Clintons Hit Hollywood

ByABC News
August 12, 2000, 5:31 PM

Aug. 13 -- The first couple has gotten a jump on Al Gores Democratic National Convention, attending an opulent fund-raising brunch in Malibu today for President Clinton, and a star-studded Saturday-night Hollywood fund-raiser for first lady Hillary Rodham Clintons New York Senate campaign.

Earlier today, at a Democratic National Committee brunch in Los Angeles, the president took a shot at the Republican Partys recent convention in Philadelphia.

They had to put their leaders in a closet, and go scare people up off the street, Clinton said, implying the image of diversity projected by the GOP was misleading. They had to use the people they had on stage to hide their policies.

Clinton also expressed optimism that Gore, trailing Republican rival George W. Bush in the polls, can mount a comeback although he warned it would not be easy.

We can turn around these polls, but its not the work of aday. Its going to take every day between now and November, Clinton said.

The Clintons then attended a lavish brunch at the Malibu estate of singer Barbra Streisand, which was expected to raise $10 million for Clintons future presidential library in Little Rock, Ark.

Saturday Night Fever

The Saturday night event, hosted by comic book publisher Stan Lee at the Los Angeles estate of businessman Kenneth Roberts, featured a chart-topping line-up of singing stars including Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Michael Bolton, Cher, Toni Braxton, and Melissa Etheridge.

About 1,000 guests sat on specially made directors chairslabeled Hollywood Tribute to William Jefferson Clinton on ahillside lawn overlooking the city. Guests paid $1,000 each toattend the concert; about 300 couples paid $25,000 to attend adinner afterward with Clinton.

In between the tribute speakers and performers, guests wereshown snippets of a re-edited Man From Hope video on Clintonthat was featured at the 1992 Democratic nominating convention. Theupdated version intercut new interviews with Clinton in which thepresident reflected on his early childhood and his start inpolitics.