I'll throw in with just about everyone else gathering lists this week, with my picks for the top five stories on my beat these past 12 months, or top put it another way, where show biz had the most impact on the political process. The caveats are that this is entirely subjective (I'm not Nate Silver here) and there are still a couple of stories that have yet to play out (like the impact of "Zero Dark Thirty").

5. Bill Maher’s $1 million donation to Priorities USA. Other entertainment industry figures, like Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg, gave more, but Bill Maher’s $1 million check to the Obama SuperPAC in March generated the publicity, and perhaps the sense of urgency, that GOP superdonors were prepared to spend unlimited sums to defeat President Obama. Maher's money may not have led to a cascade of industry money flowing to Priorities, but it did help the org run Bain ads in the late spring that defined Mitt Romney before he could define himself.

4. Big Bird at the debate. Mitt Romney’s reference to a Muppet in the first presidential debate provoked a conversation about the value of government funding for public broadcasting. Yet it also helped highlight the new role of social media in coverage of presidential matchups, as Big Bird became an instant meme on Facebook and Twitter, a prelude to the second and third debates. In an otherwise strong first debate, Romney may nevertheless have handed the Obama campaign easy fodder as it focused on the futility of his budget proposals. It was pure campaign silliness, but public television and its Muppet lobby prevailed.

3. Joseph Biden’s gathering of gay Hollywood. Just two weeks before the Vice President announced his support for same-sex marriage on “Meet the Press,” he told a gathering of gay donors at the home of HBO programming chief Michael Lombardo the same thing. The result was a cascading series of events that led to President Obama announcing, before he was prepared to do so, that he supports same-sex marriage. That helped Obama ensure lopsided LGBT support, which some studies have said were consequential in the fall campaign. But it also underscored the power of Hollywood, not only in presenting LGBT characters in primetime, but for the role of industry activists in financing campaigns and other actions. The most impactful one, the case against Proposition 8, is on its way to the Supreme Court.

2. George Clooney’s $15 million fundraiser. President Obama and plenty of his Democratic predecessors have had starry Hollywood fundraisers, but his May event at George Clooney’s Studio City home was different. With a contest in which online donors could win tickets to the Clooney fete, the campaign found a way to fuse the elite big dollar donor events with single and double digit online contributions. It helped inject some energy in the Obama campaign’s effort to boost small dollar donations, and was repeated over and over again until election day, as well as by other candidates. The relentless fund-raising emails may have gotten a bit creepy at times, but they worked, and helped the campaign surpass the $1 billion mark.

And...

1. Clint Eastwood’s empty chair speech. Clint was supposed to add some pizazz and gravitas to the final hour and final night of the Republican National Convention. Instead, it may have been the point during that week that the Romney campaign truly faltered, diminishing a convention bounce that could have helped carry it into the fall campaign. While you can argue over whether this was the moment when everything went off the rails, Eastwood's incoherent speech was a metaphor for the campaign's demographic and messaging troubles to come: An aging white actor railing against President Obama but giving voters few reasons to like Romney. The irony is that Republicans are the ones usually chiding Democrats for falling head over heels for celebrities, but in this case it was conservatives who fell into the trap of being too star struck.

Photos: Bill Maher, HBO; Republican National Convention, Ted Johnson

Variety's Jon Weisman shares a clip from 1950, when the War Department gave its blessing to a story within "The Steel Helmet" that depicted the killing of a POW that would violate the Geneva Convention

The White House petition site We the People is a rather ingenius idea of interactivity, one that has generated real news when it elicits an official administration response on a whole number of issues. The whole SOPA flareup in January was a case in point. But the site has drifted into absurdity, what with petitions to send Piers Morgan back to Great Britain for his stance on the 2nd Amendment, to another to "begin construction of a Death Star by 2016." (Perhaps that will be just in time for the latest "Star Wars" sequel).

One of the latest petitions is to charge "Meet the Press" host David Gregory for possession of a 30-round, high capcity assault rifle magazine, which he used to make a point during his interview on Sunday with NRA spokesman Wayne LaPierre. The petition passed 10,000 signatures, about 15,000 short of the number that will generate an official White House response. The petition, obviously. isn't about really arresting Gregory, who may or may not have gotten approval from District of Columbia officials to posess the magazine, but for gun rights advocates to make a point about the restrictiveness of that city's gun laws.

I am back from a Christmas break in Minneapolis --- frigid as all can be but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Meanwhile, there is little surprise in Ben Affleck's announcement that he will not run for Senate in Massachusetts. He posted on Facebook on Christmas Eve, and also called attention to a number of issues, like the Eastern Congo Initiative.

There are plenty of actors with far less savvy about the political process who have run for office, and won. But Affleck also has, particularly after "Argo," a new chapter in his film career, unlike Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger and others who jumped into the arena when their acting careers showed signs of stalling and they were on the hunt for something new. The biggest challenge, however, has got to be the scrutiny, and without the protective layer of the industry's P.R. machinery, it is bound to be intense even for those who have from time to time found themselves in the tabloids or on TMZ.

Affleck's post is below:

Ben Affleck may have sidestepped questions this week on whether he is interested in running for Senate, but his comment/no comment to CBS's "Face the Nation" set in motion something that showbiz figures from Warren Beatty to Donald Trump have used to draw attention to their various issues.

In Beatty's case, the speculation in 1999 that he would run for president as an independent helped draw attention to one of his signature causes, campaign finance reform. In Trump's case, the speculation that he would enter the GOP nomination battle helped focus attention on, well, himself.

Affleck is championing the Congo, and testified before the Armed Services Committee this week, so the timing of a pending vacancy in Massachusetts may have only helped him focus attention on an issue that is often neglected by the general public.

"Well, one never knows," he told Bob Schieffer when asked about running for Kerry's seat. "I'm not one to get into conjecture. I do have a great fondness and admiration for the political process in this country, it's a big deal for me to come down here and be on your show that I've watched so much. But I'm not going to get into speculation about my political future.

"I like to be involved -- right now I'm really happy being involved from the outside in government, advocating for the Congolese, taking this move that I made, 'Argo,' and it's really become a springboard for dialogue about our relationship with Iran, which is, you know, as Hillary Clinton said, the most pressing foreign policy issue today -- so I got a lot on my plate."

CIA Acting Director Michael Morell issued a statement on "Zero Dark Thirty" on Friday, taking issue from stances where he says the film "departs from reality."

"What I want you to know is that 'Zero Dark Thirty' is a dramatization, not a realistic portrayal of the facts," he said in a statement issued on Friday. "CIA interacted with the filmmakers through our Office of Public Affairs but, as is true with any entertainment project with which we interact, we do not control the final product."

Three senators, Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), John McCain (R-Arizona) and Carl Levin (D-Mich.), sent a letter to Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman Michael Lynton on Thursday, blasting the movie as one that suggested that the use of torture yielded valuable information in the hunt for Bin Laden.

Morell, however, was more nuanced in how he described the role of "enhanced interrogation techniques" in yielding information.

He wrote that "the film creates the strong impression that the enhanced interrogation techniques that were part of our former detention and interrogation program were the key to finding Bin Ladin.  That impression is false.  As we have said before, the truth is that multiple streams of intelligence led CIA analysts to conclude that Bin Ladin was hiding in Abbottabad.  Some came from detainees subjected to enhanced techniques, but there were many other sources as well.  And, importantly, whether enhanced interrogation techniques were the only timely and effective way to obtain information from those detainees, as the film suggests, is a matter of debate that cannot and never will be definitively resolved."

