Wilshire & Washington

Stars to Push for New G.I. Bill

Sally Field, Felicity Huffman, Lisa Kudrow, William H. Macy, Frank Gehry and Robin Williams are among the notable names who will join Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) to push for passage of a new and improved G.I. Bill on Sunday.

The bill is pending before the House, where lawmakers are debating whether to add the upgraded GI benefits to a war funding bill. The new GI Bill would guarantee a full scholarship at any public university and a stipend for housing. Current benefits are too low for many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to afford the rising cost of tuition.

Webb co-authored the bill with Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.).

Also present at the event, to be held at the UCLA Faculty Center, will be returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as veterans from World War II and Vietnam.

Barack Obama and John McCain sparred over the merits of the bill last month. Obama, a co-sponsor of the legislation, chided McCain for his opposition to the bill. McCain believes the bill will hurt retention of troops in the armed forces.

The event on Sunday is sponsored by the Campaign for a New GI Bill.

Sulu's Bliss

Updated

On the first full day of same-sex weddings in California, what was notable about the scene at West Hollywood Park was what it wasn't.

There were elements of just what you would expect from any event signifying a cultural flashpoint: Protesters waved pickets condemning gay marriage and homosexuality in general. One man in a devil mask taunted those waiting in line to get marriage licenses, while two men dressed as flying nuns made their way through the crowd, congratulating the couples.

Yet even with a media horde to capture it all, it was not quite a carnival. At least in the morning, there was an understated, classy quality to it all, and that was perhaps best exemplified by a couple the first to get their license, George Takei and his partner, Brad Altman, together for 21 years.

"It feels glorious," said Takei, 71, who played Sulu on "Star Trek," holding his license.

"I am the happiest guy in the world," Altman said. "I get to be married to George Takei."

Dressed in suits sans ties, the couple plan to be married in September at the Japanese-American Museum in downtown Los Angeles, forgoing what is to be a day of weddings at West Hollywood Park underneath a collection of white tents.

"Now it has meaning," Takei explained to reporters. "We are going to be legitimately married in California."

Altman, 54, couldn't resist a sound byte: "I am extremely optimistic that George and my marriage will live on and prosper far beyond November."

They were all smiles and obviously joyous. But they weren't jumping for joy. They were well-prepared for the media glare, ready to become celebrity spokesmen for gay unions, at least for today. Every time Takei talked, I was reminded of Sulu, signaling, in a calm and collected, non-emotive voice, some kind of danger to Captain Kirk.

In that same tone, Takei took note of the protesters, saying that "they need to equally respect the diversity in California."

"If they want respect, they have to be respectful, and they are being disrespectful," he said, although acknowledging they still had a right to be there.

"They cannot put their personal religious beliefs on us and write it into law."

Then a West Hollywood official pulled them away from the park, from the throng that included the gay press and local media and ABC News, for a sit-down interview. The protesters, too, had left, at least momentarily, and the line to get licenses started to look like, well, a line. I ran into one couple that I saw in 2004, waiting in line on the steps of San Francisco City Hall to get married there. The difference this time is that they took along their son, now a toddler.

All told, West Hollywood officials were expecting about 100 couples to get licenses by 5 p.m.

"There is nothing extraordinary," Takei said. "We are just like John and Mary. We are just part of the diversity of America."

More coverage from the LA Weekly's Queer Town blog here.

Photos by Stewart Scott.

Spielberg Meets with Sarkozy

I've been on assignment for much of the day, so I apologize for the lack of postings today...

Steven Spielberg met privately with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday to discuss the crisis in Darfur.

Sarkozy also named the director an officer of the French Legion of Honor for his work in documenting the Holocaust and for his work in Darfur.

In February, Spielberg backed out of his role as artistic adviser to the Beijing Olympics, citing the lack of progress by China in influencing Sudan to alleviate the suffering in the region.

The visit to Paris followed Spielberg's appearance at the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

To the Altar

I took much of the day off --- but I wanted to post some of the reaction today to California's decision to allow same-sex unions. The most prominent couple to make the plunge are Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi. "I would like to say for the first time I am announcing I am getting married," DeGeneres said on her show today. (via Out in Hollywood).

More pictures from the West Hollywood rally Thursday here.

Chit for Tat

What do you do if you are a well-connected Hollywood financier and are facing a D.U.I. rap?

Well, you make a DVD of your charitable efforts, featuring Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and former President Jimmy Carter, and you enter into evidence in the court.

The New York Times' Michael Cieply reports on film financier Ryan Kavanaugh's day in a Malibu court on Friday: (via Laobserved.)

Cieply writes, "Mr. Kavanaugh had been expected to reach a plea agreement at a hearing on Friday. However, Mr. Artz asked Judge Lawrence J. Mira for a delay to proceeding what he called important new evidence, contained on a disc that he held aloft for all to see. The contents, he said, were video reflections on Mr. Kavanaugh’s charitable works from Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, the arresting officer’s boss, and a supporting appearance by former President Jimmy Carter.

“Seriously,” said Mr. Artz, as the courtroom broke out in giggles, presumably over the judge’s double-take at receiving the unexpected offer of character evidence, presidential and otherwise, in a misdemeanor case.

“I’ve never had a client who did as much of this kind of stuff at the age of 26,” Mr. Artz added."

For the record, Kavanaugh is 33. He's contributed to John McCain's campaign, but there were no testimonials entered into the court from the Arizona senator.

Gore's Climate Campaign

Al Gore tells "60 Minutes" that the Alliance for Climate Protection will launch a new, $300 million ad campaign on global warming next week.

