On the Prowl
Hurrah for Hollywood Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson is considered a possible George W. Bush running mate. So how's Thompson reacting? By trying to get back into the movie business. Word out...
...Jones has moved from his winnable congressional district in California to Connecticut to do TV work, while Chmura has been charged with having sex with his underage babysitter at an early morning prom party...
...Now his chances are 5o-5o...
...There were no luxury boxes available, but, according to a public relations assistant for the Giants, "The White House said this was a game on national TV, and we wouldn't want it broadcast that the president couldn't be there...
...Seats up for grabs are going the GOP's way: In Nevada, where Democrats have failed to attract a compelling candidate, former GOP Congressman John Ensign is poised to win the seat currently held by retiring Sen...
...Ed's one of the best for us," says a Bush aide...
...Osborne is running his campaign as though he were a Clinton Democrat: anti-death penalty, pro-gun control...
...We didn't want anything to do with it...
...King claimed Limbaugh lacked sports broadcasting experience, neglecting to mention that Limbaugh had done radio work for the Kansas City Royals...
...Breslin had his knickers in a knot, King noted, because Gigot only wrote once a week...
...Most locals, though--and even many of the press-were forced to watch on TV, as the Giants sold out all of their 81 home o games and handed out only a limited number of press credentials...
...A former key aide to Rep...
...Castle is the Democrats' nightmare--a young, popular candidate and natural heir to Roth's seat...
...Watts are already in the House, while the party- hoped to lure players like former 49er standout Brent Jones and Green Bay Packer tight end Mark Chmnra to run for Congress...
...Washington's Slade Gorton was another goner six months ago...
...Never mind that Gigot also writes non-bylined editorials...
...While raising money in California, Clinton had the White House call on Sunday afternoon of the opening weekend about that evening's game...
...Some Republicans hope that Roth will retire this summer, which would allow Rep...
...No one was overly eager to write a check for Gore...
...Not a sign that Thompson is thinking long-term about politics...
...Then there's former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne, who is running for a House seat...
...The game was rained out, and Clinton lost an opportunity to stuff himself with garlicsmothered french fries--a Pac Bell specialty...
...Clinton spent almost the entire month of April in upstate New York making no statistical headway wooing its more conservative and circumspect voters...
...Meanwhile, Gore staffers accused Hillary campaign aides of hijacking several boxes of Gore 2ooo buttons that were to be distributed at the New York fimdraiser--which was inundated with Hillary buttons instead...
...Simpson is said to be living in Bob Dornan's old district...
...He didn't get the reception he was hoping for out of the crowd," says a campaign fundraiser based in Los Angeles...
...Their dream team...
...The vice president personally called Rick Kaplan at CNN and demanded that his network stop referring to the Elian snatch as a ClintonGore plan," says a Gore campaign aide...
...Spencer Abraham has solidified his chances...
...Today that team is in tatters: Largent has gone off the Republican reservation to back Clinton's snatching ofElian Gonzalez...
...New York Republicans aren't sure what to make of Rudy Giuliani's prostate cancer scare...
...The latest casting rumor had Rice negotiating a role for the senator in an upcoming Robert De Niro film, Navy Diver...
...Then King--who has never hidden his desire to do national sports play-by-play--attacked Rush Limbaugh for wanting to be in the Monday Night Football booth...
...Political Football Republicans used to joke that if things went their way, they'd be able to field the best congressional football team of all time...
...But Quinn is still doing work for Gore...
...On the one hand, they remain upbeat that even with health concerns, he can beat Hillary Clinton...
...Their front-runner is lrial lawyer Michael Ciresi, whose profession is as reviled in Minnesota as elsewhere...
...In the end, the president stepped in and said he'd introduce both...
...The company bumped ten dads and their kids from its box for Clinton...
...George W. Bush's campaign advisers are privately hoping that the appointment of former congressman and Defense Secretary Dick Cheney to screen vice-presidential hopeffds wilt ease the search for a running mate...
...Next year maybe they'll give it to someone who doesn't write at all...
...IN The American Spectator " Ju~e 2000 15...
...Some staffers confirm Thompson is disenchanted with the Senate and looking for more fulfilling roles beyond the Beltway...
...Gore was enraged that the networks were saying the "Clinton-Gore" administration had ordered the assault...
...Dick Armey and the RNC's Haley Barbour, Gillespie later opened his own lobbying and political consulting shop with former Gore Chief of StaffJack Quinn...
...It's making some of us nervous...
...That would teach the glory hound a lesson...
...The New York event proved even uglier for Gore, mostly because Hillary Clinton was there...
...First, it appears that, unlike Gore, she won't be the New York Liberal Party's nominee...
...Whereas Clinton routinely gained standing ovations and adoring clusters of people as he worked the room, Gore was greeted with tepid applause...