The film does show the use of torture to extract some information from detainees, but it also shows how it led to misinformation and dead ends.

Sony had no comment, but the lawmakers' letter triggered a backlash of sorts among some industry creatives as an effort to interfere with the filmmaking process. And Washington Post columnist David Ignatious asked if this was en effort among lawmakers to "intimidate" studios and writers to protray events as they would like them to be portrayed.

He writes, "The film is more nuanced and ambiguous about whether information obtained after the use of 'enhanced interrogation techniques helped targeters find Osama bin Laden’s courier, and then the al-Qaeda leader. So is the CIA’s own reading of the evidence, based on administration officials’ comments. They’re against torture, too, but they think it’s a mistake to soften the edges of the debate by suggesting that it didn’t provide useful information in the hunt for bin Laden and the broader fight against al-Qaeda."

Morell's complete statement is below:

National Rifle Assn. spokesman Wayne LaPierre, appearing before the media for the first time since the Connecticut school shootings, suggested that violent movies, videogames and music videos bore some blame by bringing "an ever more toxic mix of reckless behavior and criminal cruelty into out homes."

His main proposal was a federal program to provide armed security at every school, but LaPierre also was scathing about what he called a "race to the bottom" among media conglomerates profiting from violent content.

"Rather than face their own moral failings, the media demonize lawful gun owners," said LaPierre, at a press conference that was interrupted twice by protesters.

"There exists in this country a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people," he said.

He cited movies and music videos, but also singled out specific videogame titles, including one, "Kindergarten Killers."

"Then there's the blood-soaked slasher films like 'American Psycho' and 'Natural Born Killers' that are aired like propaganda loops on 'Splatterdays' and every day, and a thousand music videos that portray life as a joke and murder as a way of life. And then they have the nerve to call it entertainment."

The MPAA had no immediate comment, but its chairman, Chris Dodd, on Thursday released a statement saying that "we stand ready to be part of the national conversation."

The Electronic Software Assn., which represents videogame developers, on Wednesday said that the "search for meaningful solutions must consider the broad range of actual factors that may have contributed to this tragedy." It noted that "extensive research" had shown "no connection between entertainment and real-life violence."

Studies that have been done on the impact of violence in movies and videogames and youth have been inconclusive, something that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia pointed out in writing a 2011 majority decision that struck down California's ban on sales of violent videogames to minors.

LiveScience, for instance, reported on a 2010 brain imaging study that suggested that "emotional responses to violence appeared to diminish in teenage brains exposed to a steady stream of violent videos." The study came from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, Md,, but the study may not be indicative of what impact it may have on aggressive behavior.

Moreover, some of those advocating gun control have expressed fears that a debate that morphs into one about media violence will distract from a genuine need for a change in firearms laws.

David Axelrod, former senior adviser to President Obama, said via Twitter, "LaPierre is right on culture; fundamentally dishonest in raising it. We need 2 act on all weapons of war; violent culture. Mental health."

He added, "LaPierre's rant was truly astonishing. At a moment that demanded reflection, he sprayed rhetorical shots around the room."

MPAA topper Chris Dodd has offered his condolences to the families of Friday’s shooting victims, marking the org’s first public statement since the shootings that have heated up the national conversation about gun violence and the media.
“As a citizen of Connecticut and having represented the people there for 36 years in Washington, I have been shocked and profoundly saddened by this tragedy. My heart goes out to the community as I know they will carry this pain with them long after the spotlight on Newtown has dimmed,” Dodd said in a statement issued Thursday. “As chairman of the MPAA and on behalf of the motion picture and television studios we represent, we join all Americans in expressing our sympathy as well as our horror and outrage at this senseless act of violence. Thus, I have reached out to the Administration to express our support for the President’s efforts in the wake of the Newtown tragedy. Those of us in the motion picture and television industry want to do our part to help America heal. We stand ready to be part of the national conversation.”
The White House has said that President Obama’s response to the shooting may include “conversations” delving into “cultural issues,” raising the possibility of further study of violence in movies and video games.
White House spokesman Jay Carney has said that the president has not yet outlined specific plans, and that Obama wants to “have these conversations with people who have worked on this issue and people who are affected by it to explore all the possibilities.”
Media orgs have long maintained that links between make-believe and real violence are weak and inconclusive at best — a view contradicted by the American Medical Assn., the American Psychological Assn. and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
A number of Hollywood studios canceled events or altered televised content in the wake of last week’s violence. Paramount delayed the Pittsburgh premiere of “Jack Reacher,” 20th Century Fox canceled festivities around its preem of “Parental Guidance” and the Weinstein Co. nixed its red carpet and afterparty for Tuesday’s premiere of “Django Unchained.”
“Saturday Night Live” opened with a rendition of “Silent Night” from a children’s choir to pay tribute to the 27 victims, an unusually somber exception in the long-running sketch show’s history.

(This report was contributed by Rachel Abrams)

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Sen. John Mccain (R-Arizona) and Sen. Carl Levin (D-Michigan) sent a letter to Sony Pictures Entertainment protesting "Zero Dark Thirty, calling the movie "grossly inaccurate and misleading" by suggesting that torture yielded information leading to the capture of Osama bin Laden.

"You have a social and moral obligation to get the facts right," they said in their letter, in which they ask him to "please consider correcting the impression that the CIA’s use of coercive interrogation techniques led to the operation against Usama Bin Laden. It did not."

The full story here.

The full text of the letter is below:

The National Assn. of Broadcasters has issued a statement on Sen. Jay Rockefeller's call for a study of videogame and video violence.

Spokesman Dennis Wharton said, "Given the events of the last
week, NAB believes a scientific study on the potential impact of video
violence on real-life violence is appropriate."

Although Rockefeller is focusing on videogames, he also called for the Federal Trade Commission to look at the issue. That could mean a look at how the games are marketed, including on broadcast TV.

After Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) proposed a study of the effect of videogame violence on children, the industry's trade association issued a statement today after remaining silent following the shootings in Connecticut.

Other lawmakers, like Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) have suggested that a national commission be created and include violence in entertainment on its agenda.

The statement from the Entertainment Software Assn., however, cautions that
the search for solutions "must consider the broad range of actual factors that contributed to this tragedy." The org noted that "extensive research has shown no connection between entertainment and real-life violence."

The ESA's full statement is below:

“The Entertainment Software Association, and the entire industry it represents, mourns the
tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Our heartfelt prayers and condolences go out to the
families who lost loved ones, and to the entire community of Newtown.

“The search for meaningful solutions must consider the broad range of actual factors that may
have contributed to this tragedy. Any such study needs to include the years of extensive
research that has shown no connection between entertainment and real-life violence.”

Brad Pitt, John Legend, Danny Glover and Russell Simmons, the executive producers of Eugene Jarecki's documentary "The House I Live In," about the futility of the war on drugs, are praising President Obama for saying that prosecution of marijuana users in Washington and Colorado is "not a top priority."

The documentary, which calls for reforming drug laws and sentencing guidelines, is on the Oscar shortlist for documentary feature.

The four exec producers said in a statement, “President Obama should be commended for expressing the will of the people in Colorado and Washington. Our jails are overburdened with nonviolent drug users in this country, too often serving harsher sentences than violent criminals. This defies all common and economic sense. The President’s statement reflects a saner and more sensible drug policy, and a step away from the decades long failed war on drugs.”