The twist is who will be involved in the spots.

According to CBS News, "Some of the ads will feature unlikely alliances to drive home the message that people of all stripes are concerned about global warming. These include the Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Pat Robertson, Toby Keith and the Dixie Chicks, and Nancy Pelosi and Newt Gingrich."

Gore also takes on skeptics like Vice President Dick Cheney.

"You're talking about Dick Cheney. I think that those people are in such a tiny, tiny minority now with their point of view, they’re almost like the ones who still believe that the moon landing was staged in a movie lot in Arizona and those who believe the world is flat,” says Gore. "That demeans them a little bit, but it's not that far off."

Angelina Jolie: Stay in Iraq

U.N. goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie signals in the Washington Post that there is good reason for U.S. troops to stay in Iraq: Helping to return refugees to the region.

In an op-ed titled, "Staying to Help in Iraq," she writes, "What we cannot afford, in my view, is to squander the progress that has been made. In fact, we should step up our financial and material assistance. UNHCR has appealed for $261 million this year to provide for refugees and internally displaced persons. That is not a small amount of money -- but it is less than the U.S. spends each day to fight the war in Iraq. I would like to call on each of the presidential candidates and congressional leaders to announce a comprehensive refugee plan with a specific timeline and budget as part of their Iraq strategy. "

"As for the question of whether the surge is working, I can only state what I witnessed: U.N. staff and those of non-governmental organizations seem to feel they have the right set of circumstances to attempt to scale up their programs. And when I asked the troops if they wanted to go home as soon as possible, they said that they miss home but feel invested in Iraq. They have lost many friends and want to be a part of the humanitarian progress they now feel is possible."

She also calls for greater financial assistance.

"The Iraqi families I've met on my trips to the region are proud and resilient. They don't want anything from us other than the chance to return to their homes -- or, where those homes have been bombed to the ground or occupied by squatters, to build new ones and get back to their lives. One thing is certain: It will be quite a while before Iraq is ready to absorb more than 4 million refugees and displaced people. But it is not too early to start working on solutions. And last week, there were signs of progress.

"In Baghdad, I spoke with Army Gen. David Petraeus about UNHCR's need for security information and protection for its staff as they re-enter Iraq, and I am pleased that he has offered that support. General Petraeus also told me he would support new efforts to address the humanitarian crisis "to the maximum extent possible" -- which leaves me hopeful that more progress can be made."

Spielberg's Decision

The news that Steven Spielberg will pull out of the Olympic Games was not surprising --- he had indicated that he would take some sort of action if there was no major progress on Darfur by the end of 2007.

His action is bound to ignite further calls for others involved in the Games to pull out, and will put new pressure on corporate sponsors to in turn pressure China. Just hours after his announcement, Human Rights Watch issued a release in which it said that "corporate sponsors are putting their reputations at risk unless they work to convince the Chinese government to uphold the human rights pledges it made to bring the Games to Beijing."

Spielberg's most vocal critic, Mia Farrow, told Variety's Winter Miller  that the director's decision was "absolutely great."

"I couldn't be happier at a more hopeless moment. It has been a terrible week in Darfur, three towns were attacked sending 200,000 more people fleeing for their lives. I'm pleased he stepped forward and declared it a matter of conscience. The hope is that Spielberg's voice will be heard around the world, and that sponsors and supporters of the Beijing Olympics will use their leverage with China to force Sudan to cease the slaughter of civilians and admit an effective peacekeeping force.

"This is exactly what China didn't want, they don't want their games sullied. No spitting on the ground, no chewing gum, and now the most famous director in the world has said he can't participate in their Olympics as a matter of conscience. This is huge. It is a defining moment for China. China and China alone has the power to influence Khartoum."

Spielberg Drops Out of Olympics

Steven Spielberg has decided not to participate in the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing as an artistic adviser, citing the lack of progress in ending the genocide in Darfur.

The move marks a public relations blow to the Chinese government as it tries to prevent the Games from being politicized, not just on the Darfur crisis but other issues.

“After careful consideration, I have decided to formally announce the end of my involvement as one of the overseas artistic advisers to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games,” Spielberg said in a statement released today.

“I have made repeated efforts to encourage the Chinese government to use its unique influence to bring safety and stability to the Darfur region of Sudan,” Spielberg wrote. “Although some progress has been made …the situation continues to worsen and the violence continues to accelerate.”

“With this in mind, I find that my conscience will not allow me to continue with business as usual,” he added. “At this point, my time and energy must be spent not on Olympic ceremonies, but on doing all I can to help bring an end to the unspeakable crimes against humanity that will continue to be committed in Darfur.”

Spielberg noted that the Olympic Organizing Committee had sent him a contract nearly a year ago, but he left it unsigned.

Spielberg was pressured by Darfur activists to drop out, and actress Mia Farrow even warned that he would be the "Leni Reinfenstahl" of the Games if he continued his participation.

Last spring, Spielberg tried to put pressure on Chinese president Hu Jintao to take a more active role in pressuring the Sudan government to let a UN security force in Darfur to end the genocide in that country. Although the Chinese government supported a UN resolution to send troops to the region, the Sudanese government is still balking at letting the peacekeepers in, and the crisis continues.

His full statement below:

Oliver Stone's Mission

Oliver Stone is in the Colombian city of Villavicencio this weekend as part of a mission to retrieve three hostages held for years by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, the AP reports.

FARC is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States.

