitol Hill to support the Employee Free Choice Act triggered a scathing response from opponents of the bill, including Brian Worth, who heads the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace.

He said in a statement, "It's ironic that the same actors who vote by secret ballot when choosing the leadership of the Screen Actors Guild, are here in DC lobbying to take the secret ballot away from millions of American workers. More than anyone, the creative community in Hollywood should understand that free speech and the right to self expression should be protected. I guess these actors believe that empowering labor bosses is more important than protecting a fundamental tenet of our democracy. It must be nice to have the luxury of applying free speech principles when it's convenient."

SAG responded with its own statement: "As Mr. Worth and the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace know, and as the Wall Street Journal recently confirmed, the Employee Free Choice Act does not remove the secret ballot provision from the process.

"It does give all workers the opportunity to join a union without the threat of employer coercion or intimidation.

"SAG members Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford and Richard Schiff along with 120,000 of their fellow members across the country are powerful voices for the rights of working people because they are union members and know firsthand the value of the union card.

"As proponents of free speech and free expression, which they exercised today, these actors and union members support the right of every worker to join a union.  That’s not hypocrisy, it’s principled advocacy.”

The three thesps faced criticism from opponents of the Act for being "out of touch, Hollywood elite," but that didn't stop the trio from drawing a host of coverage that focused as much as their balance of humor and politics as it did with the issue at hand.,

Referring to the presence of Sheen, who played President Josiah Bartlet, Whitford called his character "his Rahm."  "If you want to talk to him, you talk to me first. But I was on a network White House, so I can't swear I guess."

Then Whitford carried it a step further and told a Rahm Emanuel joke. "How do you ask Rahm what time it is? 'Excuse me, do you know what time it is, or do I just go to hell?'"

Whitford argued that the Free Choice Act would be "not only fair for the workers, but good for the economy."

Sheen, meanwhile, ruminated on life after "The West Wing," which went off in 2006, telling the gathering that he's now the "former acting president of the United States."

He told a story of growing up in Ohio and, at age 13, forming a union of caddies at the local Country Club. "The strike lasted 48 hours and the union 72," he quipped.

Then he got a bit more serious. "All too often workers are porrly treated when the try to gain a voice in the workplace."

The Free Choice Act is currently stalled after some of its supporters, including Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) withdrew their backing.

"These were great disappointments, but the fight doesn't end there," Sheen said. 

AP Photo.

Today's court ruling by a three-judge panel in Minnesota appears to be a fatal blow to Norm Coleman's efforts to overcome a 225-vote deficit in his race against Al Franken.

The judges essentially said that only 400 votes were wrongly rejected, and many of those are said to favor Franken. Coleman had sought consideration of more than 1,000 ballots, so the court's decision starts to make the mathematical odds very long that he can close the gap.

The battle over the seat has lasted longer than some Senate terms (Coleman's predecessor, Dean Barkley, served two months after the death of Paul Wellstone). Although Coleman could appeal to the state Supreme Court or the U.S. Supreme Court, at a certain point there will be a backlash as state residents realize they lack representation. But Republicans bore so much resentment at the Democrats for their swipes at the 2000 recount as illegitmate --- including some quips from Franken himself --- that I can't help but think that the desire to let it all play out is a form of payback. If Coleman continues his challenge, it seems that the only thing that would halt his battle is a request from party leaders to let it go or from a depleted reserve of donations to his legal fund.

Variety's Paul Harris writes from Capitol Hill today on the full-throttle lobbying effort being waged by arts orgs to increase the government's funding for the National Endowments as well as some tax matters.

The upshot: While there are some encouraging signs that Obama is paying new attention to the arts after the wilderness of the Bush years, there's outright opposition to his plan to reduce charitable donations by wealthy individuals.

Paul's story is here.

Producer Robert Greenwald returned from Afghanistan over the weekend as part of his ongoing, online documentary "Rethink Afghanistan," which questions the strategy of sending 17,000 additional troops to the country. His opinions of the conflict --- which he has shared on a blog he wrote during the trip --- reflect simmering doubts about the Obama administration's strategy coming from the industry's left.

On BraveNewFilms' Website Rethink Afghanistan, there's considerable consternation not only of the Obama plan's cost but that it will lead to a wider conflict in Pakistan. BraveNewFilms recently introduced the second chapter of its series, this one focused on the powder keg of Pakistan and the worry that any substantial U.S. troop presence will only foment destabilizing dissent on the Zardari government.

What has yet to transpire, however, is anything nearing the anti-war sentiment that preceded the war in Iraq, even if, as David Brooks pointed out in the New York Times on Friday, there is a "war weariness" that pervades the American psyche. (Adding more fuel to the doubters, Brooks also writes, "President Obama is doubling down on the very principles that some dismiss as neocon fantasy: the idea that this nation has the capacity to use military and civilian power to promote democracy, nurture civil society and rebuild failed states.")

The nature of the opposition --- if you can call it that --- also isn't so clear cut. Greenwald is careful about pointing out that even though he has visited the region, he is no expert. "It's deeply complicated," he told KCRW's "To the Point" last week. He offered some praise for the Obama adminstration's efforts, but said, "I can't help but think what would happen if we sent 17,000 teachers to Afghanistan." He said those he talked to didn't identify more troops as the first option for stabilizing the country, but pointed to the need for education and humanitarian aid. Greenwald said he's trying to point out that there's "a way to win that doesn't rely on old solutions of people with guns."

BraveNewFilms is calling for oversight hearings on the conflict.

Updated

That, and other news, in today's Roundup and Recap.

Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford and Richard Schiff are on Capitol Hill today for a news conference calling for Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, while opponents of the pro-union measure fight back by taking a swipe at their participation in secret-ballot SAG elections.

Meanwhile, Josh Groban, Linda Ronstadt and Wynton Marsalis testify today at a congressional hearing on the arts, lobbying for the biz as vital to the economy. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) has been holding a series of hearings on the impact of creative industries.

Also on the Hill today: Bono.

Shades of "Roger & Me"?: Here's the lead from Mark Gimein's ("The Big Money") analysis of Obama's get-tough measures toward GM and Chrysler. "Does anyone still remember "Roger and Me?" Michael Moore's 1989 film chronicled the filmmaker's attempts to interview GM Chairman Roger Smith, whose efforts to streamline and downsize had shattered GM's hometown of Flint, Mich. Back then, shutting down plants, cutting benefits, and throwing workers on the proverbial street was depicted as the epitome of corporate heartlessness and greed. Now it is the policy of the Obama administration. Twenty years after "Roger and Me," we are all heartless capitalists." In the Los Angeles Times, Dan Neil looks at the role of Chris Paine's "Who Killed the Electric Car?" in highlighting some of GM's foibles.

"Law & Order" Order: The Enough Project, the Center for American Progress group targeting genocide and crimes against humanity, advised on tonight's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" episode in which a young female Ugandan turns up in New York City and is a victim of a brutal rebel group known for abducting an estimated 20,000 children. Co-founder John Prendergast and researcher Julia Spiegel served as advisers to the episode, and hope that it will bring greater attention to the 22-year war in Northern Uganda.

Prop 8 Protest: Kathy Griffin joins Sacramento demonstration for same-sex marriage.

John Rich Song: The country singer debuts a new single for the bailout era.

Also: Angie Harmon defends her opposition to Obama...Miss Universe blogs about going to Gitmo.

Today's Top Read: Mark McKinnon writes in the Daily Beast about the loss of voices of moderation.

"Recently I appeared on a highly rated cable program discussing an issue of the day. My take happened to be somewhat bipartisan and collegial. During the break the host turned to me and said, “McKinnon cut the Kumbaya crap and give me some red meat.

"This is where there is a huge disconnect between Washington and the rest of the country. Most people I know are not highly partisan. Most are fairly centrist, a little left or a little right, but not on the fringe. And increasingly, they don’t feel like they have a representative voice anymore.

"There just isn’t a lot of nuance or middle ground in the blogosphere, on talk radio, or cable TV. You are a shirt or a skin."

The director of "Roger & Me," the film that made his career, posted this statement on his website:

"I have never heard of such a thing in all my days: The main representative of the people ordering a corporate chieftain to step down — today! And not just any corporate CEO, but the head of the company that has spent more years at #1 on the Fortune 500 than any other corporation in the world."

What to watch: Reaction from Moore and others on the left once labor contracts are scaled back.

With a flurry of appearances, President Obama is "taking his message to the people," apparently frustrated with the mindset of D.C. media. "One day I'm a genius, one day I'm a bum," he said last week.

It's a common complaint among occupants of the Oval Office. But the difference this time is that it's happening so early in a new administration. And when it comes to the gulf between the way Washington thinks compared to the heartland, his gripes aren't far from the truth.