Jarecki is on a tour of state and federal prisons, as well as schools and churches, to make the case for sentencing reforms, and a shift away from "industrial mass incarceration of the nonviolent toward treatment, education and rehabilitation."

Obama made the remarks in a recent interview with ABC News.

Griffin Dunne has directed the first in a series of public service announcements from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, featuring families of victims of gun violence as well as a number of industry supporters.

The spots feature Colin Goddard, a survivor of the Virginia Tech shootings, and Lonnie and Sandy Phillips, whose daughter Jessica Redfield Ghawi was killed in the rampage at the Century Movie Theater in Aurora, Colo. Also featured are Mark Ruffalo, Mariska Hargitay, Anthony LaPaglia, Rosanne Cash and Liev Schrieber.

The producer of the spots is filmmaker and activist Maria Cuomo Cole.

The theme of the spots, which can be viewed here, is "We Are Better Than This."

 

President Obama announced the creation of a White House task force, led by Vice President Joseph Biden, to come up with a series of recommendatins in the wake of the school shootings in Connecticut, including an examination of "a culture that too often glorifies guns and violence."

In his remarks on Wednesday morning, Obama set a January deadline for the task force, and he specifically mentioned several possible legislative steps including a renewed ban on assault weapons and wider background checks for gun owners.

But his citing of "culture" raises the prospect violence in videogames, movies and TV shows would come under scrutiny, as well as marketing of such content to children and teens.

"This is a team that has a very specific task, to pull together real reform now," Obama said.

On Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, introduced legislation to study the impact of violent content, including video games and video programming on children. The study would be done by the National Academy of Sciences.

"Recent court decisions demonstrate that some people still do not get it," Rockefeller said in a statement. "They believe that violent video games are no more dangerous to young minds than classic literature or Saturday morning cartoons.  Parents, pediatricians, and psychologists know better. These court decisions show we need to do more and explore ways Congress can lay additional groundwork on this issue.  This report will be a critical resource in this process."

He also said that he will call on the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission to "expand" their work in this area.

"Changes in technology now allow kids to access violent content on-line with less parental involvement," Rockefeller said. "It is time for these two agencies to take a fresh look at these issues."

Rockefeller said that the study "would examine whether violent video games/programming cause kids to act aggressively or otherwise hurt their wellbeing, and whether that effect is distinguishable from other types of media.  It also would look at the direct and long-lasting impact of violent content on a child’s well-being."

Obama signaled that gun control measures would be the focus of the task force, as he said, "the fact that we can't prevent every act of violence doesn't mean we can't steadily reduce the violence."

Common Sense Media, an advocacy org for parents and media content, is calling on the NBA and NFL to stop featuring advertising for violent videogames during event telecasts.

James Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media, sent letters to NBA commissioner David Stern and NFL commisioner Roger Goodell, calling for a moratorium on such games.

"We believe that you make many decisions to protect the image of the league, but that you are badly failing your fans in a critical area: the way the league perpetuates a culture of violence by allowing advertisers to air inappropriate ads for ultraviolent and sexually violent video games during NFL programming," Steyer wrote in his letter to Goodell. "In light of the recent tragedy in Newtown, Conn., we are asking you to enact a moratorium on ads for ultraviolent or sexually violent video games during your programming for the rest of the season."

He added, "We understand that many of your fans may be video game enthusiasts, but we also understand that many of your fans are 6 or 7 years old, including at least one of the victims of last week’s tragedy. Violent video games – and the ads that promote them – are simply inappropriate for young kids, and the NFL should take a stand by removing these ads from games when families and kids are watching, especially at such a sensitive time in our country’s mindset."

Letters also went out to the heads of all of the networks that air games, including NBC, FOX, CBS, TBS, and ESPN.

The issue of marketing of violent videogames gained prominence when David Axelrod, senior adviser to President Obama's reelection campaign, sent out a Tweet on Sunday complaining of one of the spots during NFL coverage.

"In NFL post-game: an ad for shoot 'em up video game. All for curbing weapons of war. But shouldn't we also quit marketing murder as a game?" Axelrod said.

The full text of the letter from Common Sense Media is below:

White House spokesman Jay Carney left open the possibility that the impact of violence in videogames will be part of the "conversations" that President Obama will have with experts and others following the tragedy in Connecticut.

"One of the reasons why the President wants to expand the net beyond considerations of gun laws is because he recognizes that and agrees with it that we need to look broadly at all of the potential contributors to the scourge of gun violence in this country," Carney said at today's daily press briefing.

He was responding to a question about a Tweet sent Sunday by David Axelrod, senior adviser to his reelection campaign, in which he wrote, "In NFL post-game: an ad for shoot 'em up video game. All for curbing weapons of war. But shouldn't we also quit marketing murder as a game?"

Carney said that he doesn't have "a specific proposal to tell you about, or even that there will be one.  But it's certainly -- he wants to have these conversations with people who have worked on this issue and people who are affected by it to explore all the possibilities, to move forward with a broad approach that addresses gun violence, that includes sensible legislation to deal with things like assault weapons and gun show loopholes, magazine capacity, potentially, as well as other issues -- mental health issues, education issues, and perhaps cultural issues."

 

 

The Parents Television Council, one of the foremost media watchdog orgs, issued a statement today praising the industry for taking action to remove violent programming in the immediate aftermath of the Connecticut tragedy.

But they questioned why such moves should be temporary.

PTC president Tim Winter said, "If a television network changes its programming because of content that could be insensitive today, why would that same content be appropriate at a later time?  If a music mogul makes a passionate plea for civility, why would there be a later time to profit from lyrics and videos that eschew civility? If producers and performers rightly question whether their industry is complicit in creating a violent media culture that feeds real-life tragedies, why would there be a later time to produce and distribute more of it?"

He also said that the link between media violence and behavior was established in a study of children and violent behavior.

"The entire business premise of entertainment media is the behavior change of the consumer," he said. "The ability to influence behavior does not end when the advertisement is over and the program resumes."

Winter's complete statement is below:

Updated

McClatchy Newspapers' Washington bureau reports that the Pentagon's inspector general has concluded that a Defense Department official leaked the name of U.S. Special Operations Command officer who helped plan the raid on Osama bin Laden’s hideout in Pakistan to the filmmakers of "Zero Dark Thirty."

Michael Vickers, undersecretary of defense for intelligence, was interviewed by screenwriter Mark Boal and director Kathryn Bigelow in July, 2011, in which he identified special forces planner as someone who could be made available to the filmmakers.

Vickers' "leak" actually has been known for some time. In response to a Freedom of Information Act request from the conservative org Judicial Watch, the Pentagon in May released a transcript of the filmmakers' interview with Vickers, but redacted the name of the special forces planner. Updated: In court documents, the government has argued that it could withhold the name from disclosure for privacy reasons and under an exemption given to the Pentagon. They cite a provision of federal statute allowing exemptions for "personal identifying information regarding any member of the armed forces assigned to an overseas unit, a sensitive unit, or a routinely deployable unit."

Judicial Watch has been seeking the name of the Special Ops officer, as well as the first names of other CIA officials that the filmmakers met with, but government attorneys have argued that the release of the names to Bigelow and Boal did not waive the Pentagon and CIA's right to keep the information secret.

According to the McClatchy report, the inspector general will refer the case to the Justice Department, although a senior defense official told the McClatchy reporters that the Pentagon doesn't think the case "will amount to anything."