"I have no illusions about the FARC, but it looks like they are a peasant army fighting for a decent living," Stone said in an interview with The Associated Press at his hotel bar. "And here, if you fight, you fight to win."

Stone and an international delegation planned to fly to the country's eastern jungles to retrieve the captives: former congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez, Clara Rojas and her young son Emmanuel, who was fathered by one of her guerrilla captors.

"No, I'm not worried," Stone told the AP. "The FARC knows there would be universal condemnation if they did that."

The mission is led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, whom Stone called "a great man."

Pitt's Pitch

Brad Pitt launched a campaign on Monday to bring to life blocks of New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward that are still languishing more than two years after the devastation from Hurricane Katrina.

Unveiling a series of designs meant to evoke the neighborhood’s rich traditions and at the same time push forward environmental building techniques, Pitt said that the first of planned 150 homes will break ground in March.

“When we get as far as we can here, this will be one of the greenest progressive communities in the U.S., on an affordable level,” Pitt said by phone from New Orleans.

Like other stars who have capitalized on media attention to shine a spotlight on various crises around the world, Pitt spent big chunks of the day on Monday giving interviews and holding a press conference, as well as introducing a vast temporary art installation of 150 bright pink structures meant to stand in for the community that will some day be rebuilt.

“The hurdles seem endless,” he said. “But right now, it is just financing. We can do this. This is happening at a grassroots level, and hundreds of people have been working on the ground to get to this point for a year now. I’m telling you, we can get people into their homes by the end of the summer.”

Pitt and producer Steve Bing have each pledged to match $5 million in contributions to the project, and are embarking on a campaign to raise money to finance the complete project. Many property owners will be able to put up insurance payouts, government funds or their own savings, but still fall short.

“We have to help people meet the gap between what they have and what it realistically costs to build a safe home,” Pitt said. “These houses will average about $150,000 each. We would like to raise that to cover the 150, and with the money that the residents will bring to the house we will then invest in building more homes.”

Via Pitt’s MakeItRightnola.org, donors are urged to finance entire blocks, individual homes, or dedicate parts of the home or even items, right down to doors and toilets.

Some eight families are participating in the initial phase of the project. Make It Right does not own any of the land or the homes, so property owners can build on their own. But if they do, they will be able to choose from designs submitted from 13 different firms, which donated their services.

Rather than try to restore the neighborhood to its pre-Katrina state, the firms came up with a variety of different three-bedroom homes, each with a front porch and, because of potential floodwaters, built off the ground.

For example, architect Thom Mayne of Los Angeles firm Morphosis came up with a home that would actually float, right and below. Another design, from Kieran Timberlake Associates, features a rooftop of solar panels and a side wall made up of vines, to keep the home cool, below right.

Pitt said that they worked with neighborhood leaders in drawing up the plans to deal with specific needs.
“We called on the design minds and architects to deal with the challenges down here, in the Lower Ninth,” Pitt said. “It was affordability, safety, sustainability and aesthetics, but staying true to the rich culture of New Orleans.”

Pitt and his partner, actress Angelina Jolie, purchased a home in the French Quarter last year and are now part-time residents.

Since then, Pitt has taken an interest in helping the city rebuild, or to call attention to the big hurdles that residents have faced in returning to the Ninth Ward.

“We were the most massive force in rebuilding most of Europe (after World War II) and we rebuilt over half of it in this amount of time,” he said. “When you see what it looks like coming here, it  tells you our attention has not been applied to this problem.”

Pitt says that he has “great hope” that New Orleans will be “a defining issue” in the 2008 presidential race, after the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama contacted them about the project.

Bing is one of Clinton’s early backers, and Clinton herself issued a statement on Monday morning praising the effort, and criticizing the Bush adminstration’s response to Katrina rebuilding. Reached later in the day, an Obama spokeswoman said that they “absolutely support the project.”

“I really hope this becomes one of the defining issues of the campaign, not so much as a tool for blame, but more as a tool for the problems of the country and how to redirect them,” Pitt said. “We can talk education reform and health reform, but if it is not made right here it is not going to work anywhere. So this is really a proving ground for many a policy.”

Campaigns have been touting their endorsement power, and courting various famous names, but Pitt said that he has not endorsed a candidate.

“I don’t know. I will if I feel someone really needs my help,” he said.

On Monday night, as Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino entertained residents, the lights went on the pink art structures, giving the area a lighted glow it hasn’t had since the hurricane tore through the city in August 2005.

Why pink?

“I want people to draw from it what they can,” Pitt said. “Much like the lyrics in a song. To me, it screams the loudest.”

The "Nanny" Lobby

Fran Drescher is in D.C. again, so the question is – is she an actress today, or a lobbyist?

And you might say – well, um, there’s a difference?

Since both politics and showbiz depend so heavily on strong narratives for leading characters, the skill sets of each overlap conveniently.

“Being executive producer of ‘The Nanny’ gave me experience on how to run a company and turn it into something,” says the Queens native (yes, that is her real voice). “And I’ve applied it to this, coming up with an idea and turning it into a movement.”

That would be her dedication to raising awareness and improving screening of gynecological cancers, which she knows all too well, being a survivor of one. Her nonprofit org, Cancer Schmancer, pretty much single-handedly fought for congressional legislation aimed at ensuring that women’s cancers are diagnosed early, when they are most treatable.

The bill was signed into law last January, but she has been coming back to Capitol Hill regularly ever since to make sure it receives adequate funding.

Hence, the reason she’s in town again and why she’s being feted at the posh eatery Teatro Goldoni, deep in the heart of K Street’s blue-suit corridor.