That's my latest column in the print edition of weekly Variety, which you can read here.

Photo: AP

The Federal Reserve has a new place to spread its messaging: A theater near you.

The Times-Picayune in New Orleans criticizes Mayor Ray Nagin's effort to rebuild the city via the Revelopment Agency as too slow, but praises a recent move: partnering with Brad Pitt's Make it Right Foundation.

In an editorial, the paper says, "The agency has begun forging agreements with well-organized non-profits that plan to rebuild several hundred homes. Those kinds of private initiatives have fueled New Orleans' recovery and NORA's decision to partner with such groups is a promising development that the agency should expand further.

"The agreements include a deal NORA announced this week with actor Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation, which plans to build at least 150 homes in the Lower 9th Ward. The foundation will buy up to 50 properties there from NORA. In return, the agency agreed to use the proceeds to finance neighborhood improvements, even possibly attracting a grocery store or other businesses."

Pitt recently met with President Obama and other administration officials, with an eye on applying the program to other housing initiatives and the government's stimulus efforts.

That, and other news, in today's Roundup and Recap.

President Obama's decision to go on "Face the Nation," rather than "Meet the Press," is a signal that "will no doubt create more anxiety among those inside NBC" who worry that David Gregory can continue to dominate the Sunday morning chat circuit, Felix Gillette writes in the New York Observer. This will be the first appearance Obama has made on one of the networks' Sunday morning institutions since taking office.

Casting Questions: Doubts are raised in the New Yorker about the wisdom of casting Dennis Quaid as Bill Clinton in the upcoming HBO movie "The Special Relationship."

Counterpoint: An economist argues that Angelina Jolie's call for more aid for Africa is doing more harm than good.

Addled by Arts: On the Daily Beast, Judith Dobryzynski doubts the qualifications of Obama's arts and culture picks.

Daly on the Hill: Before a House committee on Thursday, Tim Daly testified about the importance of the entertainment industry as part of the nation's economy, and Politico's Patrick Gavin tracked him down for an interview.

When George Clooney appeared on the White House lawn for a press conference following his meeting with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden last month, two things stood out.

The press corps gathered there didn’t question his credentials to talk about the Darfur region of Sudan, and Clooney actually broke news.

The president, he said, was prepared to send a “full-time, high-level” special envoy to Sudan — and the event was notable because he, not the administration, delivered that detail.

The fact that the president met with Clooney so early in his term, before his team completed a policy review in Darfur, reflects not just a level of acceptance of celebrity-driven diplomatic efforts but a growing level of sophistication of such figures in international affairs.

That's the subject of my latest column in the Politico, which you can read here.

Sarah Palin gave a speech recently that is just now getting noticed, where she chides the media for the coverage of last year's campaign and wonders why her own staff wouldn't pray with her before the vice presidential debate.

But she also had criticism for the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, whose celebrity spokesperson, Ashley Judd, led a campaign to halt the practice of aerial wolf hunting.

Per CNN, Palin called on Republicans to "stand up to those goofy Defenders of Wildlife celebrity starlets who don't even know about Alaska."

Updated

That, and other news, in today's Roundup and Recap.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says that he is not running for Senate, as speculation has been that he could seek another office when his term expires as governor.

"The point was that I am not running for anything, so no one could threaten me, because I'm not running for Senate, I'm not running for Congress, I'm not running for another term as governor," Schwarzenegger said this morning in Sacramento.

Although he says that he is not seeking another office, there's still speculation that he could join the Obama administration once his term expires in January, 2011.

His statement is surely a sigh of relief for Barbara Boxer, who has been raising money for quite some time (April, 2007 for a Hollywood fundraiser) in anticipation of a significant challenge.

Schmidt for Gay Marriage: One of Schwarzenegger's former advisers, Steve Schmidt, who ran John McCain's presidential campaign, says that he supports same-sex marriage and voted against Prop 8. McCain's daughter, Meghan, said last week that she supports same-sex marriage as well.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, meanwhile, urged the state to pass a bill legalizing same-sex marriage.

Another Kennedy Project: A miniseries is in the works about the Kennedy clan, the twist being that this project will have a different point of view. The man behind the project is Joel Surnow, co-creator of "24" and active in conservative politics.

From Variety's Anna Marie de la Fuente:

With Mexico in the headlines of late, President Obama will talk directly to a massive Hispanic aud when he makes an historic appearance on “Premio Lo Nuestro,” Univision’s longest-running and most popular music awards show on Thursday.

Always ready to break old White House habits, Obama raised eyebrows during his second press conference Tuesday when he called on a Univision reporter to query him. If anything, these moves send a positive signal to a fast-growing electorate which helped land him in the White House.

His bilingual videotaped message of hope and civic engagement on the music event “demonstrates the continued growth and influence of Hispanics in this country and the importance of speaking to them directly,” said a delighted Joe Uva, Univision’s CEO.

This won’t be Obama’s first appearance on Univision. The Hispanic web hosted two historic forums with Democratic and Republican presidential candidates and co-hosted a debate with CNN during last year’s election season.

A record turnout of nearly 10 million Hispanic voters in 2008 helped reshape the political map by defining the election in key Southwestern states as well as Florida, Indiana, and Virginia.

Last year, “Premio lo Nuestro,” reached 12.7 million viewers, its biggest aud ever. Widely seen as a rock star himself, Obama will be in some ‘caliente’ company. Big acts include Enrique Iglesias, Juanes, Alejandra Guzman, Emmauel, Reggaeton duo Wilsin y Yandel, Puerto Rican salsa band NG2, Aventura, Victor Manuelle and hot Mexican band La Arrolladora Banda el Limon.

Gala event will be broadcast live from Miami’s BankUnited Center.

Variety's Dade Hayes senses Obama fatigue --- not from the voters, but the networks. He offers his take on the Obama press conference:

The media's infatuation with President Obama during the campaign is showing signs of descending into fractiousness and disputation. That much was clear during Tuesday night's news conference, one of the only times in TV history that a White House briefing focusing on the economy would get on-air promos worthy of a reality series in the days preceding.

Those plugs were just one feature of an unorthodox media tour over the past week as Obama took to ESPN, "The Tonight Show" and the Internet for an online town hall meeting. By comparison, the obvious page in the playbook was last Sunday's "60 Minutes" appearance. It was in that most button-down of settings where Obama raised eyebrows by laughing at regular intervals and expressing the need for "gallows humor." Who knew Jay Leno would be more his speed?

There was a lot less of the president's punchy side Tuesday, especially as it became clear that the traditional outlets who usually get called on first and fill the front rows found themselves being reshuffled. Obama took questions from the likes of Univision and Ebony but didn't call on the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times.

Reworking Beltway customs has necessarily become an Obama trademark, of course. And his every move seems to boost ratings. But the interesting dynamic at work on Tuesday was the very networks who stand to gain from beaming him into living rooms (even if they won't often be able to do that commercial-free) are also feeling less favored than in the past. And that's making some of them start to betray some frustration after just two months.

Obama's sharpest exchange was with CNN's Ed Henry, who asked a series of questions about what some would call a slow response from the Administration to the AIG bonuses. "I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak," he said tartly, and the double meaning of the remark seemed to apply to many media members in the room. The response from the news nets and mainstream outlets as Obama continues on his arduous path -- the very one they helped put him on -- will no doubt be fascinating to watch.

Per my post on Obama's press conference ratings, commenter Dave writes: "I guess "viewership dip" is one way to report it -- "massive audience" would be another.  So would "one of the most watched news events of the year so far." "

There has been almost knee jerk reaction to report anything that shows a change in the president's popularity, and the ratings for his press conference are a case in point: 40 million, while lower than Obama's previous press conference, is still very high, just not to the level the president commanded in his first weeks in office. But the fact is that his approval numbers did go up this week in the CBS News poll, even if the public is mixed on the administration's response to AIG. What didn't get said in the ratings report is that a dip in the press conference ratings are exactly what you would expect, as the novelty wears off and, in relative terms, the president deals with the mechanics of running the country.

As to Dave's point as "one of the most watched news events of the year so far," the press conference audience of 40 million actually was higher than Nielsen's average for the inauguration, of 38 million viewers. The big caveat: Nielsen's figure for the inaugural is an average over seven hours of coverage (in other words, a big spike for the swearing in is mitigated by the much lower viewership at other points in the day). And Nielsen's count is of home viewing --- meaning that all of those watching at work during daytime hours are not included.

On another note, much has been made of those who didn't watch.

Updated

That, and other news, in today's Roundup and Recap.

President Obama's second primetime press conference drew 31.1 million viewers across all four broadcast networks, down 2 million from his last big face-to-face with the White House press corps on Feb.9. The numbers could fluctuate as more accurate figures come in this afternoon.