Nevertheless, according to McClatchy, investigators found that "one of the filmmakers attended a June 2011 CIA award ceremony that recognized the Navy SEALs and CIA officers involved in the raid, but no effort was made to protect the special operators’ identities."

Boal and Bigelow have said that they were not, to their knowledge, given classified information.

Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has been a leading critic of the government access given to the filmmakers, and requested an inspector general investigation.

In a statement, King said, that the "news that the DoD Inspector General has referred an aspect of its investigation to DoJ for possible criminal prosecution is quite troubling. ... This reported referral by the DoD Inspector General is an indication that our security and theirs was, indeed, placed at risk by people who wanted to help Hollywood make a movie.

"I eagerly await receipt of the reports of the DoD Inspector General, as well as that of the CIA Inspector General."

Update: Pentagon spokesman George Little is challenging the McClatchy report, including that the case is now in the hands of the Justice Department. He said that the names redacted from the transcript released to Judicial Watch were blacked out for privacy reasons, as the transcript was deemed unclassified in total, reports Foreign Policy.

"The story unfortunately leaves the impression that Mr. Vickers engaged in the unauthorized disclosure of classified information, something the Department simply did not find," Little told Foreign Policy.

In its most recent brief in response to Judicial Watch, government attorneys continue to argue that the refusal to release of the name of the Special Ops planner was for privacy reasons and that the established exemptions allowed for military personnel.

Update: Here is the full statement from Pentagon spokesman George Little, denying that the inspector general found that classified information was disclosed.

"The McClatchy story published this evening concerning Mike Vickers, the Undersecretary for Intelligence, is misleading and unfair. There is a pending Inspector General investigation on the question of whether Mr. Vickers provided classified information in an interview with the filmmakers of Zero Dark Thirty. We have no knowledge of a pending Department of Justice investigation related to this interview, a transcript of which was released--after a thorough and rigorous classification review--in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. The classification review was conducted by the DoD Office of Security Review, the entity in the Department with responsibility for reviewing materials for dissemination under FOIA. The Office of Security Review consulted with the Joint Staff, US Special Operations Command, the National Security Agency, and other relevant components of the Department. Mr. Vickers recused himself from the review. The review concluded that the transcript was unclassified in its totality, including with respect to the names of individuals mentioned in the course of the interview. Consistent with standard FOIA procedures, the names of certain personnel who are not senior DoD officials were redacted for privacy reasons. Those redactions were not made to protect classified information. The story unfortunately leaves the impression that Mr. Vickers engaged in the unauthorized disclosure of classified information, something the Department simply did not find."

 

On "Late Show with David Letterman" on Monday, host David Letterman talked about how "routine" gun violence has become in the U.S. and praised President Obama for vowing to take action.

It was a rare moment of seriousness for the host, who noted that there have been 70 "episodes of school shootings" since 1994.

His full remarks below.

One of the most violent major releases of the year is Quentin Tarantino "Django Unchained," which is not only a slavery revenge picture but evokes the shoot-em-up spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone. The Weinstein Co. today canceled tonight's premiere party for the movie, as other studios have of their holiday season movies, but the question is whether this P.R. sensitivity will translate into some kind of soul searching about the intensity and depictions of gun violence in movies, as well as video games.

On Saturday, "Django" star Jamie Foxx told CBS News, "We cannot turn our back and say that violence in films or anything that we do doesn't have a sort of influence. It does."

The film's director, Quentin Tarantino, said "tragedies happen."

He told CBS News, "I just think, you know, there's violence in the world, tragedies happen, blame the playmakers. It's a Western. Give me a break."

It's becoming clearer that there will be continued pressure from Washington lawmakers, although the Supreme Court made it clear in 2011 that even extremely violent depictions were protected forms of speech, as it struck down a California law banning the same of violent videogames to minors. So actually legislating media violence will probably have trouble passing constitutional muster. Nevertheless, NBC News' Chuck Todd said on "Hardball" today that "the NRA is more likely to come to the table if you have Hollywood there, if you have videogame makers" there.

The MPAA and Electronic Software Assn. did not respond to requests for comment, but in the past they have pointed to numerous studios showing no causal link between violence on screen and real-life violence. Both industries also are frequent targets of politicians in both parties looking to place blame on society's ills, less of a liability when it comes to winning votes than the powerful NRA. So as much as the conversation may be about the violent "culture," as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said today, the danger for gun control advocates is that such a sweeping discourse will be a way to cop out on stricter firearms laws.

Update: One more point: Where Hollywood has responded is in the threat of legislation, something that resulted in the creation of the movie ratings system in the late 1960s and the V-chip for television programming in the late 1990s. It is also not out of the question that studio and videogame chiefs could be called to testify before Congress, where lawmakers could press them to take voluntary action. But so far, save for Foxx, there has been very little coming from the industry on whether it has a role in contributing to a culture of violence.

"Morning Joe" co-anchor Joe Scarborough opened the show this morning with a call for stricter gun control laws, saying, "from this day forward nothing can be the same again."

When he was in Congress, Scarborough received the NRA's highest ratings, something he noted on the show, but "the battle we now must fight, the battle we have to win, is for the safety and the sanity of your children and mine. That is a war at home that we must win."

He also addressed Hollywood and its depiction of violence, saying, "You know me. I am a conservative Republican who received the NRA's highest ratings over four terms in Congress. I saw this debate over guns as a powerful symbolic struggle between individual rights and government control. And you know what? In the years after Waco and Ruby Ridge, the symbolism of that debate seemed even more powerful to me. But the symbols of that ideological struggle — they've been shattered by the harvest zone from violent, mind-numbing video games and gruesome Hollywood movies that dangerously desensitize those who struggle with mental-health challenges. And then add in military-styled weapons and high-capacity magazines to that equation, and tragedy can never be too far behind."

He added, "Friday changed everything. It must change everything. It's time for Washington to stop trying to win endless wars overseas while we're losing the war at home."

The full segment below.

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Rupert Murdoch is calling for an assault weapons ban, as he has in the past, in a tweet he sent out following today's shootings in Newtown, Conn.

The question is whether there will be the critical mass --- and continued media pressure --- to provoke changes to gun laws in Washington.

Perhaps just as important for gun control advocates is the pressure being placed on the White House by the president's own supporters, including those from the entertainment industry, who are taking to social media or linking to online petition sites.

Here's my latest piece on the reaction.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a leader in a movement among city officials for gun control, addressed President Obama's statement on the Connecticut school shootings by saying that "meaningful action is not enough."

"We need immediate action," he said. "We have heard all the rhetoric before. What we have not seen is leadership - not from the White House and not from Congress. That must end today. This is a national tragedy and it demands a national response. My deepest sympathies are with the families of all those affected, and my determination to stop this madness is stronger than ever."

Bloomberg's office sent out a Twitter link to an online petition called Demand a Plan. On social media, another link is being circulated to sign names to a petition on the White House's We the People site, force the administration to respond to a call to "have a conversation about increased regulation of firearms."

Bloomberg's full statement is below.

President Obama, wiping away tears, said “our hearts are broken today” in response to the Connecticut school shootings, noting that “as a country we’ve been through this too many times.”

“I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the overhwelming grief that I do,” Obama said, delivering a statement from the White House briefing room. He paused at times, choking up, as he recalled the lives of the children who were lost.