“Washington is really the bigger stage because what happens here is so important and has so much impact on us all,” she says. “If a studio makes a stinker of a movie, no skin off our noses. But what happens here really matters.”

Assuming you can cut through the old-boy machismo that still weighs down some corners of congress.

“I remember when we were still trying to get the bill passed,” Drescher says. “I was sending e-mails to all the senators saying, ‘Let’s not make this a battle of balls, otherwise women will lose.'”

---By William Triplett in Washington.

Louis Armstrong and Little Rock

Tuesday marks fifty years since nine black students desegregated Little Rock's Central High School, escorted by some 1,200 paratroopers into Little Rock's Central High School.

Today's New York Times features an essay by David Margolick that recounts Louis Armstrong's unlikely role in the landmark civil rights battle. It shows the little-known impact that an entertainer could have on policy, particularly Armstrong who was known as a political.

Days before the federal troops arrived, as the students were struggling to gain admission to the school, to the opposition of Gov. Orval Faubus and local segretationists, the normally apolitical trumpeter finally spoke out on segregation and the Jim Crow South.

"The way they are treating my people in the South, the government can go to hell," Armstrong said.

Almost as interesting was who he said it to: Larry Lubenow, a cub reporter for the Grand Forks, N.D. newspaper who was sent to the hotel where Armstrong was staying to secure a soft interview --- "no politics," his editor insisted. Lubenow snuck into Armstrong's room and secured an interview, and couldn't resist asking him what he thought of what was going on in Little Rock.

Eisenhower, he said, was "two-faced" and showed "no guts." When Lubenow's editors doubted the veracity of Armstrong's comments, he went back to the hotel the next morning, got a picture with Armstrong and got him to sign a copy of the story with the word, "solid."

When Eisenhower sent federal troops, Armstrong wired him, "If you decide to walk into the schools with the little colored kids, take me along, Daddy. God Bless You."

Clooney OK with Sudanese Leader's Italy Visit

Here's a new twist in the entertainment industry's efforts in Darfur.

George Clooney told the Associated Press that he welcomes visit by Sudan leader Omar al-Bashir to Italy, where he is to meet on Friday with Italian Premier Romano Prodi and Pope Benedict XVI.

"The policy of not talking to them because they're unsavory hasn't been very effective," Clooney said. "So my hope is that having a conversation with this man can somehow further movement toward getting these people back into their homes, their villages."

According to the AP, Amnesty International and some European parliament members say Italy shouldn't receive a man whose regime has been accused of genocide in the Sudanese region of Darfur.

Clooney is co-founder of the human rights group Not On Our Watch, which is focusing its attention on the Darfur crisis. He has a home in the Lake Como area of Italy.

"Our hope is that if we can have some conversations with this guy, then we can get this thing to move much quicker," Clooney said. "So whatever it takes: There are 2.5 million people who could very easily die, and I'm concerned with their lives more than anything."

Bush's Strategist Joins Bono's Org

Matthew Dowd, President Bush's chief strategist for his 2004 re-election bid, has signed on to advise Bono's anti-poverty org One Vote '08.

Dowd has drawn much attention in recent months by annoucing that he had left the Republican party and become an independent. Among other things, he has written that Bush's war policies are misguided. He recently wrote on HuffingtonPost, "The public is waiting for leaders from both political parties to stand up to the president and say enough is enough. They would like this situation resolved -- and soon -- and there is no other solution acceptable to them other than bringing the troops home. The public will support leaders who would use funding decisions as a way to encourage and push the president to resolve this situation quickly."

One Vote is Bono's effort to get presidential candidates to promise to fight hunger and disease. Dowd had most recently been working on a California initiative to modify California's legislative term limits.

Mia Farrow's Darfur Approach

More than any other celebrity activist, Mia Farrow has been the most provocative in pressing for action in Darfur. As a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, she's challenged leaders, offered to trade in her freedom, and has even questioned the role of Hollywood's elite.

On her return home this week from a trip to Rwanda and eastern Chad, Farrow sounded cautious on China's recent move to support a UN resolution to send peacekeepers to Darfur in an effort to end the genocide.

"China has made promising sounds, but the reality is that people on the ground are still suffering," she wrote via e-mail to Variety. "The words and pieces of paper are, at this point, simply that."

On Wednesday in Rwanda, Farrow participated in a symbolic torch relay that will travel to countries that have experienced genocide. She has drawn much attention lately as she has linked the crisis to China, Sudan's No. 1 oil customer, and the international community's participation in the Beijing Olympics next summer.

She created perhaps the greatest stir when she and her son, Ronan, wrote a Wall Street Journal editorial piece in March, questioning Steven Spielberg's role as artistic adviser to the Games. Specifically, she warned that unless China did more about the Sudan, Spielberg's role would be akin to filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl's participation in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. 

In her e-mail, Farrow addressed her approach:

"When it became apparent that Steven Spielberg had agreed to participate in the Olympics as artistic director,  I was bewildered. Was it possible that Mr. Spielberg did not know of China's oil entanglements with Sudan? So I wrote him a letter explaining China's complicity in the Darfur genocide and how Beijing is underwriting the slaughter in Darfur through their oil investments. Seventy percent of Sudan's oil revenue from China are used to attack the people of Darfur through the purchase of bombers, attack helicopters, munitions factories, and the arming and training of their militias. China also sells Sudan arms, many of which have been used in Darfur.

"When time passed and I received no response, my son Ronan and I wrote that Wall Street Journal piece.