Update: Nielsen says 40,354,000 watched the press conference across all networks (cable and broadcast), compared to 49,455,000 for his first press conference. Of all of his media appearances since taking off, his address o a joint session of Congress on Feb. 24 has drawn the most viewers, 52.4 million. 

Lots of reaction throughout the blogosphere this morning to what was generally a more detailed and serious press conference with more pointed and challenging questions from the press corps. Many took note that Obama failed to call on reporters for the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times, although the session took on a harder edge with reporters given more leeway to ask followup questions.

Significance? Dean Baquet of the New York Times says, "We'll get our turn," while former Washington Post reporter Haynes Johnson says,it “signals a deliberate effort by the Obama White House to denigrate the major newspapers.”

A summary of press reactions here.

Arts Adviser: Obama plans to name a full time point person overseeing the arts and culture, working in the White House, with Kareem Dale filling the spot on an interim basis.

On the Hill: Tim Daly, co-president of the Creative Coalition, testifies before the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee on Thursday "about the positive impact that the entertainment and arts communities have on the nation's economy." It comes as the industry makes a stronger effort to promote the idea that the entertainment business is a generator of jobs rather than tabloid headlines.

Boxer Fundraiser: Sen. Barbara Boxer raises money at the home of Ron Burkle on April 15, at an event hosted by Burkle and Debra and Sim Farar, with Antonio Villaraigosa among those on the bill. The event costs $2,000 per person and $4,800 per co-hosts. The post-Easter week is traditionally a big time for D.C. politicos to make their way to L.A. for campaign funds, so expect many more than Boxer to throw fetes.

"The Special Relationship": HBO is preparing to greenlight Peter Morgan's next film, "The Special Relatinship," about the late-Clinton years of 1997-2000 and the president's relationship with British prime minister Tony Blair. Dennis Quaid will play Clinton and Julianne Moore will play Hillary, with Michael Sheen reprising his role as Blair.

President Obama is spotlighting the arts and culture --- high and low --- but does it look frivolous in a time of lost jobs and shattered dreams? 

Mike McCurry, President Clinton's press secretary, thinks that President Obama's press conference may have been his last "freebie," where the networks agree to give up their revenue-generating time so he can sell his agenda.

McCurry writes on the Politico's Arena, "In my day, we killed to get a network road-block for a prime time news conference. The nets often said no unless the news content was critical. I think we may have seen the last “freebie” tonight. The major networks will not give up a narrow prime-time, revenue-generating hour for an occasion whence the President rehearses a prepared (even important) message and then calls in a carefully calibrated way on journalists picked by the White House."

He adds, "The prime time news conference tonight will probably be a relic real soon.

Alexandra Pelosi e-mails about the Supreme Court's oral arguments over David Bossie's "Hillary: The Movie" documentary.

"What bothers me about this is --- nobody heard of this movie until today, and now it's getting so much attention that it's effective,

"This is tricky for me on so many levels. As a viewer, I wouldn't want to watch this movie. And I wouldn't want anyone to make a movie like this about anyone I know, but ... Liberals have been making documentaries for a long time and now that conservatives are doing it, we are all offended?

"A majority of documentaries are funded by liberals and corporations (i.e. Ken Burns and GM). Only the marketplace can determine if something is worth watching."

My full story on oral arguments is here.

That, and other news, in today's Roundup and Recap.

During oral arguments today, Supreme Court justices appear skeptical that David Bossie's "Hillary: The Movie" falls under campaign finance laws.

New Peter Morgan Pic: Casting the Clintons.

Press Pool: What's behind the White House press corps' strategizing for tonight's press conference.

The Long Debate: As the Supreme Court considers indecency, a long-ago vid appears on the Web that dates to the days of the imposition of a TV family hour. It's of the cast of "All in the Family" --- and its content never made it to air.

President Obama holds another primetime press conference this evening, with his approval rating holding steady or even increasing in the latest polls. The AIG mess has taken its toll --- but the public seems to be blaming Congress, Wall Street or Tim Geithner and not the president.

So why the feeling that his presidency is in disarray?

Howard Kurtz writes in the Washington Post, "Obama's coolness in front of the cameras -- he's done everything but show up in a leather jacket and shades -- is helping him stay connected to the public (although at this pace he runs the risk of overexposure). And yet there's a growing sense that his young administration is in trouble. Why is that?

"One reason, naturally, is that the economy remains in tatters. Another is the sense that Obama hasn't quite gotten hold of the job. And then there's the fast-forward news culture that started giving him poor-to-failing grades on Day 50. So the narrative has moved from "wow, an African American president!" to "does this guy know what he's doing?"

Case in point: The Teleprompter story.

As his predecessors have done, Obama has sought to bypass the Washington filter by talking directly to the American people --- to use a well-worn cliche. As the Politico points out today, his strategy is different in its extreme: Unconventional appearances on Leno and ESPN, town-hall meetings in California and Ohio, an interview with liberal talk radio and a steady stream of messaging coming in the form of YouTube videos. A top aide tells Politico that the strategy is, "Flood the zone."

The overexposure would seem to be a risk, but that comes when a politician (or celebrity, for that matter) appears hopelessly to the cameras, and also has nothing new to say or say something stupid (Special Olympics jokes would do the trick, but Obama's quick apology appears to have nipped it in the bud). Barring that, at a time of economic crisis and a cascading number of global challenges, there doesn't seem to be much to worry about when it comes to the public just getting sick and tired of you.

That, and other news, in today's Roundup and Recap.

I'm late today --- a pressing assignment and finishing taxes. But here's a few stories making the rounds...

David Bossie's anti-Hillary doc "Hillary: The Movie" goes before the Supreme Court tomorrow as the justices consider whether the federal government can deem that a politically charged film is a campaign ad.

Is Harry Reid working the phones with bankers trying to help save MGM Mirage and its signature Las Vegas project?

If there is so much populist rage out there, where are the street protests? Joe Klein asks.

Condoleezza Rice goes on Jay Leno on Tuesday.

Politicos are not doing well with this high def transition.

Cable craziness: Bill O'Reilly's producer follows ThinkProgress blogger to demand an apology for a posting.

Robert Greenwald travels to Afghanistan for his ongoing documentary.

Stephen Colbert wins NASA's Space Station name contest.

Portia Di Rossi apologizes for marrying Ellen.

Updated

That, and other news, in today's Roundup and Recap.

Norm Coleman's attorney says he's "done" and that Al Franken will still be ahead after the appeal is completed. But he did not concede the race.

Blowing Over?: President Obama apologized to Special Olympics chair Tim Shriver before the Leno show even aired. Maria Shriver issued a statement saying that laughing at such jokes "hurts millions of people throughout the world."

At the White House, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger defended Obama's support of the Special Olympics.

Meanwhile, Jason Linkins writes on Huffington Post that Obama essentially admitted to Leno that the first TARP failed.

Overexposure: Andie Coller of Politico writes that there are risks to Obama's "everywhere" strategy, i.e. being a unibiquitous media presence.

She writes, For this president, Obama’s “charm and glamour” give him an opportunity that a lot of presidents don’t have — but one that he’s got to take carefully, said former Clinton White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers. When a president is in the public eye too often, she says, “at some point, people stop listening.” And right now, she adds, Obama’s ubiquity may also remind the public that he’s got a shallow bench: It “underscores that he doesn’t have the team of surrogates that he needs yet.”

On a Tour: Naomi Watts, preparing to play Valerie Plame in the upcoming movie opposite Sean Penn as Joseph Wilson, toured the White House press room and other parts of the West Wing last weekend. With her was Janet Zucker, one of the film's producers. Jeffrey Ressner recently got a copy of the script and shared some of the details on The Daily Beast.

Blame Game: Suze Orman points the finger at George W. Bush for the financial crisis. "You blew up every single financial vessel we had and if you think you aren’t personally responsible , well, the blame starts at the top. There is no higher top than you, sir." 

Recalling Ron Silver: Lionel Chetwynd and Roger L. Simon remember the actor on Pajamas TV.

Bonus Bombast: Norman Lear is dubious of Congress' outrage at AIG. He writes on HuffPo, "Like raising a thumb to block out the sun, let's take back some 70 odd bonuses and fail on all sides to see the systemic disease that got us here: short-term thinking; the lunatic need for a profit statement this quarter considerably larger than the last, at the expense of every other value."

First Lady Fete: Sheryl Crow and Alicia Keys were among the stars who joined Michelle Obama to commemorate Women's History Month.

Wondering About Wanda: Is Washington ready for Wanda Sykes? Politico's Patrick Gavin writes, "If the pick of Wanda Sykes as this year’s entertainment at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner tells us anything, it’s that the days of Rich Little and Craig Ferguson are long gone."