Although he did not take the moment to directly address gun laws, as many have called for on social media and petition campaigns, but he did open the door for “meaningful action.”

“We are going to have to come together to take meaningful action ... regardless of the politics,” Obama said.

He ordered flags flown at half mast at the White House and other government buildings.

His full remarks below:

 

President Obama will issue a statement at 12:15 PT, and there is already some blowback across social media from Press Secretary Jay Carney's statement that now is not the time to talk about gun control laws. The general reaction is, if not now, then when?

The tragedy is awful enough, but also the fact that there was a mass shooting earlier this week, not to mention others in recent months, that got relatively scant attention. And as the initial reports of the Connecticut shootings unfolded this morning were of relatively few casualties, so too was there little attention, as if the idea of a gunman entering an elementary school were something not so out of the ordinary.

Cynthia Littleton and A.J. Marechal gathered some of the reactions from industry figures on Twitter:

"Modern Family" co-creator Steve Levitan, a vocal critic of the National Rifle Assn., urged his Twitter follows to write to their Congressional reps on the issue of gun control, tweeting a link to the USA.gov site that is a clearinghouse for contact info for politicos.

"Some people on this planet truly sicken me to the core. My heart goes out to all this affected by the senseless shooting victims in CT," composer Michael Giacchino said via Twitter.

"How many times do thoughts&prayers have 2go out 2victims &their families b4 something gets done about gun violence in this country," actor Daniel Dae Kim said via Twitter.

"NRA and Washington share portion of responsibility for today's hideous shooting. We need reasonable gun control RIGHT NOW," hyphenate Adam McKay tweeted/

Mia Farrow echoed Levitan and McKay's words, stating, "I don't want to hear one idiotic word out of the NRA," then adding "#guncontrolNOW."

Thesp Josh Duhamel said: "This needs to stop. Schools must be safe again," while Jon Lovett tweeted "We need to stop saying 'gun control' and start saying 'massacre prevention.'"

Thesp Steve Carell wrote: "Hold your kids close today."

Also Damon Lindelof: "I'm not "politicizing" squat. I'm heartbroken, angry, confused and scared and I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS KEEPS HAPPENING."

"Guns don't kill people. Clouds and balloons kill people. Oh. Wait. Nope... it's fucking guns."

 

 

As "Zero Dark Thirty" is getting much scrutiny over how it portrays the role of torture in yielding information that led to Osama bin Laden, a legal battle continues over the access that the government gave to Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal.

Earlier this year, the conservative org Judicial Watch obtained a trove of documents related to the access that the Department of Defense and the CIA gave to the filmmakers of "Zero Dark Thirty." But the government is refusing to release the true first names of four undercover CIA officers who met with the filmmakers, as well as the full name and rank of a Defense official who also was involved in the planning of the raid. At issue is whether the CIA and Defense Department waived their right to protect the names from disclosure when they provided them to the filmmakers.

In a filing last week with the U.S. District Court in D.C., attorneys for the government argue that the names "provide the public with no substantive information that it does not already have."

They cite the fact that the Defense Department and the CIA did not disclose the names to the public and preserve them in the public record, but that they were provided to the filmmakers "for the limited purpose of meeting with the officers." They also said that the CIA officers did not waive their privacy interests because they did not sign release forms, and "nor is there any support for plaintiff's rank speculation that the movie will reveal the officers' identity."

They also argue that there was an "important governmental purpose" in assisting the filmmakers: "to ensure an accurate portrayal of the facts and the people involved in the raid." The cooperation, the brief states, "is a function of public affairs offices across the Government."

"Just because Judicial Watch is curious about 'how the government decided who should inform the details of the cinematic portrayal of the Abbottabad raid' does not make it something the public is interested in," the brief states.

In the past week, there has been new interest in the model for Jessica Chastain's character, Maya, and how she became the heroine of the film. The Washington Post's Greg Miller wrote this week about the real female CIA operative who met with the filmmakers and is, presumably, one of the first names that Judicial Watch is seeking.

Miller noted that the operative's "contacts with the 'Zero Dark Thirty' filmmakers have also been examined as part of an inquiry, apparently by the CIA inspector general, into the information that agency officials shared with outsiders about the bin Laden raid."

Miller, however, writes that the operative, who remains undercover, was passed over for a promotion and has sparred with colleagues over credit for the mission.

"The agency is a funny place, very insular," a former CIA official told Miller. "It’s like middle-schoolers with clearances."

This is also probably further fodder for limiting access to filmmakers in the future.

The Huffington Post reports that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) dispute the idea that waterboarding of suspects yielded information that led to Osama bin Laden, a point that some critics say is advanced in "Zero Dark Thirty."

The movie, which debuts on Dec. 19, has drawn criticism from bloggers and columnists for the way that it portrays the use of so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" and their role in the capture and killing of bin Laden.

According to Huffington Post, Feinstein said that "I don't believe it is true" that the waterboarding is what led to key information in the hunt for bin Laden. Feinstein is chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Her comments were echoed by Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), both members of the Senate Armed Services committee.

The filmmakers, Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal, say that the movie portrays torture as something that happened and does not render judgments.

It appears that the senators have yet to see the movie and instead are basing their comments on the general idea that waterboarding yielded information that led to the capture of Bin Laden.

The controversy over the movie --- advanced by many who have yet to see the film --- actually is bound to be part of many critics' reviews that will run in the days before its release.

Feinstein's committee is set to hold a committee vote on Thursday on a report on U.S. torture since 9/11, and there's speculation that the findings will contradict the idea that the use of torture in interrogations works.

 

Variety's Jill Goldsmith and Rachel Abrams write that a number of media moguls are now urging Washington lawmakers to come to a deal to avert the so-called "fiscal cliff," saying that "principled compromise is once again possible."

From their story: "'This paralysis must come to an end,' wrote the diverse group of influential business leaders from oil giants to drug companies to investment banks in a letter to House and Senate leaders, also signed by DirecTV chairman Michael White; Gannett chairman Gracia Martore; Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner; Harold McGraw III, CEO of McGraw-Hill Companies; Glenn Britt, chairman of Time Warner Cable; and Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam." Also on the list: Comcast's Biran Roberts and Viacom's Philippe Dauman.

Already, media companies, like firms in otehr industries, have increased dividends in anticpation of new taxes in 2013.

There's a meme about Kathyrn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty," set to be released next week, that is taking hold among columnists and other opinion makers: The movie, about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, glorifies torture.

New York Times columnist Frank Bruni on Sunday wrote he is betting that Dick Cheney would "love" the movie, and that "the movie of the year is also the political conundrum of the year, a far, far cry from the rousing piece of pro-Obama propaganda that some conservatives feared it would be." Glenn Greenwald wrote that it glorifies torture, even though he was explicit in saying that he had not seen the movie, but was writing about the reaction to it.

The Daily Beast's Andrew Sullivan, who has been relentless in making the case against torture, picked up on it over the weekend and wrote on Monday, "I have not seen the movie yet, so I have to rely on descriptions of its plot. But if it portrays torture as integral to the killing of Osama bin Laden, it is a lie." He wrote today that Sony had invited him to a screening of the movie on Thursday.

Slate's Emily Bazelon is more nuanced, writing today that "my own theory is that with perhaps more access to the real-life CIA agents who hunted Bin Laden than any journalist has had, Boal and Bigelow adopted their sources’ interpretation, in which the “small role” played by torture looms larger than it does in the journalistic accounts." In fact, it is that very access to sources that triggered a controversy in D.C. that had conservatives claiming that the White House was bending over backwards to help a movie that depicts an administration high point, the dealth of bin Laden.