"Undeniably, Mr. Spielberg is respected throughout the world as a moral figure who has demonstrated genuine commitment to fighting genocide --- through the Shoah Foundation and through his fine film 'Schindler's List.' However, through his cooperation with Beijing, Mr. Spielberg lends the Chinese government precisely the moral cover it is seeking."

(A bit of a clarification: Spielberg is serving as artistic adviser to the Games, on a team that is being led by Chinese director Zhang Yimou.) 

When it comes to China, Spielberg's approach to is more subtle although often very public.

Several days after her Wall Street Journal piece, Spielberg wrote an open letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao, calling for greater action on Darfur. His rep says that the timing of the letter was coincidental to Farrow's Wall Street Journal piece.  In addition,  they say that they never heard from Farrow before it was written. So something was lost in translation.

Moreover, his reps say that the director has been well aware of the crisis in Darfur and has been pressing for ways to stop it, working with the likes of George Clooney and Don Cheadle.

His political adviser, Andy Spahn, says that they are in the process of setting up a face to face meeting with Chinese officials, although none is scheduled yet. A wave of stories last month suggested that Spielberg was considering pulling out of the Games. Although Spielberg has made no public statement as such, China did support the UN resolution. It's debatable as it is to whether Spielberg, Farrow or the activist community had any influence.

Like Farrow, Spielberg and his team are encouraged by some of China's recent moves, but much depends on what happens on the ground in Darfur in the coming months.

"We are pleased that the new resolution passed, but we have been in this place before," Farrow says. "Just one year ago, the UN passed an excellent resolution (1706) yet nearly 12 long months later no one has come to protect the people of Darfur and eastern Chad."

Spielberg, China and Darfur

Has Steven Spielberg influenced China on Darfur?

Given the opaque nature of the upper echlons of the Chinese government, it's unknown. But that has been the suggestion by some press outlets after the U.N. Security Council, with China's support, passed a resolution last week to send a 26,000-strong peacekeeping force to Darfur.

Stories in late July suggested that Spielberg was considering backing out of his role as artistic adviser to the Olympic Games unless something more was done about Darfur, although the director's rep Andy Spahn said that Spielberg was still monitoring the situation and talking with with Chinese officials.

On Monday, Spahn sounded encouraged.

"The fact that the resolution passed is certainly important," Spahn says. "The test will be in the implementation and how quickly peacekeepers get on the ground."

"All of us need to keep the pressure on to ensure that peace talks get underway and that the peacekeeping force gets on the ground as quickly as possible."

Spielberg sent an open letter to Chinese president Hu Jintao in March, calling on greater action by the Chinese to stop the genocide in Darfur. 

After resisting calls to intervene, China deployed a special envoy and lobbied Sudan to accept a U.N. peacekeeping force.

Spahn says they are currently in the process of setting up a face-to-face meeting with Chinese officials, although no date or place has been set.

Asked whether the director has had an impact, Spahn says, "I hope so."

Stars In New Energy Push

If these latest screen shots of a new celebrity video campaign look a bit goofy, they are meant to be.

The progressive group Center for American Progress has enlisted the likes of Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Biggs, Sarah Silverman, Joshua Jackson, Tobin Bell and Jennifer Garner for an irreverent online video series about energy and flexible fuels. They will debut on Thursday at www.cleanmyride.org.

The online video series is called "Project Phin," and some early peeks have been making the rounds at various sites.

From left: Matt Damon and Phin, director of the shorts; Jennifer Garner.

Live Earth's Lackluster Ratings

I have just been sent Live Earth ratings by our Nielsen guru, Rick Kissell. It shows that the concerts didn't exactly break any records.

According to Nielsen estimates, 19 million Americans watched at least some of Live Earth across all of the NBC networks, which is not bad but not especially big considering the blanket coverage and big name acts.

In primetime, NBC averaged 2.7 million viewers, finishing behind ABC (3.4 million), Fox (4.6 million) and CBS (5.2 million).

Live Earth did break some records for online hits, according to organizers. But it's interesting to note that broadcast networks have had a tough time with concert broadcasts in recent years, so the fact that Live Earth didn't do well in prime time isn't a major surprise.

Life After Live Earth

It's tough to meet expectations when your goal is to save the planet. And you are promising the greatest show on earth.

In the aftermath of the marathon of concerts called Live Earth, there was plenty of grousing over everything from trash being strewn at Giants Stadium to overpriced merchandise to somewhat ambiguous goals.  There was a "seven point pledge," but also the goal of curbing carbon emissions by 90% by 2050.

And there was to worry that it would fall victim to rock star self indulgence. Time magazine reported, "Some Live Earth organizers admitted the contradiction. 'It's very obvious that any event like this is not environmentally friendly,' says Yu Nakajima, who was in charge of greening the Tokyo show. 'It's probably better not to have an event at all.'"

Writes Roger Friedman of Fox News.com, "In all, Gore and the show’s impressive list of artists and activists seem to have given Live Earth their best, in hopes that their actions will inspire people to change their carbon-emitting ways. Did it work? Only time will tell.  

"As far as the actual concert was concerned, walking past piles of empty cans and caravans of honking trucks, one got the idea that Live Earth might have amounted to exactly what Bob Geldof and the Who singer Roger Daltrey predicted: a huge, offensive rock concert."

The New York Times Alessandra Stanley noted the contrast of messages, like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calling politicians "corporate toadies" even with the array of corporate sponsors.

Live Earth did break some online records, but early viewership figures from the UK were lackluster, with the event failing to top the recent Diana concerts. Save for Madonna and a Police performance of "Message in a Bottle," some critics complained that there were too few really standout moments.

