Sen. Hillary Clinton hits Hollywood money trail

By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton
ventured to the West Coast on Thursday to hit the Hollywood
money trail as she gears up for her first re-election campaign
and weighs a possible White House bid in 2008.

The former first lady was expected to attend at least three
private fund-raisers hosted by various show business Democrats,
starting with a $500-per-person reception Friday evening at the
home of film director and political activist Rob Reiner.

A $1,000-per-plate brunch at the Hollywood home of
Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen (“American Beauty”) was
scheduled for Saturday. And organizers said attendance for both
events was expected to be “at capacity” with 100 to 150 guests
accepting invitations to each one.

According to Daily Variety, a third fund-raiser for the New
York senator was being hosted by TV writer-producer Marta
Kauffman, best known as a creator of the hit show “Friends.”

Clinton’s name figures prominently in recent speculation
about possible Democratic candidates for president in 2008,
with two newly published books tackling the subject — Dick
Morris’ “Condi vs. Hillary: The Next Great Presidential Race”
and Susan Estrich’s “The Case for Hillary Clinton.”

Some conservatives have even suggested that the new ABC
television series, “Commander In Chief,” starring Oscar-winner
Geena Davis as America’s first female occupant of the Oval
Office, is the work of Hollywood liberals trying to prepare the
nation for a Hillary Clinton presidency.

But organizers say proceeds from this week’s fund-raising
events are aimed at filling the coffers of the “Friends of
Hillary” campaign committee in advance of her Senate
re-election bid next year.

HOLLYWOOD SUPPORT

Los Angeles-based Democratic political strategist Chad
Griffin said it should come as no surprise that a New York
Senate race is drawing the interest, and financial support, of
West Coast Democrats.

“The entertainment industry is a significant base of
support for the Democratic Party,” Griffin told Reuters, adding
that the senator like her husband, former President Bill
Clinton, is a longtime darling of the Hollywood Democratic
establishment.

“I don’t think anyone could compete with Sen. Clinton’s
ability to raise money and support,” he said. “That’s certainly
boosted by the fact that she is often talked about as a future
candidate for president.”

Clinton began her West Coast visit by attending Yom Kippur
services on Thursday and was due to tape an appearance on “The
Ellen DeGeneres Show” in Burbank later in the day.

Her schedule on Friday includes two other public events —
a speech at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and a gala held by the
Women’s Foundation of California.

Clinton last visited Los Angeles in June, when she attended
a star-studded fund-raising event at the home of
director-producer Rowland Emmerich.

In May, a Los Angeles jury acquitted Clinton’s former
finance director of federal charges that he concealed donations
to her 2000 Senate campaign. The case stemmed from a Hollywood
gala featuring Cher, Michael Bolton and Diana Ross.