Studios dream of the publicity that comes from having a project enter the public conversation, as Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" has, what with a White House screening, countless op-eds and a showing next week at the Capitol, where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) invited all members and their spouses to a bipartisan event. The obvious implication is that the movie has something to say about the ongoing acrimony over the fiscal cliff.

Sony, Bigelow and Boal certainly could have not have been under any illusions that their movie, which is racking up many of the early Oscar season awards and critics' 2012 picks, would sail through without any tinge of controversy. They are tackling events that have only recently unfolded, that journalists are still uncovering and that are too close to the past to benefit from the perspective of historians.

The question is whether the argument that the movie somehow elevates torture as useful --- something that Bigelow and Boal deny, as they say they are conveying what happened, not judgments of what happened --- will create the type of controversy that will hurt its awards season chances. Given the movie's subject matter, it's a trivial point, for sure, but the kudos punditry is also part of Hollywood culture this time of year. It's also a reality of the Oscar campaign: Other movies based on real-life events, like "A Beautiful Mind" and "The Hurricane," have had to weather an onslaught of doubt, sometimes triggered by the competition. That's why we're likely to hear in the coming weeks a lot of pushback against the idea that the movie glorifies torture (the movie also features footage of President Obama ordering an end to it). Ultimately, the movie will speak for itself, and even before its release it already has a substantial list of plaudits. But so does "Lincoln."

Update: In the New Yorker, Dexter Filkins identifies the scene from "Zero Dark Thirty" he says will generate the most controversy.

He writes, "The film includes wrenching scenes of a terrorist suspect being waterboarded and subjected to other forms of torture by C.I.A. operatives; the suspect eventually surrenders information that helps lead to bin Laden. Bigelow maintains that everything in the film is based on first-hand accounts, but the waterboarding scene, which is likely to stir up controversy, appears to have strayed from real life. According to several official sources, including Dianne Feinstein, the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the identity of bin Laden’s courier, whose trail led the C.I.A. to the hideout in Pakistan, was not discovered through waterboarding. 'It’s a movie, not a documentary,' Boal said. 'We’re trying to make the point that waterboarding and other harsh tactics were part of the C.I.A. program.' Still, Bigelow said, 'the film doesn’t have an agenda, and it doesn’t judge. I wanted a boots-on-the-ground experience.'"

Stephen Colbert tops Public Policy Polling's survey of the top contenders to succeed Jim DeMint in the U.S. Senate.

Colbert has asked viewers to lobby for him for the post, only to be publicly rebuffed by South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who will appoint DeMint's replacement. (She said that he lacked knowledge of the state beverage when she was guesting on his show).

The PPP poll showed that Colbert topped the poll with 20%, followed by Rep. Tim Scott at 15%, Jenny Sanford at 12% and Trey Gowdy at 10%.

Colbert's favorability is underwater in the state, at 30% favorable and 32% unfavorable. Democrats and independents like him, Republicans do not.

After trying to run for president in the South Carolina primary, and creating his own SuperPAC, you got to think that Colbert will land in some kind of elective office at some point.

The complete poll results here.

Richard Socarides, an adviser in the Clinton White House and attorney and commentator on LGBT issues, was surprised that the high court too the Prop 8 case and thinks that the Supreme Court could very well deliver an major decision.

He writes, "Under Chief Justice John Roberts, the Court has often tried to avoid cases and decisions with these kinds of broad impacts, and in this instance, there were procedural grounds that presented the Court with easy outs, should the Justices have wanted to take them. Had they done so, and let the latest decision regarding the suit stand, they would have made same-sex marriage legal in California, but nowhere else—and, considering that it is already permitted in nine states and the District of Columbia, this might not have been such an unacceptable outcome even for the staunchest of gay marriage’s opponents. Instead, there seems to be support for a decision on the merits of the big issue of the day."

The industry figures backing the federal suit to overturn California’s Proposition 8 welcomed the news that the Supreme Court would review the case, and the show biz activists for same-sex marriage expressed confidence in the outcome.

It was just over four years ago, in the aftermath of the passage of the state’s ban on gay nuptials, that Rob Reiner, his wife Michele and their two political consultants, Chad Griffin and Kristina Schake, hatched the idea to fight the initiative through the federal courts. Enlisting Ted Olson and David Boies, two legal eagles on opposite ends of the political spectrum, to lead the case provided a dose of publicity. David Geffen and Steve Bing provided the millions in seed money to get the effort launched.

Griffin, who is now president of the Human Rights Campaign, said that the court’s decision was “nothing short of a milestone” in the movement for marriage equality.

From the start, the goal had been to get the question of same-sex marriage before the high court.

“Things are going to plan --- not necessarily going to schedule --- but according to plan,” said screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who has been part of the effort from the start as a member of the board of the American Foundation of Equal Rights. The org, led by executive director Adam Umhoefer, was set up in the spring of 2009 to pursue the case, and its members include a combination of entertainment, political and civil rights activists.

Producer Bruce Cohen, another member of the foundation’s board, said that “as much as I knew it was a possibility, hearing the word that it would go to the Supreme Court was unexpectedly emotional and exciting.”

“I don’t think anyone could have imagined when the case was filed [in May 2009] the enormous strides that the LGBT movement would take in such a short period of time,” Cohen said. “...There is so much forward movement that I feel like the Surpeme Court’s decision to hear this case could not have happened at a more fortuitous time.”

There had been some trepidation among LGBT leaders of taking s a same-sex marriage case to the federal level, as LGBT leaders had been fighting for marriage equality largely in state courts and, more often than not, by fending off ballot initiatives. Fear of a setback in a conservative-dominated Supreme Court only added to the trepidation of seeing a case come before the justices too quickly.

But the passage of Proposition 8 created divisions on the best strategy to pursue. In winning an Oscar in 2009 for the screenplay for “Milk,” Black took time during his acceptance speech to argue that equal rights for gays and lesbians needed to be fought at the federal level.

“This whole thing is keeping a promise on a very big stage,” Black said. “Today we are one step closer.”
He said that he was “not surprised” by the decision to take the case. “I have to tell you that anyone who has been paying attention to marriage equality can see where we are headed. These justices do not live in a vacuum... They know that this is a can that you can’t continue to kick.”

The court also agreed on Friday to review a case challenging the constitutionality of a provision of the Defense of Marriage Act. Section 3 of the 1996 law defines marriage as between a man and a woman, preventing couples who wed in the nine states where marriage equality is legal from receiving a host of government benefits.

While supporters of same-sex marriage welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to review the Prop 8 case, supporters of California's ban on same-sex marriage also cheered the news.

All but lost in the flurry of news releases and conference calls is that supporters of Prop 8 asked the court to review the case, after losing at the district and appellate level. Opponents of Prop 8 actually asked the court not to review it, although lead counsel Ted Olson and David Boies have throughout seen it as a goal to get the case before the nine justices.

"Every one of the numerous legal steps we have taken for the past four years has been in anticipation of this moment," Andy Pugno, general counsel for ProtectMarriage.com, said in a statement. "Arguing this case before the Supreme Court finally gives us a chance at a fair hearing, something that hasn’t been afforded to the People since we began this fight."

"We are delighted that the nation’s highest court will decide whether to uphold the will of more than seven million Californians who voted to preserve the unique definition of marriage as only between one man and one woman," Pugno said.