This concerts were just the beginning of what organizers say will be a three-year campaign  to actually change habits, and they have been taking to calling Live Earth a "launch event."

"The planet doesn't have a PR agent," Al Gore said. "But now it will, because the Alliance for Climate Protection is going to use the modern techniques of messaging to get the scientific evidence in front of people all over the world."

So it is hard to measure just what success is for Live Earth --- ratings tell only part of the story. They benefited from loads of publicity, so even if people didn't watch it they were at least made aware that something has to be done about the environment.

So even if this was, in the end, "just an enormous pop concert," as Geldof called it, it is hard to criticize its intent. SOS, save our selves, was the mantra. Who can argue with that.

The problem that they have had all along is that the landscape is now populated by superstars and their special causes, and you have to wonder if there is sort of an entertainment-driven compassion fatigue setting in. It's not just global warming but health care and Africa. Producer Kevin Wall even said a couple of weeks ago that he didn't ask U2 to perform because they already were consumed with their effort to end global poverty. The public is overwhelmed by it all.

The challenge will be in the follow up, perhaps not just in getting more people to sign up for Gore's "seven-point pledge." Some question whether major habitual changes can occur without more drastic laws being passed on energy consumption at the consumer level. After all, seat belt laws, with the threat of being pulled over and ticketed, actually got people to wear seat belts.

Writes Bryan Walsh in Time, "It's time to get past the obsession over carbon footprint size and offsets, over who's an eco-hypocrite and who is truly green. We need to use energy far more wisely, both individually and internationally, but with hundreds of millions in the developing world getting richer and producing more carbon every day, the threat of climate change is far, far bigger than our personal conservation habits. It will require technological change and painful political choices such as carbon taxes, gas taxes and mandatory greenhouse gas emissions caps. That means, especially for the young, the un-rock star act of voting."

 

Gore: Doubters Tried to Curb Live Earth

At the Washington leg of the Live Earth concert, Al Gore slammed what he called global warming doubters for trying to block the event's Washington venue.

"Some who don't understand what is now at stake tried to stop this event on the Mall," Gore said.

"But here we are," he said. "And it wasn't the cavalry who came to our rescue, it was the American Indian."

In an incident reminiscent of the time when Interior Secretary James Watt denied a permit for the Beach Boys to perform on the Mall, the National Park Service turned down a request for the Live Earth concert to be staged there, saying that too many events have been booked there this week. And an effort to stage it on the steps of the Capitol was blocked by Senate Republicans, including Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, a global warming skeptic.

But the National Museum of the American Indian offered its space at the last minute.

Live Earth Begins

Via hologram, Al Gore kicked off the event to some 47,000 in Sydney, with Crowded House and Earthmother among the performers.

The event itself has enjoyed a wave of publicity in recent days, focusing on criticism that the event has an ambiguous goal and the troubles that past marathon concerts have had in cutting through government bureaucracy. Instead of money raised, success is measured in whether people actually change their consumption habits and take concrete action.

There also have been various controversies in other countries. There were concerns about safety in Rio and in Germany, Greenpeace panned the concert because DaimlerChrysler was chosen as one of the sponsors.

With such ambitions, such controversies were bound to pop up.

But the backers of the concert did manage to cut through red tape in Washington, where they will stage events today at the National Museum of the American Indian. Trisha Yearwood will perform, among other artists. Organizers were denied access to the National Mall and stymied in their efforts to stage it on the steps of the Capitol.

Al Gore's Call to Action

There's been some concern that the upcoming Live Earth concerts on July 7 will be merely a campaign to "raise awareness" of global warming.

At a New York City press conference on Thursday, Al Gore and Live Earth producer Kevin Wall (pictured at right) unveiled what they call an action plan to combat the climate crisis, including 100 "simple actions people can take in their daily lives." They also are asking people to support a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 and to support a comprehensive international treaty on global warming by 2009. (Full details on the 7-point pledge are here.) Those who sign on are given an array of immediate instructions like changing lightbulbs to riding the bus.

"If enough people come together to fight against the climate crisis, corporations and governments will have no choice to act as well," Wall said.

Among those who quickly signed the pledge: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Besides the concerts, more than 6,000 parties in 119 countries are being held.

"The general theory behind Live Earth is we need to get this information about the crisis and solutions to it to every person on the planet, as many of them as we can reach," Gore told the AP. "And then they will, armed with knowledge, put pressure on all political leaders."

Naturally, Gore denied that he was running for office, but he said, "If this campaign is successful, it will put pressure on all of the candidates for every office in all parties to do the right thing on the climate."

Photo: WireImage.

Bono's Limits

Bono is the guest editor of Vanity Fair. He holds meetings with President Bush. He's everywhere, it seems, on the world stage.

But even celebrity has its limits of influence, as hard as it may be to believe given all of the attention paid to various causes.

The singer expressed his frustrations to CNN while attenting the G-8 summit in Rostock, Germany.

He says some world leaders have not followed through on aid to alleviate poverty in Africa.

"I felt like smashing my glasses today because they're not keeping their promises," Bono told CNN's Ed Henry.

He is further discouraged because so much attention at the summit has been on relations between the U.S. and Russia. He called it a "distraction" and said that the countries are not a "threat" to each other.