Mary's Choice: Mary Tyler Moore has never been known to be too political --- until now. She tells Kevin Sessums in an interview with Parade,"I do watch a lot of Fox News. I like Charles Krauthammer and Bill O’Reilly.”

Sessums writes, "Is Mary Tyler Moore a right-winger? “Maybe more of a libertarian centrist. If McCain had asked me to campaign for him, I would have.”"

Today's Top Read: Paul Krugman, on the adminstration's response to AIG, writes in a blog post that the bonus fiasco is a sign that Geithner still has "faith in the people who created the financial crisis." "This was bad analysis, bad policy, and terrible politics. This administration, elected on the promise of change, has already managed, in an astonishingly short time, to create the impression that it’s owned by the wheeler-dealers. And that leaves it with no ability to counter crude populism.".

Variety's Cynthia Littleton reports that President Obama's appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" gave the show its highest ratings in five years.

According to initial overnight results, his guest shot drew an 11.2 household rating and a 26 share. That is a 187 percent spike over the show's average this season.

In the buildup to President Obama's appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," the first time that a sitting commander-in-chief had taken a seat on the late-night sofa, there were an array of images on cable news of the pop culture buildup to this point: Sen. John Kennedy on Jack Paar, Richard Nixon on "Laugh-In," Bill Clinton on "Arsenio Hall" and George W. Bush on "Deal or No Deal."

So you'd think Obama's guest shot would be no big deal. But there was something different about the president's appearance, something that has nothing to do with the incessant talk of whether he'd be funny enough or if he'd be too frivolously funny. It's that he was just so comfortable chatting with Jay, in the same way that so many other celebrities are at ease in pitching their latest project. As he shared anecdotes about a first ride on Marine One and befriending the Secret Service, Obama was following in the tradition of the old comic formula of, "As I was on my way here tonight..." He came with prepared one liners that fit just right in the conversation as a whole. At one point, when Leno asked him whether he thought his rivals on the basketball court "throw the game" his way, Obama gave a double take matching the best of Johnny Carson.

In fact, the president may have gotten too comfortable, as the White House was forced to explain an offhand and unfortunate remark Obama made about his bad bowling: "It's like the Special Olympics or something."

Outside of that gaffe, which surely will create a stir, there was little in substance that the White House can be unhappy about. Their goal was to promote the president's economic agenda and his budget, just as he had been doing on a two-day swing through California.

Given that much of the anger at bailouts has been fomented and skewed and pumped up by late-night monologues, it made sense to match the material on the same turf. In the breezy tone of "The Tonight Show," he was able to project the image of the reassuring voice of reason in a world gone amuck. Leno was the natural choice, with his strong ratings and predictability, something that can't be guaranteed in the mix of punchines and probing on David Letterman and Jon Stewart. 

Mostly, as Leno played populist, Obama pressed for patience.

The storm over the AIG bonuses rages in Washington, what with the House of Representatives passing a 90% tax on those recipients and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner admitting that it was his department that had pressed for the loophole that allowed it. As questions in the Beltway veered toward, "What did the president know, and when did he know it?," Leno asked everyman questions, at once even invoking Mr. Potter from "It's a Wonderful Life."

Noting the greed that got us into this mess, Leno said, "Shouldn't somebody go to jail?"

The president responded, "Here's the dirty little secret, though. Most of the stuff that got us into trouble was perfectly legal."

There was a method to his answers. As much as Obama said he was "stunned" by the AIG bombshell, and pledged to take responsibility for the fallout, however, he also was determined to channel all the anger to his plans for government regulation. "The important thing over the next several months is making sure we don't lurch from thing to thing, but we try to make steady progress, build a foundation for long-term economic growth," he said.

He talked about "derivatives" and the AIG meltdown with the same cool manner as he made a quip about Hollywood accounting, and we'll see if his efforts to explain the financial mess prove as effective as his pop culture savvy.

The risks are readily apparent. In past generations it may have been "beneath the dignity" of sitting presidents to go on "The Tonight Show" --- or, in the case of Richard Nixon, just ill-advised. Make no mistake, there still are boundaries, and they probably cut right through Martha Stewart's kitchen.

But in the fractious media environment, Obama's "Tonight" appearance probably isn't the same deal it would have been, given all the other forms of communications our leaders have to undertake just to get our attention and cut through the clutter.  That still didn't make a visit to "Tonight" any less noteworthy. He is the leader of the free world, and on the billing with Garth Brooks and a skit about 99 cent store gag gifts, it was funny in a different sort of way.

Updated

Appearing on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," President Obama said that he was stunned by the bonuses awarded to AIG execs and echoed comments he has made in recent days that the payments are symptoms of larger problems in the financial system.

"'Stunned' is the word," Obama said, adding that it "speaks to a broader culture that existed on Wall Street where I think people just had this general attitude of entitlement where "We must be the best and the brightest.  We deserve 10 million or 50 million or a-hundred-million-dollar payouts.'" 

He continued, "The immediate bonuses that went to AIG are a problem, but the larger problem is we've got to get back to an attitude where people know enough is enough and people have a sense of responsibility and they understand that their actions are going to have an impact on everybody.  And if we can get back to those values that built America, then I think we're going to be OK."

When Leno joked about the absurdity of AIG's offer to give half the money back, Obama quipped, "Well, you know, the only place I think this might work is in Hollywood."

Although Leno didn't grill Obama as if he were doing "60 Minutes," or Jon Stewart, for that matter, the host said that the House's effort to tax AIG execs after the fact "kind of scared me."

Leno said, "If the government decides they don't like a guy, all of the sudden, 'Hey we're going to tax you, and then, 'Boom,' and it passes. That's seems a little scary, as a taxpayer....It was frightening to me as an American that Congress or whoever could decide 'I don't like that group, let's pass a law and tax them at 90 percent.'"

Obama said that he understood Congress' frustration but suggested that "the best way to handle this is to make sure that you close the door before the horse gets out of the barn."

"What happened here was the money has already gone out and people are scrambling to try to find ways to get back at them.  ...The important thing over the next several months is making sure that we don't lurch from thing to thing, but we try to make steady progress, build a foundation for long-term economic growth. That's what I think the American people expect."

Obama also told Leno he thought Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was doing an "outstanding job," noting that there is too much blame game and not enough focus on solutions.

"I don't think people fully appreciate the plate that was handed to him," Obama said. "This guy has not just a banking crisis. He's got the worst recession since the Great Depression."

Leno quipped in his monologue, "A lot of people were surprised that the president came to NBC, I mean you would think he would be tired of big companies with high paying executives on the brink of disaster."

The president's unusual appearance was the first by a sitting commander-in-chief on "The Tonight Show," even though Obama had appeared twice before, as a senator and as a declared presidential candidate. Obama has been in California to build support for his budget and economic plan, and appearing on late-night TV is believed to be a way to reach audiences who may not be your regular news junkies.

In his 35-minute conversation with the president, Leno also joked with Obama about flying on Air Force One and about his promise, as yet unfulfilled, to get his two daughters a dog.

"This is Washington. That was a campaign promise," Obama said. "No, I'm teasing. The dog will be there shortly."

Obama also quipped of the Beltway environment, “In Washington, it’s a little like ‘American Idol,’ except everybody is Simon Cowell."

More photos here, and highlights below.

Those at the South by Southwest Music Festival who attended Quincy Jones' keynote found flyers on their seats, promoting his idea that President Obama create a cabinet-level "Secretary of the Arts."

Patrick Range McDonald of the LA Weekly is in Austin and says that the flyer read, "There is now a Secretary of the Arts Petition circulating to bring attention to the new White House so that the arts can be made a priority and not just a fringe element."

McDonald also writes, "Jones also spoke to the fact that during his early career in the 1950s and into the 1960s, when he quickly enjoyed a high level of success, he still faced racism. But Jones said he dealt with it by not letting other people's opinion of him affect his own self-worth. Today, Jones worried that Americans are "becoming isolationists," saying that people don't often travel out of the country."

The petition has more than 239,000 signatures.

Updated

In his town hall in Los Angeles today, President Obama brought up some of the criticism he has received for appearing on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" --- the Dallas Morning News writes in an editorial that it "risks demeaning the Oval Office --- given the economic crisis.

From the Los Angeles Times: "There are those who say these plans are too ambitious, that we should be trying to do less, not more," said Obama. "Somebody today was saying I shouldn't be on Leno, that I can't handle that and the economy at the same time. Listen, here's what I say. I say our challenges are too big to ignore, the cost of our healthcare is too high to ignore, our dependence on foreign oil is too dangerous to ignore, our education deficit is too wide to ignore.

"To kick these problems down the road, for another four years or eight years, that would be to continue to the same irresponsibility that led us to this position in the first place. I did not run for president to pass on our problems to the next generation, I ran for president to solve these problems."