Charles Cooper, lead counsel for the supporters of Prop 8, said, "The Supreme Court has made it very clear that the age-old definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman is constitutional as a matter of public policy. The lower court decisions in the Proposition 8 case essentially rejected all relevant Supreme Court and appellate court precedent. We are hopeful and confident that the Supreme Court will uphold its precedent."

The Supreme Court will review California's ban on same-sex marriage as well as portions of the Defense of Marriage Act.

SCOTUSBlog reported this afternoon that the court had accepted the Prop 8 case on the question of whether the 14th Amendment prevented the state from establishing a traditional definition of marriage. But it also will review whether the backers of the initiative, passed in 2008, have standing to pursue the case.

The court also agreed to review one of right cases challenging aspects of the Defense of Marriage Act. The U.S. vs. Edith Windsor case, as it is called, challenged Section 3 of DOMA, which restricts the federal government's definition of marriage to that of a union between a man and a woman. The section of the law prevents same-sex married couples from receiving an array of federal benefits. But the court also will consider procedural questions after the Obama administration declined to defend the law and a group of House Republicans instead mounted their own defense. Those questions of standing could ultimately prevent the court from issuing a decision on the merits of same-sex marriage arguments.

"The Court, one might say in summary, has agreed to take up virtually all of the key issues about same-sex marriage, but has given itself a way to avoid final decisions on the merits issues," wrote Lyle Denniston on SCOTUS Blog.

Oral argument in the case is expected next spring, perhaps in March.

"The moment we have been fighting for has finally arrived," Adam Umhoefer, executive director of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, said in a statement. The org, backed by a group of entertainment and political activists, has been pursuing the federal challenge to Prop 8, with Ted Olson and David Boies leading their legal team.

This will mark the first time that the high court has weighed in on same-sex marriage since 1972, when it dismissed an appeal of a Minnesota Surpeme Court decision that marriage was limited to a man and a woman. But the Supreme Court's order then was just one sentence: "The appeal is dismissed for want of a substantial federal question."

The exact wording of the grant of the two cases is below:

 

Jon Stewart grilled New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, making his first appearance on "The Daily Show," in an interview that challenged why Christie had an about face on President Obama.

Stewart's point: Before Hurricane Sandy, Christie was critical of Obama's leadership skills. After Hurricane Sandy, Christie embraced him. “So he wasn’t a leader until you needed leadership?” Stewart asked.

"What it tells me is that people have different skill sets at different times," Christie said.

Stewart also challenged Christie to play a game --- which of the governor's quotes come from him and which come from Don Rickles.

Clip below.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) are engaging in a rare moment of bipartisanship during the fiscal cliff talks: They've signed their names to invites to the Dec. 19 Capitol Hill screening of "Lincoln."

"We believe that viewing this film would provide all senators with a positive opportunity to gather and reflect during this holiday season," they said in the letter, sent to members today.

The 5 p.m. screening at the Capitol Visitors Center Auditorium will be for colleagues and their spouses, with snacks and drinks served before the movie. Afterward, director Steven Spielberg, actor Daniel Day-Lewis, screenwriter Tony Kushner, producer Kathleen Kennedy and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin will participate in a Q&A.

Reid and McConnell wrote that the film "depicts the good which is attainable when public servants put the betterment of the country ahead of short-term political interests."

 

Reflecting the influence she had during the election campaign, Eva Longoria has been named one of the co-chairs of President Obama's inaugural committee.

Longoria, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention and was co-chair of the re-election campaign, will serve on the committee along with Matthew Barzun, Jane Stetson and Frank White.

The CEO of the inauguration will be Stephen Kerrigan and executive director will be David J. Cusack.

An aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says that there will be a screening of "Lincoln" for lawmakers on Dec. 19.

The aide said that the screening of the movie will not be on the Senate floor, with the venue to be announced soon.

The screening of the Steven Spielberg's film undoubtedly will build visiblity, which can't hurt during Oscar season, but Reid told the Las Vegas Review-Journal last week that he found the movie "so realistic" that he had been working on a special screening. He noted the movie's portrayal of the manuevering that went on to pass the Thirteenth Amendment as just "what I do" in trying to pass major legislation. According to the Review-Journal, Reid attended a screening of the movie at the White House last month.

"Lincoln" has struck a chord with the D.C. commentariat, with the acrimony over passage of the Thirteenth Amendment inviting comparisons to the dysfunction in Washington today. There is also an analogy to the timing of the debate over the end to slavery to the debate over the fiscal cliff, even if a bit tenuous. Like Lincoln, President Obama's fiscal cliff debate is taking place between his election to a second term and the inauguration.

Bill Moyers, who has devoted considerable attention on his PBS show to media consolidation, says that a current FCC plan to relax media ownership rules would be a gift to Rupert Murdoch.

He writes, "Despite Fox News' moonlighting as the propaganda ministry of the Republican Party, President Obama's team may be making it possible for Sir Rupert to increase his power, perversely rewarding the man who did his best to make sure Barack Obama didn't have a second term. The Federal Communications Commission could be preparing him one big Christmas present, the kind of gift that keeps on giving -- unless we all get together and do something about it.

"All indications are that Murdoch has his eye on two of the last remaining big newspapers in America -- the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, each owned by the now bankrupt Tribune Company. He could add one or both to his impressive portfolio, but even though the media mogul is splitting News Corp into two separately traded companies -- one for its print entities, the other for TV and film -- he would still come under current rules restricting media companies from owning newspapers and TV and radio stations in the same town. However, the FCC may be planning to suspend those rules, paving the way for Murdoch's takeover of either of the two papers."

Yet FCC officials say that the proposed changes will actually prevent Murdoch from owning stations and the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune.They would allow ownership of a newspaper and TV station in the same market, but those in the Top 20 markets will have a list of hurdles before the agency allows a waiver.

Nevertheless, they are delaying a vote until at least next month to allow time for more comment on a report on the low rate of minority and women media ownership of radio and TV stations, as well as other media. (My story here.) That actually may give public interest groups opposed to the changes more time to mount an offense, as Free Press has vowed to file a lawsuit if the proposed changes go forward.

The White House press corps pressed spokesman Jay Carney on the reports that Anna Wintour was up for an ambassadorship, and while Carney wouldn't comment on pending appointments, he did address the issue of whether a diplomat has to be diplomatic.

ABC News' Jake Tapper even asked Carney whether President Obama has seen "The Devil Wears Prada," the book and movie that was a thinly veiled portrait of Wintour, but Carney didn't answer.

But Carney said that the late Richard Holbrooke was "one of the greatest diplomats of his generation" yet "I think everyone who knew him or who sat across the table from him would agree that he was not by anyone’s traditional definition particularly diplomatic."

Here's the transcript from today's press briefing:

Glenn Beck's TheBlaze is teaming with Vince Vaughn's Wild West Prods. to launch a new reality series called "The Pursuit of Truth," in which 20 filmmakers will compete for financing of their documentary film idea.

Also involved in the show is Go Go Luckey Entertainment, founded by Gary and Julie Auerbauch.

The nine-episode series will debut on TheBlaze TV in late spring.

The teaming of Beck and Vaughn may seem like an odd couple politically, but that is not necessarily tyhe case. Vaughn campaigned for Ron Paul in the presidential election.

More interesting will be what kind of documentary wins the financing and distribution. Winners will be chosen from among a panel of judges.

