Oprah Winfrey Says She Won T Interview Sarah Palin Until After Election Day

By Randy McMullen

Oprah Winfrey on Friday denied a story on the Drudge Report Web site claiming her staff at Harpo Productions was embroiled in a heated debate over whether the talk-show queen should have Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the GOP nominee for vice president, on her show.

Winfrey denied there was any such debate and, of course, if there was one, it’s over now, as Oprah Has Issued Her Decree (cue thunder, clouds parting): Palin will not be invited on the show until after Election Day.

“The item in today’s Drudge Report is categorically untrue,” Winfrey said in a written statement. “There has been absolutely no discussion about having Sarah Palin on my show.”

Winfrey has openly endorsed and campaigned for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, leading some to accuse of her of letting her political bias overrule her TV business sense — a Palin interview would garner huge viewership. But Winfrey says she took a stand when she decided to back Obama, and she’s sticking to it.

“At the beginning of the presidential campaign, when I decided that I was going to take my first public stance in support of a candidate, I made the decision not to use my show as a platform for any of the candidates,” Winfrey wrote.

Obama has been a guest twice on Winfrey’s show, but not since he officially announced a candidacy for president, according to Web site TMZ.com.

“I agree that Sarah Palin would be a fantastic interview, and I would love to have her on after the campaign is over,” Winfrey said.

HEART DOESN’T HEART PALIN: Speaking of Sarah Palin, she has ticked off the rock band Heart, which would have been a big deal 20 years ago when people still knew who Heart was.

The band this week dispatched a letter to Palin demanding that she cease using the Heart song “Barracuda” at campaign appearances. The song was played during Palin’s appearances at the Republican National Convention. Reportedly, the song corresponds to the nickname Palin earned while playing on her high school basketball team.

Heart members Ann and Nancy Wilson told Entertainment Weekly in a statement they do not support Palin’s candidacy and were upset by her use of the song.

“The song ‘Barracuda’ was written in the late ’70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women,” the Wilson sisters said. This will come as a shock to those people who thought Heart was part of the soulless corporate music business. Anyway, the Wilson sisters added, “While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there’s irony in Republican strategists’ choice to make use of it there.”

There was no comment from the GOP on Friday.

LOHAN TO PLAYBOY — NO!: Lindsay Lohan, who’s trying to put her career back on track after a couple of years plagued by rehab stints and other craziness, has turned down a $700,000 offer from Playboy to do an eight-page topless spread for the magazine’s 55th- anniversary issue this January.

Last year, Lohan generated some controversy by appearing nude in New York magazine spread paying homage to Marilyn Monroe.

“If there’s nudity, then the answer’s no,” Lohan’s rep reportedly told Playboy. The magazine proposed having Lohan do a tribute to ’60s star Ann-Margret, who has long been one of Lohan’s favorite stars.

SWIFT/JONAS RUMORS HEAT UP: Disney rocker Joe Jonas and country star Taylor Swift still won’t confirm to their legions of breathless fans that they are dating, but it’s starting to look like they are.

The latest tip came from comedian Russell Brand, who’s hosting Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards. He said the Jonas Brothers urged that their performance at the VMAs be introduced by Swift, and Swift alone.

Swift and Joe Jonas reportedly went on a double date recently with Nick Jonas and his girlfriend Selena Gomez. Swift called the outing “really cool.” We’re not sure how much more rock-solid you can get on this stuff, folks.

Brand, for his part, joked that the Jonas Brothers are “God’s favorite virgins” and said their performance Sunday “will make the concept of an afterlife seem tame by comparison.” No, we don’t know what that means, either.

Today’s People Column was compiled by Randy McMullen from staff and wire service reports. Questions? Comments? Contact us at 925- 943-8262 or rmcmullen@bayareanewsgroup.com.

Birthdays: Comedian JoAnne Worley (71), country singer David Allan Coe (69), rock singer-musician Roger Waters of Pink Floyd (65), actress Swoosie Kurtz (64), comedian-actress Jane Curtin (61), country musician Joe Smyth of Sawyer Brown (51), comedian Jeff Foxworthy (50), rock musician Scott Travis of Judas Priest (47), ABC News correspondent Elizabeth Vargas (46), country singer Mark Chesnutt (45), actress Rosie Perez (44), singer CeCe Peniston (39), R&B singer Darryl Anthony of Az Yet (39), R&B singer Macy Gray (38), rock singer Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries (37), actress Anika Noni Rose (36), rock singer Nina Persson of the Cardigans (34), actress Naomie Harris (32), rapper Noreaga (31), rapper Foxy Brown (29).

Originally published by Randy McMullen, Contra Costa Times.

(c) 2008 Oakland Tribune. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.