Obama Fundraises For House, Senate Dems in Hollywood

President Obama made the rounds in Hollywood in early April to fundraise for House and Senate Democrats.

Obama attended a fundraiser Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn and wife Cindy Horn’s Bel-Air home. It was the 40th Hollywood fundraiser for the president.

Attendees shelled out $66,800 per couple, and included Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow and Disney CEO Bob Iger, according to Deadline. Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams and wife Katie McGrath, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Norman Lear and Lyn Lear, Barbra Streisand and James Brolin were also co-hosts of the fundraiser.

The fundraiser benefitted House Democrats in their effort to recapture the majority. Many political observers believe presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump would hurt more moderate Republican representatives and give Democrats a favorable chance of winning the majority.

House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) chair Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), were expected to attend the event.

The next morning, Obama attended a breakfast at Tobey Maguire and wife Jennifer Meyer’s home to benefit the Democratic Senatorial Committee. Tickets were $33,400 per couple.

 

Obama, Hollywood Team Up to Recapture House, Senate

President Obama is traveling to Los Angeles to attend fundraisers with some of Hollywood’s biggest Democratic supporters, reports The Hill.

With Donald Trump or Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) likely to be the Republican nominee, Democratic operatives and political observers see an opportunity to regain control of the U.S. House and Senate. Many House seats that trend Republican may be more competitive with hardline-conservative Cruz or outspoken, and some would argue offensive, Trump at the top of the ticket. Democrats would need to gain 30 seats to retake the House of Representatives, while only four (or five if a Republican becomes president) to retake majority in the Senate.

With so much at stake, Obama and Democrats are looking to Hollywood for some much needed cash.

On Thursday, The Hill reports Obama, along with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and DCCC chair Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), will attend an event at the home of Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn and wife Cindy, along with Norman and Lyn Lear, Barbra Streisand and James Brolin, “Star Wars: A Force Awakens” director J.J. Abrams and his wife, Katie McGrath, campaigner Andy Spahn and his wife Jennifer Perry, and Peg Yorkin.

The $15,000-per-couple dinner boosts the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

On Friday, Obama will attend a breakfast fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee at the home of actor Tobey Maguire and wife Jennifer Meyer Maguire. Tickets are $33,400 per couple.

 

The Political Life of Robin Williams

Photo Credit: Petar Kujundzic/Reuters

Robin Williams was known for his generous contributions to charitable organizations and causes, including St. Jude Children’s Hospital and Comic Relief, as well as his passion for supporting and entertaining the troops.

Williams was also politically active and made several large contributions to Democratic candidates and political action committees.

Over the last two decades, the Oscar-winning actor contributed to the campaigns of Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and former presidential candidate and Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Most recently, Williams contributed to Sen. Al Franken’s 2008 campaign. Williams also contributed to the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party and the Wisconsin Democratic Party, as well as the Hollywood Women’s Political Committee.

On Tuesday, Franken posted his regards to his Facebook page.

President Obama also offered his condolences on social media.

 

In 1990, Williams testified before the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee in support of the Homelessness Prevention and Community Revitalization Act to help prevent homelessness. Along with Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal, Williams hosted events and fundraisers for Comic Relief, a non-profit charity that raised funds to help homeless people and others in need. 

Billy Crystal, Ted Kennedy, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams – HBO’s 7th Annual Comic Relief, 1995
Photo Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.com

 

Updated: Grimes Garners Hollywood Support

UPDATE April 13, 2014: 

The list of Grimes’ Hollywood supporters continues to grow. The Hill reported in late October that Danny DeVito, Jack Black, Jon Hamm, Nicolas Cage, Jerry Seinfeld, Cameron Diaz, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mike Meyers, James Cameron, Steven Speilberg, and J.J. Abrams all gave the maximum $5,200 to Grimes’ campaign. Chris Rock and Ted Danson contributed $5,000. Actor Ben Stiller gave $2,500, Barbra Streisand and Aaron Sorkin contributed $1,000, while Woody Allen and Leonard Nimoy gave $500 each, according to FEC filings.

After a closer look the FEC filings, there are a few more names to add to the list: Nicholas Cage, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Judd Apatow, Rhea Perlman, Mark Burnett, Kate Capshaw, Norman Lear, David Geffen, Ari Emanuel, and Leslie Mann all donating $5,200. Veteran actor Kirk Douglas gave $5,000, Ron Meyer and America Ferrera gave $2,600, Bryan Cranston gave $2,500, Rob Reiner gave $1,250, Renee Zellweger and Kathleen Kennedy gave $1,000, and Nancy Sinatra gave $250.

Stay tuned as more FEC filings become public.

Original post: Sept. 12, 2013

Even though the 2014 elections are more than a year away, Hollywood liberals have already begun fundraising and supporting Democratic candidates. Rising Democratic star and Kentucky Senate candidate, Alison Lundergan Grimes, is the most recent favorite of Hollywood mega-donors.

The Hill reports Dreamworks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg sent an email to prominent Democratic donors stating that there was “no more important election being held next year in this country” and urged donors to support the Kentucky Secretary of State when she travels to California this month.

Katzenberg isn’t the only Hollywood-type to lend his support. Pop star will.i.am. is set to appear at a Grimes fundraiser in coming weeks.

Grimes is running against Republican Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, who is running for a sixth term.

Grimes is the second Democratic candidate to gain Hollywood support for the next election cycle. Newark Mayor Cory Booker (the Democratic candidate in New Jersey’s special election on October 16) has received a large amount of support from the Hollywood community – including fundraisers held by Oprah Winfrey, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and Steven Spielberg.

Democratic supporters hope Hollywood’s interest can bring attention and money to the uphill battle of defeating one of the longest-serving Senators currently in the Senate chamber.

Roseanne Barr Blasts Nancy Pelosi

Actress/comedian Roseanne Barr railed against House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi (D-Cali.) on Twitter.

According tot the Huffington Post, Barr’s tweet is in regards to a story broken by CBS’ 60 Minutes in November of 2011, “detailing how congressional officials have the ability to legally trade stocks based on nonpublic information obtained during the course of their jobs. In Pelosi’s case, some claimed the then-speaker was unduly influenced by VISA at the same time that legislation limiting credit card swipe fees was before the House. The legislation eventually passed, and in April of 2012 the STOCK Act, which closed the insider trading loophole for congressional officials was signed into law.”

 Barr is currently seeking the Green Party’s presidential nomination to run against Mitt Romney and Barack Obama.

On her campaign site, she writes, “Americans have voted for the lesser of two evils in the past elections, it has not gotten us anywhere.” She’s also separately referred to both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama as empty suits, according to the Huffington Post’s digging.