George Clooney, who is trying to press for action in Darfur, tells Entertainment Weekly that there are a host of other potential landmines when speaking out on causes. "You have to be incredibly well informed. So if you're going to go out and talk about poverty or AIDS in Africa or Darfur, you better know your sh--. And you better know it better than any of the jackasses that are going to try and somehow make what you're trying to do [look] bad. ... So you have to pick your fights and go after them, and then it seems like you can help get things done."

On a Mission

A personal note about a former colleague: TV Guide's Mary Murphy was honored Monday night for her work at the Midnight Mission, one of the largest and longest-running homeless facilities in the country. Also honored at the Mission's annual gala was Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, whose series of columns on L.A.'s Skid Row focused new civic attention on the problem.

On the minds of many of those gathered at the fund-raising event, a classy affair held at the Beverly Hills Hotel (quite a juxtoposition), was Anderson Cooper's "60 Minutes" piece about L.A. hospitals dumping patients off on Skid Row. An outdoor security camera captured Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital workers dropping off an invalid patient --- he was on a gurney --- to the Mission, only to be rebuffed because the facility cannot handle such cases. They later just dropped the man off on the side of the street, without his wheelchair or any means to walk.

Dick Van Dyke, who chaired a campaign to build a new facility, mentioned the story before the crowd of several hundred, which included Jackson Browne, Katey Sagal, Buzz Aldrin, Ed Begley Jr., Larry Miller, violinist Timothy Braun and pianist James Lent.

WireImage Photo: Mary Murphy and Dick Van Dyke.

Madonna Makes Live Earth Single

Madonna has stepped up and released a new song written for the upcoming Live Earth concerts.

Her new single "Hey, You" is folksy, sweet sentimental --- in the words of fansites --- and it's also free. Through its MSN site, Microsoft is making the first million downloads free to the public, as they will see what the July 7, 2007 series of concerts is all about. Inspired by Al Gore's environmental movement, producer Kevin Wall is organizing concerts on that date on seven continents, including Antarctica. Madonna will perform at the Wembley Stadium Live Earth concert in London.

Warner Bros. Records will be releasing a live CD/DVD of the event.

The Surrogate's "Truth"

After the success of "An Inconvenient Truth," Al Gore trained a host of lieutenants to stage his slide-show presentation around the world --- one of the more famous names being Cameron Diaz.

On Saturday, one of these surrogates, Fox's Gretchen Lewotsky, will do a mini-version of the slide show at the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, which is just west of Fairfax between Pico and Venice. Lewotsky --- whose official title is VP of state and local governmental affairs and environmental operations --- helped "green" the studio during her tenure there.

Her presentation is part of a free afternoon long event called "A Convenient Truth: It's Easy Being Green." Assemblywoman Fran Pavley will discuss the politics of global warming, and others will offer tips on greening the home.

Leo's Green Scene

Leonardo DiCaprio's new documentary film "The 11th Hour" gets previewed as part of Vanity Fair's Green Issue.

To be released later this year, the doc is produced, co-written and narrated by the actor, is intended to sound the alarm about global warming as much as it is to offer solutions, sort of the next chapter after "An Inconvenient Truth."

The question is whether DiCaprio's star power will bring in any additional moviegoers than those who saw "Truth," or if it will be merely preaching to the converted. The makers of "Truth" managed to also overcome what could be called "cause fatigue," the idea that the problem is so dire that the public will simply avoid it.

The VF preview is essentially a transcript of statements made by climatologists, environmentalists and DiCaprio himself on what needs to be done and what can be done. Former CIA director James Woolsey notes the mobilization for World War II and that, "this country can move awfully fast, if it wants to."

"Because we've waited, because we've turned our backs on nature's warning signs, and because our political and corporate leaders have consistently ignored the overwhelming scientific evidence, the challenges we face are that much more difficult," DiCaprio says.

Dukakis Talks HBO's "Addiction"

He's tan, rested and ... Michael Dukakis surely gave no sign on Monday night that he was ready to jump back into politics, almost a generation after he was the Democratic nominee for President.

But at a Westwood screening of HBO's documentary series "Addiction," he did offer a few choice comments on the political will to solve problems of drug and alcohol addiction in the country. He said that when he was in the Massachusetts statehouse, there was a nationwide governor's alliance to address the problems, but that now it has been all but "given a burial." (He mentioned Mitt Romney). And during the most recent election, no gubernatorial candidate even raised the issues as a central concern, he noted.

"During the 80s, people made light of the 'Just Say No' campaign, but having the First Lady invested in this was deeply important," said Dukakis, adding, "If we don't do something about demand, nothing will happen."

"Addiction" is a special HBO event that focuses on the problems that a wide range of addiction have had on society, with such documentarians as Barbara Kopple, Eugene Jarecki and Rory Kennedy contributing. The screening on Monday night was of a segment that concentrated on alcohol and drug abuse and the advances in medications and brain scanning that have helped in treating them.

Joining Dukakis was his wife, Kitty, who has been public about her own alcohol addiction and recovery. They are still natives of Boston, but spend the winters in Los Angeles where Michael Dukakis teaches at the UCLA School of Public Policy. Kitty Dukakis recently returned from a mission to help refugees in Africa.

Photo by Leroy Hamilton/HBO.

Gore for President: Why Would He?

When Al Gore announced the next chapter in his campaign against global warming, he stood on stage with Mana and Pharrell Williams, the latter dressed in a side-pitched ballcap, low-rider jeans and black Billabong hoodie.

It made you forget that Gore is the same man who once did the macarena before the Democratic National Convention. (Stiff, upright, unmoving, it was an irreverent dig at himself).

But if he were to get into the presidential race, could he maintain this pop culture status?