His appearance could be a function of his pop culture savvy. According to Politico, at today's town hall the president called on a young, attractive male questioner, asking, "Is he on 'Gossip Girl' or something?"

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger introduced the president, and left little doubt that he's not buying in to Republican opposition.

He tells Politico, "He's so clear with his thinking and he's so well informed and has been dealing with policy in all this and is also very philosophic, it's almost like - I think he's just like - I think it's beautiful."

SAG is picketing outside of NBC in Burbank, hoping to call the president's attention to the impasse with management.

That, and other news, in today's Roundup and Recap.

Politico's Mike Allen reports that former President George W. Bush has landed a book deal with Crown to publish a memoir that will "cover everything from how he found faith to how he quit drinking to how he chose Karl Rove and Dick Cheney for their jobs." Allen reports that Bush has already written 30,000 words of the book, expected to be published in fall, 2010, with the title, "Decision Points."

Sources put the advance at $7 million.

“My goal is to bring the reader inside the Oval Office for the most consequential moments of my personal and political life,” Bush said through his publisher. “I look forward to painting a vivid picture of the information I had, the principles I followed, and the decisions I made. I am spending time on the book every day, and I am thrilled to be working with the team at Crown.”

There had been doubts about how marketable Bush's memoirs would be, given his unpopularity when he left office --- we will see --- but he said in December that he was planning to write his tome.

President Obama, meanwhile, made a deal just before he took office for a children's abridged version of his "Dreams from My Father." The deal was also made with Crown and includes a $500,000 advance.

Beck Bites: Glenn Beck talks --- candidly --- with the Daily Beast's Lloyd Grove, including a recent crying spat that drew some ridicule in late night.

"No, I’m not slipping out of control. I’m in control of myself. I don’t think there’s a problem with people showing emotion. I don’t care what people think, I don’t care if you make fun of me, I don’t care if you disagree, I honestly don’t care in the end if I turn out to be wrong, because actually I hope I’m wrong. There’s no way for me to win if I’m right on some of this stuff."

Dreyfuss Speaks: The man who played Dick Cheney in Oliver Stone's "W" thinks the former vice president should be in jail.

The differences between the way guns are treated in Britain and the U.S. are evident in this story: A group raises hackles in London over an ad for Angelina Jolie's "Wanted," on the grounds that it promotes gun violence. It's a story because it's so different to the reaction here, which as far I can tell was pretty much nothing.

Updated, edited from earlier post

After speaking in Costa Mesa (below), President Obama apparently is overnighting in the Century City-Beverly Hills area,  traffic started backing up mid-afternoon in advance of street closures in and around Avenue of the Stars. Richard Simon of the Los Angeles Times writes of California's history of hosting presidents, including past stays at the Century Plaza Hotel. Bill Clinton was ubiquitous in California: He visited the state more than 70 times as president.

Obama stayed at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, continuing a tradition that dates back to John F. Kennedy.

All around the media, the AIG bonuses have inspired angry commentators, grandstanding politicos and late-night biting humor, all fueling a sense of populist outrage. All that is missing --- so far --- is the actual populist outrage.

Also, Participant Media's Adriana Dunn talks about the political side of South by Southwest.

That's the topic on the latest edition of Wilshire & Washington on the Radio, which you can listen to here.

Updated

That, and other news, in today's Roundup and Recap.

Jeff Zucker defended CNBC, calling Jon Stewart's attacks on the business network "incredibly unfair."

Per the AP, "Zucker said while interviewed on a stage by BusinessWeek that while "everyone wants to find a scapegoat," to suggest that the business media or CNBC was responsible for the economic meltdown is "absurd.""

Brian Lowry writes, "Zucker said Stewart had been "incredibly unfair" by focusing on Cramer's bad stock calls, which completely misses the point of what Stewart and his crack research staff exposed -- not just a few "bad calls," but a general tone of blustery worship toward Wall Street that prompted even conservative columnist George Will to wryly muse, "Don't take financial advice from people who are shouting.""

Jeff Jarvis examines Zucker's smugness. “Criticism of CNBC is way out of line,” NBC head Jeff Zucker said at the BusinessWeek media summit at McGraw-Hill’s headquarters just now. “Just because someone who mocks authority says something doesn’t make it so.” He argued that “you’re already seeing a backlash” against the backlash against news media “in terms of people saying, ‘let’s stop beating the press.’” The press didn’t cause us to go to war in Iraq, he said; a general did. The press missing the financial crisis didn’t cause it. “Both are absurd,” he said.

Really? I think that says that the press has no importance and no role in public policy. Doesn’t matter if we miss the story, he’s saying. It’s not our fault. Will he take no responsibility? (Via Daily Dish).

Marc Ambinder takes note of President Obama's comment today, which sounds to me like echoes of Jon Stewart: "Just as outrageous," he said, is the "culture that these bonuses are a symptom of a situation where excess greed, excess compensation, excess risk-taking have all made us vulnerable and left us holding the bag."  

"This is more than tough rhetoric: I take this to mean that the administration will use the AIG crisis to take a more active role than it otherwise would have. Wall Street has been waiting for the Treasury Department's plan to mitigate the poison and the credit-market-locking effect of toxic assets held by major banks. The administration's economic commanders would prefer to create public-private partnerships to remove those assets from the books of especially troubled institutions; the government and corporations would share the risks.  When Obama says explicitly - "My interest is not protecting the banks," he's scaring that capital away. Why would a hedge fund want to subject itself to the scrutiny that AIG is currently receiving?

"One sign that Obama really means this: he called Tim Geithner the hardest-working Treasury Secretary since Alexander Hamilton and is standing by a man who is now thoroughly distrusted by the finance sector of the economy. Make no mistake: you can blame - or credit - CNBC with introducing the notion that, because Geithner doesn't inspire confidence, whatever that means, he might want to think about resigning."

Clooney's Log: George Clooney shared a Vlog he took on his recent trip to Chad, including comments on rooming with New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.

Newsom's Visit: Gavin Newsom does a Santa Monica town hall, but not before paying a visit to Ryan Seacrest.

President Obama will do "60 Minutes" on Sunday, following his appearance on Leno on Thursday. But it also will be a week since the newsmag's exclusive with Ben Bernanke, in what is viewed as a P.R. success for the Fed chief.

Corrected version and updated

Gavin Newsom is in Santa Monica today for a town hall meeting --- with much symbolism that the San Francisco mayor is making such a foray so very close to fellow gubernatorial prospect Antonio Villaraigosa's backyard.

What Newsom also is doing is trying to make inroads in the entertainment community, in a race that very well may be as hard-fought as the Clinton-Obama battle for industry dollars.

Newsom appeared last night to speak to prospective donors at the home of NBC's Ben Silverman, addressing a crowd that included familiar names in entertainment/political circles like Rick Jacobs, Eric Paquette, Carol Coote, Kelly Meyer and John and Kimberly Emerson and Dr. Howie Mandel (not the "Deal or No Deal" emcee as I posted earlier).

The governor's race could very well be a much more complicated battle of conflicting loyalties, what with Jerry Brown expected to run, Diane Feinstein a possibility and, on the Republican side, EBay's Meg Whitman, a former Disney exec, already in the race. Each has strong ties to the entertainment business.

Political consultant Chad Griffin, who has not decided who to support (it is still early), says, "A lot of people are conflicted. The good thing is there is a great pool of qualified, accomplished Democats. Unfortunately, that means it's likely that they will be challenging each other."

Updated

That, and other news, in today's Roundup and Recap.

Stephen Colbert brandished a pitchfork on "The Colbert Report" last night, in the latest expression of so-funny-its-serious outrage aimed at Wall Street and the bonuses given to AIG. The White House is obviously worried that this resentment will spill over to their own economic agenda, and President Obama's efforts to assure angered Americans that the administration would try to get the money back is met with stories that AIG's bonus contracts have been no secret. (Given that bonuses are routine parts of Wall Street compensation packages, it struck me as one of those Captain Renault "I'm shocked" moments.)

Oddly enough, the man who so stirred up populist outrage a month ago --- directed at those spendthirft mortgage holders who stood to gain from the president's mortgage bailout plan --- seemed to dismiss the AIG bonuses as "much ado about nothing." Rick Santelli downplayed the outrage, pointing out that it was a matter of mere millions rather than billions.

So far, we haven't seen the masses in the streets. Much of the "outrage" that has been expressed seems to depend on the political winds. Some of the most effective and biting recent expressions of anger have come from late-night talk show hosts, but their audiences have not left the tapings of their shows marching toward AIG headquarters. (That may be a testament to the hosts' abilities to know when enough's enough --- in their own way.)

