Democratic Hollywood Considers Lieberman

Aug. 8 -- Sen. Joseph Lieberman is coming to L.A., where he’ll become the Democrats’ vice-presidential candidate. But no one will be calling him “Hollywood Joe,” unless they mean it ironically.

Lieberman has regularly blasted TV, film and recording executives for too much sexual and violent content, teaming up with conservative Republican William Bennett to give out “Silver Sewer” awards to whichever network they deem the year’s “chief cultural polluter.”

With the Democratic Convention in Los Angeles only days away, DreamWorks bigwig David Geffen and movie mogul Lew Wasserman are preparing their Beverly Hills mansions to host major fund-raisers. But will Hollywood continue its ardent support with the vice-presidential candidate blasting what he has called “Trash TV?”

Presidential hopeful Al Gore must already answer for his wife Tipper, who earned ire for leading the fight to put “explicit language” warning on CDs.

“There is justifiably a great degree of apprehension given the fact that Lieberman has tended to align himself with the culture warriors of the right and left,” says Peter Bart, editor in chief of Daily Variety.

“I think that though people in the entertainment business are cautious about prejudging him, his record is clear.”

Political Schmoozing

Up to this point, Gore has been following in President Clinton’s footsteps in courting Hollywood. The Center for Responsive Politics, a watchdog group, says the entertainment industry has contributed more than $15.5 million to federal campaigns in the 1999-2000 election cycle, and Democrats have taken in more than twice as much as Republicans.

Heavy Gore contributors include Harrison Ford, Robert DeNiro, Nicolas Cage and Kevin Costner.

But Lieberman has never wooed celebrities. Instead, the Connecticut senator has earned a reputation by taking them on.

Last year, Lieberman and Sen. Sam Brownback , R-Kan., made a dramatic “Appeal to Hollywood,” urging executives — including Walt Disney Chairman Michael Eisner, Time Warner CEO Gerald Levin and News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch — to change the “toxic culture of violence and vulgarity surrounding our children.” (Disney is the parent company of ABCNEWS.com.)