With it, Gore has been able to capitalize on his status to take his campaign to the next level, helping to attract "Live 8" producer Kevin Wall to spearhead the July 7 event. Gore also is also lining up surrogates to do his "Inconvenient Truth" slide presentation. Among them: A brunette Cameron Diaz, who also was present at the press conference, and just spent 2 1/2 days in Nashville getting trained.

And while Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama may still be superstars on the campaign trail, that surely could change after a year of being scrutinized at every turn.

Once again repeating that he has "no intention" to run, Gore said he was too focused on this latest campaign. In fact, Gore even seemed to distance himself from his former career.

"We have everything we need to solve this crisis, with the exception of political will," Gore said.

About the only time that Gore broke composure was when a reporter asked about reports that showed that there was a 10% chance that climate change isn't man made.

Gore started to chuckle.

Deploying some of the same delivery he did in "An Inconvenient Truth, he said, "The range is actually a 90 to 99 percent certainty. If your doctor told you there would be a 99 percent chance that you would have a heart attack unless you do something, starting tomorrow, you would say, 'I am going to play the odds.'"

He went on, "The people who still try to refute the science on the climate crisis --- I am running out of things to say to them. I think they get together to a party on Saturday night and party with the folks who say that the moon landing was staged on a movie lot in Southern California."

Gore To Reveal Plans for Next Act

Updated

Al Gore will be in Los Angeles on Thursday morning to unveil plans for his next step in his campaign against climate change, what sources say is an "unprecedented global crisis campaign and concert."

Last week, word leaked out that Gore was about to make an annoucement about a series of concerts that would "dwarf Live Aid," all geared toward taking action on climate change. Over the weekend, Gore was at the Grammys and made the rounds to a few pre- and post- parties, including Clive Davis' annual bash.

On Monday, GOP prospect Rudy Giuliani criticized "An Inconvenient Truth" because he said it lacked solutions to global warming. He didn't deny that warming was occurring, although he said he wasn't sure how much was caused by humans. He called for expanding the use of nuclear power and alternative energy.

Meanwhile, Gore's Current TV signed a distribution deal with Richard Branson's new Virgin Media, a rival to Sky TV in Britain.

Philip Morris Urges No Smoking in Films

Philip Morris is asking studios not to use its cigarettes on screen, saying that the images of characters puffing away can entice children to smoke. The company, which plans to advertise in the trade papers on Thursday, had met with entertainment industry reps, apparently in response to pressure to curb tobacco use in films. Some watchdog groups are skeptical, and call it a public relations ploy to forestall critics. They want smoking scenes taken into consideration when the MPAA issues its movie ratings.

Audit Faults Reiner Panel, but Campaign Laws Not Broken

An audit of a state commission chaired by Rob Reiner found a number of problems with the way it managed and awarded P.R. and advertising contracts, the Los Angeles Times reports. But the audit showed that no laws were broken when the California Children and Families Commission ran ads touting the benefits of preschool at the same time that Reiner was launching a campaign for a universal preschool initiative. Voters rejected Prop. 82 last June. The Times had reported that the commission used $23 million to pay for preschool ads as the commission was launched, but the audit showed that the expenditure fell within the law. Reiner resigned from the commission in March. Among the audit's findings were that the commission paid $1.2 million more than it should have in administrative costs.

Fox on Limbaugh: "Are you kidding me?"

With Michael J. Fox the center of attention in the midterms this week, it was only natural that he would do a sitdown interview. Katie Couric --- certainly proving how much the evening newscast has changed --- devoted more than seven minutes of "The CBS Evening News" to an exclusive interview with Fox, who revealed that, contrary to Rush Limbaugh, he actually was overmedicated when he did ads for Missouri U.S. Senate candidate Claire McCaskill because of her support of stem cell research. Limbaugh later apologized to Fox. When asked what he thought when he heard about Limbaugh's comments, "My first thought was no, are you kidding me? And then I thought, well, you know I knew there'd be a swift reaction from some reporters and I knew there'd be that celebrity tag, which always kills me because the people who throw that celebrity tag around are themselves such huge celebrities and incredibly well paid celebrities, and you know, really have no more God-given right to have a platform than I do or any American does." The outcry created by Limbaugh may have turned attention away from McCaskill's campaign, but it undoubtedly helped raise visibility of the stem cell issue. Opponents of embryonic stem cell research have unleashed their own spots featuring Jim Caviezel and Patricia Heaton, but they don't have nearly the impact of Fox's spots, or his appearance with Couric.

Stars on the Stump

Stars including George Clooney, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts and many other actors appear in a new ad for the ONE Campaign, spreading the message to eliminate poverty and AIDS. Although many of those featured in the spot bear liberal stripes, the ad actually is bipartisan and will appear on the websites of both the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee.

Meantime, Roseanne Barr hosts a new campaign for the AFL-CIO, pushing for an increase in the minimum wage, although this spot may come off as a bit more partisan. Reports the New York Times: "For those who do not support a minimum wage increase, we suspect the first video probably serves to reinforce negative stereotypes: a Hollywood liberal stumping for a couple with ambiguous marital status, one member of which is “waiting for disability….”

Michael J. Fox on stem cells

On the other side of the political aisle, a new ad debuted in Missouri featuring Michael J. Fox, praising Democratic Senatorial candidate Claire McCaskill for her support of stem cell research. Clearly afflicted with Parkinson's disease, Fox goes on to say that her Republican opponent, Sen. Jim Talent,  not only is against stem cell research but wants to "criminalize the science" that "gives hope for a cure."