The anger is there, no doubt, and Obama will have to deploy his considerable communications skills come up with a novel balancing act to make sure the dark humor doesn't solidify into histronics. That's why Obama's decision to go on late-night TV on Thursday doesn't look so unusual after all.

Contrary View: Richard Cohen of the Washington Post isn't so crazy about Jon Stewart's take-down of Jim Cramer.

He writes, "It does not take cable TV to make a bubble. CNBC played no role in the Tulip Bubble that peaked, as I recall, in 1637, or in the Great Depression of 1929-41. It is the zeitgeist that does this -- the psychological version of inertia: the belief that what's happening will continue to happen.

"Stewart, too, rides the zeitgeist. The hunt is on for culprits and scapegoats, and Stewart has served up a cliche: the media. As with the war in Iraq, for which credulous media should take some responsibility, the sins are blown out of proportion. It would be one thing if Wall Street titans by the score were selling their company stock and the media were failing to report it, but when someone puts his money where his mouth is, you have to pay attention. The big shots believed."

FDR Moment: Obama is planning to channel Franklin Roosevelt's fireside chats. John Dickerson writes in Slate, "Press secretary Robert Gibbs has told the television networks that the administration may request more time than usual for a president. Gibbs did not provide a schedule but described the addresses as lasting about 10 minutes each."

More from Saturday Night: Karen Ocamb writes on Bilerico Project about Julian Bond's remarks at HRC (below), noting that he has used this line before but it proved no less effective: "When I'm asked are gay rights civil rights, my answer is always - of course they are." She also writes of speakers John Duran and Diane Feinstein, noting of the latter that she was greeted with a very warm reception, even from "old timers who remembered a more conservative senator with whom they disagreed."

"Bruno" Bite: Details of Sacha Baron Cohen's upcoming movie "Bruno" are leaking out, and one segment's a doozy. His character hits on Ron Paul.

Congo Campaign: Ben Affleck, Rosario Dawson, Kerry Washington, Robin Wright Penn, Emile Hirsch, Maria Bello, and Joel Madden and Nicole Richie attended a gathering last week at Penn's home to talk about the EcoMom Alliance's new project on the Congo. The guest speaker was the Enough Project's John Prendergast.

Air Supply: Montel Williams (left) is joining Air America, for a talk show that debuts on April 6. He appeared with other entertainment figures and Air America execs at a cocktail party at the Radio & Records Talk Radio seminar in Marina del Rey over the weekend (right).

 Fox Edit: Fox News edits Biden comments to make it look like he said, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong." The network apologized for using the clip, which was from last year.

Kilmer Meet: Spotted in the D.C. area again: Val Kilmer, who is thinking of running for governor of New Mexico.

Photo: Elisa Haber

Joe Klein of Time says the actor was "my closest friend," and writes that he belied the image of Hollywood types talking about more than they really knew. In Silver's case, he really was well read and smart.

Klein remembers the arguments he had with Silver, who switched to a more conservative brand of politics after 9/11. Klein writes, "We did have a real fight in 2004, when he endorsed Bush and spoke at the Republican Convention. "The speech was bad enough, you had to sit in Cheney's box?" I asked. But, of course, he did. Ron was like that--no punches pulled, no corners cut. The list of directors and playwrights and fellow actors and political leaders he told to go screw themselves represented a who's who of the bien pensant entertainment world. "You don't want to ask me what happened with Nelson Mandela," he said when he came home from filming Ali in Africa. (He didn't like the fact that Mandela embraced Yasser Arafat, who killed innocents. Apparently Jamie Foxx has the videotape. "It isn't pretty," Ron admitted.)

"But I digress. Our fight: We yelled at each other for two hours until finally I told him to go f*** himself and then I started to laugh. "I just realized," I told him. "That there are no limits. You can't do or say anything that will make me stop being your friend." He said he felt the same way about me, even if I was mortally soft on the Arabs."

Despite speaking at the GOP convention in 2004, Klein says, Silver did vote for Obama.

It made sense that, given a recent Hollywood delegation's high profile visit to Iran, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences would extent an invitation to Iranian filmmakers to visit the United States.

"It certainly would be appropriate based on what we have just done," said Sid Ganis, the president of the Academy, who led the 10-day trip that ended last week. "If we assist in making that happen, we will. Now we just have to figure out how to do it."

The delegation also included Annette Bening, Alfre Woodward, Phil Alden Robinson, Frank Pierson, Tom Pollock, Bill Horberg, James Longley and Ellen Harrington, the Acad's director of exhibitions and special events. Their trip, at the invitation of Cinema House, Iran's film academy, was nonpolitical and was not arranged by the state Department.

Much of visit was spent speaking before the country's filmmakers and students, as well as attending workshops and panels and screenings of their own movies.

But with the Obama adminstration signalling a willingness to restart talks, on some level, with the Iranian government, comparisons were immediately made to the kind of cultural diplomacy that preceded the opening of U.S.-Chinese relations in 1972.

Ganis was cautious about elevating their trip to the geopolitical level, but he said, "If we move diplomacy along a half an inch, boy, I will be happy about that."

The Academy delegation met with no government officials, but Ganis called the trip "sensational" and said that he "found people welcoming and sincerely interested in seeing us." He added that only sporadically did they encounter anyone with a political agenda, asking "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here."

"Looking at it from the point of view of what we set out to do, I feel completely satisfied that we accomplished our goals," he said.

In sessions that lasted up to four hours, the Americans and Iranians exchanged ideas and problems. Ganis said, "Some were specific to working in Iran, some were specific to filmmakers in both countries, like raising money, getting actors to commit, the exact same concerns about budgets and schedules, all very similar to what we face here."

There also was talk of hindrances faced by Iranian filmmakers in releasing their movies in their country, given that there are only 300 cinemas in Iran, "and the movies are looked at and ruled upon by their government."

Ganis said, "They were surprised to hear that we had no government censorship whatsoever."

The greatest headlines of the trip came when Javad Shamghadri, an adviser to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, told members of the media that the U.S. delegation should apologize to the Iranians for "30 years of insults and slanders," citing the portrayal of the country in films like "300" and "the Wrestler."

Reflecting the complicated structure of Iranian authorities, Ganis noted that Shamghadri was not "speaking for the government; he was advising the president."

"I wasn't surprised that it did come up, not specifically 'The Wrestler' and '300,' but sort of in a negative sense of American material," he said.

The Academy delegation did not apologize, but when asked about the comments, Ganis says his response was to say, "Your society is steeped in culture, and culture and art is always open to criticism. American movies are no different. Sometimes were do it right, sometimes we don't do it right, but it is art."

Ganis says he also told them, "We are not here to represent material. We are here to talk about film and filmmaking."

Iranian culture has a rich cinematic tradition, but Ganis said that he was struck by the extent to which those he met were familiar with U.S. films --- such as "Iron Man" --- even though they were not even released in the country. Piracy is rampant in the country, and at one market, he found one film he produced, "Mr. Deeds," with the title in Farsi, and bought it for $1.50.

One issue that also was talked about was a perplexing problem with qualifying Iranian movies for the Oscars, given that some Iranian movies are released in other countries but not in Iran itself.

Ganis added of the trip, "If we manage to make a small contribution, we will be happy."

Corrected and updated version

That, and other news, in today's Roundup and Recap.

President Obama will appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Thursday, part of a day-and-a-half swing through Southern California.

An NBC spokeswoman says the president will make an in-studio appearance, in what is believed to be the first presidential in-person visit to a late-night talk show. It is now a common practice for presidential candidates to reach audiences who may not be regular news junkies, but that hasn't been the case for a sitting commander in chief. Obama's visit is designed to win support for his economic agenda in a comfortable setting.

Previous presidents have appeared on late-night talk shows and primetime comedies and dramas while in office, but such guest spots are usually taped. President Bush taped a segment last year for NBC's "Deal or No Deal." President Clinton made a cameo in a 1997 CBS TV movie "A Child's Wish." And Gerald Ford filmed a clip for NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in 1976, merely saying, "I'm Gerald Ford and You're Not."

There was probably a time that a president making an appearance on "The Tonight Show" would have incited complaints that it is beneath the dignity of the office, but the parade of politicians and world leaders has been so frequent in late-night in the past decade that such outcries are considerably weaker than they once were.

Obama's Southern California visit includes a town hall meeting in Costa Mesa and a tour of an electric vehicle plant in Pomona.

Ron Silver Remembered: Frank Luntz writes in Huffington Post that the actor was able to work in both worlds of politics and entertainment.

He writes, "I personally enjoy the nexus between Hollywood and Washington -- listening to performers who have learned the substance of the issues they champion, but who don't necessarily get the nuance. For their part, watching a Washington politician try to navigate the waters of the Left Coast is like watching the various swimmers in the movie Jaws. The outcome isn't going to be pretty.

