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Sen. Hillary Clinton hits Hollywood money trail

Posted on: Thursday, 13 October 2005, 19:27 CDT

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.

Source: REUTERS

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