Peter Billingsley, star of "A Christmas Story" who works for Vaughn's production company, was a guest on Beck's show today to talk about the new venture.

He and Beck claim that the winning documentary won't be "preacy, agenda-driven, and even conspiratorial," according to Beck's site.

"We’re looking for great filmmaking, entertaining, truthful filmmaking that comes from good filmmakers that can get the message out to everybody," Billingsley said.

 

Politico  reports that Ashley Judd is serious about considering a run for Senate in Kentucky, possibly to challenge Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2014.

Judd "is doing all the things that a serious candidate exploring a race should do,” Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) told Politico after speaking with her. "I think there are a lot of people, and I was one of them, who wanted to let her know that her candidacy would be an exciting prospect for us. That’s what I wanted her to know. A lot of the labor unions, they were telling me that too."

The post-election jockeying for coveted ambassadorships has begun among President Obama's bundlers. Bloomberg reports that Anna Wintour, who raised more than $500,000 for the president's reelection campaign, is being considered for U.S. ambassador to Great Britain or France. Wintour cohosted a number of fundraisers for Obama, including a fashion-themed one in London. 

A spokeswoman for Vogue gave a non-denial denial type of answer to questions of whether she would take the post. Wintour had been rumored to be in the running after Obama's election in 2008 as well.

Britain and France are two of the most prized assignments, and the posts are currently held by two bundlers for the 2008 Obama campaign, Louis Susman and Charles Rivkin. Rivkin was the CEO of WildBrain Media and, before that, the Jim Henson Co.

If Wintour were appointed, it would likely help trigger a new round of criticism from career foreign service officers over the number of ambassadorships Obama gives to campaign bundlers. After Obama's election four years ago, the American Academy of Diplomacy urged him to appoint 10% of all ambassadors from these fund-raising ranks; instead, it was over 30%. The White House press corps did raise some questions about Rivkin's qualifications . Rivkin's father, however, was an ambassador during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, so he did have that background.

Yet there is a long history of non-career ambassadors in Great Britain and France. As prized as they are, those who take them are often in for a few realities: They probably will have to take a pay cut, as the salary is about $150,000; and they often are stepping in to what can be a bureaucratic minefield.

 

Bob Costas' advocacy of gun control, following last week's murder suicide of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, drew some irate reaction from the right, but he says that they are taking his comments to mean he wants to take away rights.

While Costas was paraphrasing a columnist who wrote about gun culture, he did offer his personal conclusion to what happened.

"If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today," Costas said.

But an NBC spokesman told USA Today that Costas is "pro-sensible gun reform and pro-attitude adjustment on guns."

Here's the Costas video.

The Supreme Court just released its order list and none of the same-sex marriage cases are on it.

What that means is that the cases may be scheduled for the private conference on Friday, leading to speculation that the high court needs more time to discuss the 10 same-sex marriage cases and whether to grant any review. Included is the challenge to California's Proposition 8 that is financed by a group of entertainment and political activists.

So now it may be Friday afternoon or next Monday morning when the court issues a new list of cases it has accepted or rejected. But there's no official word yet on the timing.

An eclectic group of performers attended a star-studded reception at the White House this afternoon, as President Obama honored the Kennedy Center honorees in advance of a ceremony this evening.

Obama, who has twice guested on "Late Show with David Letterman" since he took office, ribbed honoree Letterman. "It’s different when you’re not the one with the mic, isn’t it, Dave?" Obama said "You're looking a little stressed, aren't you?"

Other honorees were the surviving bandmates of Led Zeppelin, actor Dustin Hoffman, musician Buddy Guy and ballerina Natalia Makarova.

Obama's full remarks are below:

It's been only about a month since the noise of the election ended, but the campaigns have left an echo. And for TV stations, it sounds like ka-ching!

Political ads, which saturated the swing states in unprecedented fashion, have returned to the airwaves over the past week. They are not nearly as frequent, not nearly as negative (in fact, they're largely positive) and tied to issues rather than candidates -- and one has even remembered to feature a Hollywood celeb.

Morgan Freeman, who in October was enlisted by the Obama campaign to narrate an uplifting spot for the president's re-election, this past week could be heard voicing a different uplifting spot for the Human Rights Campaign, pointing out history-making LGBT victories at the ballot box. "The wind is at our back, but our journey has just begun," Freeman says in the spot, which in its imagery evokes the famous "Morning in America" ads for Ronald Reagan's re-election campaign in 1984.

Also advertising have been a coalition of labor groups, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the National Education Assn. and the Service Employees Intl. Union, which ran a series of radio and TV ads calling for the protection of funding for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, as well as education. Tied to ongoing talks in Washington to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff," the ads were not just unusual for their timing, but for where they ran: during coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade -- and on radio and TV in Colorado, Missouri, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Alaska, mentioning lawmakers by name, and calling for them to stand firm on funding.

Given the lack of any election on the horizon, it's a bit unconventional for ads to pop up now, coming in what can best be described as the off-off-season for partisan buys, but some see the spots as not necessarily all that unexpected.

"We are in the era of the permanent campaign," says Elizabeth Wilner, vice president for strategic initiatives at the Campaign Media Analysis Group, the Kantar Media unit that tracks election spending.

Although there may be concerns that the public is satiated on any and all things politics, and therefore prone to tune out, particularly after a relentlessly negative campaign season, Wilner notes that many markets, like New York and California, didn't see the same onslaught of negativity as did the swing states. She also notes that visually, the new ads look and sound different from the kind of ads people were subjected to for the past seven or eight months.

HRC's spot, called "Dawn of a New Day for Marriage Equality," is timed not just to the election victories but to the attention being paid to the Supreme Court's pending decision on whether to take a case challenging the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, as well as a series of challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act. A decision from the court on which cases it will take or reject could come by Dec. 3. The HRC spot ran for a week, including placement in major cities during the Sunday morning talkshows.

Wilner says that of importance to an org like HRC is to bring attention to its successes, particularly since Obama's reelection overshadowed so many other races on Election Day. "They want to strengthen their status as a major political player in Washington, which they have been, but there's the adage that you are only as good as your most recent victory," she says. "You have to blow your own horn; no one else is going to do it for you."

HRC, along with other LGBT groups, also are anxious to lay the groundwork for support in statehouses. Five state legislatures, including Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota and Rhode Island, may be considering same-sex marriage legislation when lawmakers return in January.

Richard Socarides, a New York attorney and Democratic political strategist, noted that before the New York legislature approved marriage equality in 2011, cable and Internet spots featured prominent figures explaining why the issue was important to them.

"They were extremely effective in creating momentum for the message," says Socarides, who was adviser in the Clinton White House on gay and lesbian issues. "The Morgan Freeman ad takes that to the next level. I think it is a very smart idea. At just the right moment, it can be very helpful."

Both Freeman's HRC ad, and the labor-backed spots, called "Jobs Not Cuts," are upbeat in tone, the latter containing images of working men and women smiling with their families even as the narrator urges continued funding for various programs. That's something of a contrast to what's going on in Washington, where a game of brinkmanship is being played out between the White House and Republicans in Congress on who will blink first to offer a compromise in order to avoid taking the nation over the so-called fiscal cliff.

"No rest for the weary," quips AFSCME's Chris Fleming, who says there is always a concern of viewer fatigue over political ads, but maintains that inasmuch as the labor-backed spots aren't negative, they may find resonance.