"Yet Ron was comfortable in both worlds. I heard a colleague refer to him as an actor's actor because he put so much of himself into his craft -- at least in the early years. But congressmen and senators were equally impressed with his command of the finer points of diplomacy. He was not only well-spoken. He was well-read."

Patrick Gavin writes in Politico that Silver was a ubiquitous D.C. presence: "In a word, he was here a lot. So much so that he began to blend in with the woodwork. You may have stopped doing a double take when you spotted him in a crowd or on a red carpet. So what if you remembered him from his stints in "Reversal of Fortune", "Ali" or "The West Wing"? So what if he won a Tony Award for his work in "Speed the Plow"?

"At some point, you probably just stopped even wondering what he was doing in town. When Silver stopped by a party at the Fairfax on Embassy Row hotel the day before Obama's Inauguration, his presence was hardly buzzed about, if even noticed, in an A-list crowd filled with the Clintons, Valerie Jarrett, Yo-Yo Ma and Brian Williams."

More tributes here and here.

Populism Problems: The New York Times' Adam Nagourney cites Jon Stewart's faceoff with James Cramer as just one reason that White House officials are worried that populist anger will complicate efforts to shore up the banks, given the outrage already at the way that bailout funds have been spent.

The actor and co-founder of the Creative Coalition died today at age 62.

He'd long been a champion of liberal causes but turned away from many of his Hollywood brethen and offered support for President Bush and the war in Iraq. Citing national security, he joined other industry figures like Jon Voight and David Zucker in becoming so-called "9/11 Republicans." Silver even spoke at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

Silver had a recurring role on "The West Wing," appeared as Alan Dershowitz in "Reversal of Fortune" and as Robert Shapiro in the CBS O.J. Simpson miniseries "American Tragedy," written by Norman Mailer.

In the 1990s, he cofounded the Creative Coalition, which advocates for the arts.

"They say that Hollywood is sex without substance, and Washington is substance without sex, so maybe the marriage of the two is mutually intriguing."

Roger L. Simon of Pajamas Media has a tribute to the actor here, and LAObserved has more here.

Wanda Sykes will emcee the White House Correspondents Assn. Dinner in May, offering her one of the highest profile tasks of her career.

What she delivered at the emcee of the Human Rights Campaign dinner on Saturday was a dose of material that probably wouldn't sit well with more bipartisan D.C. crowds.

Of Republicans, she told the crowd, “Talk about evil people, they’re just nasty!" Then she quoted Rush Limbaugh: "‘I want the president to fail!’ What the hell? What kind of bullshit is that? So he says screw everybody else. Screw everybody, I just want to win!' That’s treason, right? I’m like, ‘Let’s not close Guantanamo, send Rush Limbaugh’s big ass over there! He’s a terrorist!’”

It was stand up, but will he get the joke?

More of her routine here.

I've been to several Human Rights Campaign dinners, and they're usually a mix of politics and pop --- sometimes weighted heavily toward the latter. (There was the year that Charo sang ... and sang ... and sang.)

What was different about the Los Angeles event on Saturday was tone. Save for a rather hilarious monologue by Wanda Sykes, and the appearance of the L.A. Derby Dolls (which must be a generational thing), celebrity was kept to a minimum.

The evening was marked for its seriousness, perhaps because of the dire economy, but more likely because of the stinging defeat with the passage of Proposition 8, for which HRC bore a share of criticism, along with other groups involved in the campaign. For all of the hope that the state Supreme Court will overturn Proposition 8, the justices didn't seem to be leaning that way in last week's oral arguments, and there was little effort to try to sugar coat the reality. Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), in her keynote, said, "We must hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."

"Time doesn't stop," she reassured the crowd, "but it is on your side."

In fact, the idea that the battle for same-sex marriage is long and hard-fought, fraught with victory and setbacks, was invoked among several of the speakers, including Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and honoree John Duran, a West Hollywood city councilman. Duran's involvement stretches back to the early 1980s, when he helped fight numerous outrageous efforts including Lyndon LaRouche's 1986 proposition on the California ballot that would have quarantined HIV and AIDS patients It was soundly defeated. "We have been tested by time," Duran said.

The major highlight, though, was civil rights leader Julian Bond, whose appearance underscored the disproportionate vote of African Americans in favor of Proposition 8. Although exact numbers have been disputed, in the days after its passage, the mere fact that a majority of African Americans supported Prop 8 caused plenty of consternation in the gay community. There were some reports of racial epithets at the protest marches in the weeks that followed, and organizers of the No on 8 campaign endured complaints that they didn't do enough to reach out to the black community and form alliances with African-American churches.

Bond, the chairman of the NAACP, said that his organization did not take a position on gay marriage but did oppose Proposition 8, because it singled out one group of people for "discrimination" in a constitution. But he himself supports same-sex marriage, and he wasted few words in condemning homophobia in the African-American community. With a stately announcer's voice that rarely rises to the higher range of decibels, Bond challenged resentments of the gay rights movement to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, pointing out that even though there are differences, "people of color ought to be flattered" that another group draws inspiration from their struggle.

"Black people, of all people, should not oppose equality, and that is what gay marriage is," Bond said.

He even offered some words of praise for Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele, who stirred religious wrath last week in part because he said that being gay is not a choice. (Bond also told Greg Hernandez, "I used to think he was not long for this job, now I’m sure.")

But what was most powerful about his speech was his indictment of religion as a way to justify homophobia, and he cited the opposition not just of some African American religious leaders to same-sex marriage, but to the proposed Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. He picked apart religious scripture condemning homosexuality, citing the absurdities of Leviticus, and went back in history to point out that religious arguments had been used against interracial marriage.

He drew some of the biggest cheers when he said, "God seems to have made room in his plan for interracial marriage, and he or she will no doubt do the same for same-sex marriage."

To overuse an overused cliche, Bond was preaching to the choir. As the No on 8 campaign learned, the real hard work is shifting opinion well beyond the Wilshire corridor, away from the glitter and style of events like these. It's the difference between a statewide TV campaign and a grassroots one. It's also hard not to think whether things would have been different had he traveled up and down the state last year, but the period of picking apart the campaign seems to be giving way to a focus on what is ahead.

That's not clear yet, but at the very least Bond offered encouragement that some of Prop 8's most perplexing divisions would be addressed in a much greater way than they were during the campaign. With the (relative) lack of frivolity, that made for a fitting evening.

Brian Lowry points out that CNBC ratings have dropped somewhat since the Cramer-Stewart feud started, but the interview last night undoubtedly did some damage.

"CNBC has a small audience, but it's nevertheless an extremely valuable franchise for NBC Universal that has been damaged in the public consciousness over the last week. That concern perhaps explains why Cramer has made a veritable tour of NBC assets -- the "Today" show, "Morning Joe" on MSNBC, Martha Stewart's NBC-distributed syndicated program -- to defend himself, albeit not particularly well. If the PR conclusion was that sitting in dark room hiding wasn't an option, that certainly would have been preferable for Cramer and CNBC to what transpired Thursday.

"How this will play out is yet to be determined, but my gut says the whole "feud" will likely fade away fairly soon. Nevertheless, given the pain the economy continues to inflict on the public, "The Daily Show" has delivered a reminder of the need for independent-minded journalism -- and in the process rendered CNBC a laughingstock to many casual viewers that might not have afforded the channel much thought previously."

James Poniewozik of Time writes, "It was most fascinating as a discussion about how business journalism in particular and journalism in general are done in America. 

"About CNBC generally, Stewart kept returning to the question not only of why the network didn't report on financial disaster coming, but who CNBC is for at all: "Who are you responsible to? The people in the 401ks and the pensions and the general public, or the Wall Street traders?" Stewart asked (adding that most traders are "bright guys" who are "f__ed in all this too"). 

"The answer seems pretty plain if you watch the channel: it's for the traders. Period. It's not just that CNBC doesn't serve average, buy-and-hold investors. It's that its very existence—at least, as it is presently aimed and structured—goes against their interests."

Alessandra Stanley writes in the New York Times, "Mr. Stewart treated his guest like a C.E.O. subpoenaed to testify before Congress — his point was not to hear Mr. Cramer out, but to act out a cathartic ritual of indignation and castigation."

She adds, "And while it’s never much fun to watch a comedian lose his sense of humor, in an economic crisis, it’s even sadder to see supposed financial clairvoyants acting like clowns."

Andrew Sullivan: "Stewart - that little comic with the Droopy voice for Lieberman - is actually becoming an accidental activist. Why he matters, is why South Park matters. He, like Matt and Trey, do not leave aside their own profession from scrutiny: they have the actual balls to take it on. There is a cloying familiarity among many cable show hosts and television personalities. We all have to get along, even though some of us may believe that others of us are very much part of the problem, rather than the solution. And what Stewart has done is rip off that little band-aid of faux solidarity for a modicum of ethical and moral accountability."