...Grabs in Their Grasp Republicans concerned about holding on to Senate seats this year are breathing easier...
...Democrats haven't found a single candidate to run against him...
...Clinton was the main attraction at events intended to raise money for both the Democratic National Committee and Gore 14 J~e :~ooo _9 The American Spectator zooo...
...It was like a father splitting up the last piece of cake for a couple of five year olds...
...He used to use his Monday USA Today column to hype movies and brag about which celebrity he'd chatted up...
...Senator Pataki...
...The fundraiser says that while the DNC raised as much as $8 million out of the Southern California events, Gore took in less than $1oo,ooo...
...Mick Castle to step in...
...Taken Out of the Ballgame Bill Clinton was like jnst about every baseball fan in the San Francisco Bay Area who wanted to get a look at the Giants' new home, Pac Bell Park, when it opened in early April...
...Dick Bryan...
...Despite attempts by Democrat Robert Torricelli to attract strong candidates, the COP feels confident it will hold its majority...
...Their wildest fantasy is that Cheney, who remains close to Colin Powell, can lobby the former head of the Joint Chiefs to join the ticket, if not as veep, then as Seeretar/ of State-"We'd announce it at the convention, along with other prominent appointments," says a Bush adviser...
...Peps...
...Gore was a flop at both...
...It was a threat...
...The kids got their revenge, though...
...Doesn't Check Out Veep A1 Gore's routine was also on display at recent ClintonGore fundraisers in both Los Angeles and New York...
...Gore and Mrs...
...Watts is waging a war of words with Republican leaders, and alienating journalists with daily flurries of faxed PR releases (at least three a day, on average, and none ever seems to get him any press...
...Thomas Carper...
...CNN talkmeister Larry King is a bitter old man...
...The RNC is committed to spending big on his race...
...Not at all...
...Each wanted the spotlight after Clinton...
...The good news...
...In Minnesota, Democrats have failed to capitalize on Rod Grams's vulnerability...
...That privilege will go to Rudy Giuliani...
...Torricelli is already backing off financial commitments to the state party for this seat...
...Then Hillary wanted to be introduced by hubby Bill as the final speaker, a role usually filled by Gore at such events...
...William Roth faces a tight race against current Gov...
...King also continues to deny that anyone has ever fed him questions for his CNN sho~, even though on several occasions current and former CNN employees insist his show has used questions suggested by the Clinton White House...
...Upstate is Rudy's to win...
...While Democrats squabble, Gorton has some time to prepare for what still will be a tough fight this fall...
...Clinton had to put the touch on them to write those $1,ooo checks to the Gore campaign...
...A recent Bush hire raising some eyebrows is new campaign consultant Ed Gillespie...
...In April King invoked New York columnist Jimmy Breslin to attack the Wall Street Journal's Paul Gigot for winning a Pulitzer...
...the column concluded...
...He came away thinking the entertainment folks still resent him for his and Tipper's attacks on the music industry...
...Former pal to Republicans O.J...
...In Delaware, Sen...
...Once in serious trouble, Michigan Sen...
...Clinton didn't scream at each other, but it was tense back stage;' says a NewYork Hillary aide...
...Gore More Years Clinton heir apparent A1 Gore and his staffwere furiously calling all the major TV networks the Saturday morning of the INS'S Miami raid...
...Now he's going negative in a style reminiscent of Parade magazine's Walter Scott, who was rumored to have planted phony letters in his "Personality Parade" colmnn in order to attack President Ronald Reagan...
...Word out of Hollywood is that his agent, Joseph Rice, is actively pushing his Washington-based client for roles in upcoming films...
...The big reason...
...On the other hand, ifGiuliani chooses not to run, it might open the door for him to run for governor should current Governor George Pataki enter the Senate race...
...A lot of us are hoping he doesn't even have the good economy...
...So the Giants turned to corporate sponsor The Gap for help...
...A Clinton press aide confirms the Gore camp's version, but adds, "Gore wants to share credit for the good economy, and wants to walk away from the tough decisions...
...Office Powell Gov...
...In Virginia, former COP Governor George Allen would have to literally implode-several times-for Chuck Robb to hold on to his seat...
...Gore is worried that he will lose Democratic votes ifGiuliani's name is spotted next to his on the ballot...
...He's expected to raise $1o million, which will allow him to bury his Democratic opponent, Debbit Stabenow, in a media blitz she can hardly afford...
...To get Gore on TV...
...Steve Largent and J.C...
...Grams could still lose, but with at least three big-money Dems in a cat fight for the nomination, he has a legitimate shot to hold on to a seat that was once a lost cause...
...Larry King Livid It's official...
...For months the Gore 2ooo and Clinton for Senate camps have been warring over campaign supremacy in the Empire State--and Hillary is winning...
Vol. 33 • June 2000 • No. 5