My note: After I watched the interview last night, I wondered whether there was in anyway a comparison to be made to Edward R. Murrow's famous "See It Now" interview with Joseph McCarthy, an incident chronicled in George Clooney's "Good Night, and Good Luck." It seems like hyperbole to actually make that comparison --- even ridiculous when you consider that Stewart and Murrow cannot have two different backgrounds. But some bloggers are making the comparison, and the reason is the timing. Up to now, no media figure that could match Cramer or any of the other CNBC personalities has actually called them on their history of misguided punditry. As much as Stewart has decried "cheap populism," his comments were reflective of the anger of anyone who has seen vast savings cut in half, not fully understanding what happened and wondering why they'd invested so much in a market that really was frought with risk. In the coming days there will be ample debate on how fair it was to direct so much populist anger at Cramer himself --- he's not Madoff, after all --- but what Stewart did is redirect criticism to the system that got us into this mess, rather than the government that's trying to bail us out.

Updated

In the closing minutes of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" on Thursday, after his epic, heavily hyped absurd showdown with James Cramer ended with an interview (below) with the man himself, Stewart said, "I hope that it was as uncomfortable to watch as it was to do."

He was right. Stewart not broke out of his regular format --- the interview with CNBC's Cramer ran well beyond the allotted time --- but he strayed from the point of his show, and even his network.

Stewart wasn't funny; He was angry, literally pointing his finger at Cramer, indicting him for complicity in the evaporation of our 401K wealth. His pontifications weren't followed by punchlines; uneasy questions weren't followed by snappy comebacks.

"It's not a (f*%#*!) game," Stewart admonished Cramer, as the wild-eyed guru blabbered and babbled and struggled for explanations, sometimes rendered speechless.

Stewart chided Cramer and CNBC for hyping up a market manipulated by Wall Street shenanigans, at one point even calling financial journos' behavior perhaps "criminal." He charged that CNBC was in lock step with the shady CEOs and hedge fund managers who brought down retirement savings and the rest of the economy. And he pointed out the absurdity of its correspondents trying to pin the blame of the economic mess on mortgage holders, rather than the banks themselves.

Cramer defended himself at points, but most of the time could only acknowledge that yes, he's made mistakes.

"Should we have been constantly pointing out the mistakes that were made? Absolutely. I truly wish we had done more."

Efforts to argue that he'd been trying to illuminate the tricks of short sells and market manipulation were met with Stewart presenting clips of a 2006 interview, posted on Huffington Post this week, in which Cramer appears to be boasting of engaging in just such behavior.

By the end, Stewart told Cramer that it was unfortunate that he had become the poster boy for the market's fallen wizards. Cramer was conciliatory and deferential, and he certainly wasn't anything close to "Mad Money." The sober tone of the show was a reminder that the Stewart-Cramer feud was funny, until we realized we've all been duped.

Update: Mike Allen of Politico writes on Political Playbook, "You can stop reading. It's all anyone will be talking about. Have a good weekend."

He offers a key passage of Stewart's interview: “We’re both snake-oil salesmen, to a certain extent. But we DO label the show as snake oil here. … When you talk about ‘the regulators,’ why not the financial news network? … CNBC could be an incredibly powerful tool of illumination for people that believe that there are two markets: One … has been sold to us as long term: ‘Put your money in 401ks. Put your money in pensions. And just LEAVE it there. Don’t worry about it. It’s all doing fine.’ Then there’s this OTHER market, this REAL market that’s occurring in the back room, where giant piles of money are going in and out, and people are trading them, and it’s transactional, and it’s fast. But it’s dangerous, it’s ethically dubious, and it hurts that long-term market. So what it feels like to us – and I’m speaking purely as a layman – it feels like we are capitalizing your adventure by our pension and our hard-earned … and that it is a game that you KNOW, that you know is going on, but that you go on television as a financial network and pretend isn’t happening.”

Just this past week has seen Richard Gere, LeAnn Rimes and Paul Simon in D.C., pushing signature causes.

Stars seeking support is nothing new on Capitol Hill. What is new is that, with Democrats in charge of the White House and Congress, there is a new sense of sychronicity.

In the past couple of weeks, Brad Pitt has met with Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on rebuilding New Orleans, and George Clooney sat down with Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden in separate gatherings to talk about Darfur. Richard Gere appeared at an event with Pelosi on Monday to talk about the plight of Tibet.

There was outright jubuliation on Monday from Michael J. Fox, director-producer Jerry Zucker and others when Obama lifted restrictions on stem cell research, a cause that his predecessor vehemently opposed. Hollywood activists lobbied lawmakers for years to lift the ban, but Bush vetoed it.

The meetings with Obama have been especially notable, because they have happened so early in his administration. Clooney's meeting, in fact, took place before the administration had completed a policy review of Darfur. But advisers say the actor found the situation in Darfur so dire that he sought out a meeting with Obama right after visiting the region. Clooney seized on the opportunity to call for a special envoy to the region, and, facing reporters on the White House lawn as he exited his meeting, he announced that the adminstration was prepared to do just that.

Pitt's meeting with Obama was much more low key than one he had later in the day with Pelosi, who stood with the actor before a row of TV cameras and pledged continued attention to the rebuilding of New Orleans. There was little mention of specifics, but in his meeting with the president, they talked about the actor's Make It Right Foundation, which rebuilds homes in the Lower Ninth Ward in architectually innovative, environmentally friendly designs. At issue was whether the low-cost housing project could be expanded elsewhere. Obama's recently passed stimulus package includes funding for green building projects.

It should be noted that President Bush did hold meetings with Bono and other celebrity activists, and Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz even met in 2003 with Scooter Libby, then Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, to talk about German treatment of Scientologists.

"The issue with Bush wasn't that high profile figures wouldn't go meet with him; it was that they didn't see eye to eye on the issues," said political consultant Donna Bojarsky. "It is not so much that [Obama's adminstration] are being receptive to the industry as it is they share goals and interests."

In fact, the onslaught of stars and their causes has been so great that when Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan testified before a congressional hearing on Tuesday, the nature of his concern stood out because he was lobbying for his own (and fellow musicians') financial interests. He called for payment for recording artists when their music is played on broadcast radio stations. 

More common is the nature of singer Paul Simon's appearance on Wednesday with Pelosi in a press availability at the Capitol. He was there on behalf of the Children's Health Fund, and offered praise to Pelosi for the expansion of the the State Children's Health Insurance Program, one of his signature issues. President Bush vetoed other moves to expand funding for the program twice before President Obama signed it into law last month.

Simon acknowledged the bevy of issues facing congressional leaders during the economic crisis, but said that "those that suffer the most are the children." He urged continued action on child poverty, despite diminshed resources in many states. (The video is here.) Also on the Hill was Lee Ann Rimes, who lobbied for a bill to increase funding for research into psoriasis.

The risks for Obama's administration and Congressional leaders are obvious: that they will appear to be devoting too much time to narrow, celebrity-led interests or, even worse, that they are star struck.

But as defenders of the actor-activists will tell you, it's hard to argue over the urgency of an issue like Darfur, or the need to build shelter almost four years after Katrina. For now, the agendas are in alignment.

Internet filmmakers Beni annd Rafi Fine have launched "Prop 8: The Web Series," with the first episode taking on religious adherents who favored the ban on same-sex marriage but get a book-slapping taste of what it is like to get their rights taken away.

It's pretty over the top --- Mormom and evangelical groups will surely call it harsh --- but it reflects the polarized atmosphere as both sides await a judgment from the California state Supreme Court on the legality of Prop 8 and the validity of some 18,000 marriages that were performed before the ban was passed.

The filming took place in part at the home of film composer Joseph Carrillo and his husband Gregory Frye.

Beni and Rafi plan to post further episodes of the series over the next 90 days until a decision is made on Prop 8.

“We hope we do not have the chance to release all of the episodes of the series, and that the state does the right thing and overturns Prop 8 to restore equal rights for same sex couples across the state," Benny Fine said in a statement.

That, and other news, in today's Roundup and Recap.

President Obama will visit Southern California next Wednesday and Thursday to talk about the economy. No specific details are available yet on his visit, which will be his first to the region since taking office.

Leonore Annenberg Dies: The philanthropist and wife of Walter Annenberg was Ronald Reagan's first chief of protocol. At her lavish Palm Springs estate, she hosted movie stars, politicians and royalty, including Queen Elizabeth, Richard Nixon and Frank Sinatra.

More on Stewart-Cramer: Comedy Central boasts of online records with its clips of Jon Stewart mocking CNBC and JIm Cramer. In advance of Cramer's visit tonight, Stewart riffed further on the back-and-forth on last night's show.