Wash Post article
And the Winner Is . . . House Democrats
Spacey Heads a Cast of Fund-Raisers
By Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 25, 2000; Page A01
Kevin Spacey, the wisecracking Academy Award nominee known for
playing a murderer and a pot smoker, does not have much in common with
the rather strait-laced Richard A. Gephardt, except for this: Both men are
pushing hard for the Democratic Party to regain control of the House.
A longtime supporter of President Clinton, Spacey is now putting his
considerable star appeal at the disposal of the House minority leader. Last
June, he arranged for a staging of his Broadway hit "The Iceman Cometh"
for the benefit of a Democratic fund-raiser in New York. Last fall he gave
the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee 100 tickets to the
Washington premiere of his film "American Beauty," giving House
Democrats a chance to reward their best donors with a glitzy reception.
The warm relations between Spacey and Gephardt, who began talking
politics in earnest in a Los Angeles hotel gym a few years ago, are the fruit
of an unprecedented Democratic effort to collect campaign funds for the
drive to retake the House. While Clinton has successfully tapped the
entertainment community for campaign money since he first ran in 1992,
Gephardt and his colleagues are finding California celebrities increasingly
amenable to their cause this election season.
The boost reflects the broader Democratic success in wooing business
executives from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. For the first time in years,
House Democrats are proving competitive with Republicans in mining
contributions from the business community; the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee (DCCC) has even raised slightly more money from
business so far than its Republican counterpart, according to the Center for
Responsive Politics.
It's all part of what is shaping up to be a battle royal for control of the
House this year, with only six seats separating the two parties. Republicans
and Democrats--as well as independent interest groups--are raising tens of
millions of dollars for political contests that collectively rival the presidential
campaign in significance.
The Hollywood situation is a case in point. For all their political activism,
most stars and studio execs are fairly parsimonious when it comes to
writing checks. As Gephardt put it carefully, "People in show business
have strong feelings about issues, but they don't always step up to the plate
and help you."
This year, however, the television, movie and music industries have
showered House Democrats with contributions. Last election, according to
the Center for Responsive Politics, they collectively gave $488,000 to the
DCCC. In 1999 alone, by contrast, they donated $960,000. Oscar night
Sunday will be no different: House Democrats are holding a $75,000
viewing party at the Los Angeles Petersen Automotive Museum, with a
host committee that includes mogul Barry Diller, singer Gloria Estefan, and
actors Woody Harrelson, Martin Sheen and Hilary Swank.
According to industry officials, impeachment accounts for part of this
phenomenon--many Hollywood figures were outraged by the
congressional action against Clinton--but the party's strong showing in the
1998 elections also has translated into more dollars from L.A. luminaries.
Andy Spahn, who heads corporate affairs for the DreamWorks studio,
had no trouble enticing executives and stars to support a $2.1 million
fund-raiser for House and Senate Democrats sponsored by DreamWorks
partner David Geffen in May.
"There was tremendous anger about the partisan nature of the Republican
leadership of the House, particularly with regards to impeachment," Spahn
said.
Democrats have always managed to connect with show business types on
social issues such as gun control, abortion and the environment, and now
that they are within striking distance of the majority, they have found
Hollywood a fruitful source of income even as the impeachment issue has
faded. Just this year, for example, movie star Michael Douglas gave House
Democrats $50,000.
"People feel like Democrats have a chance to win and it would be better to
have them in charge, so they have come out of the closet to give again,"
said one entertainment industry executive who asked not to be identified.
A few Republicans have defied this trend. Despite his role in impeachment,
California Rep. James E. Rogan is being backed by industry heavyweights,
such as Motion Picture Association of America President Jack Valenti,
who appreciate his work on copyright and other issues of concern to the
industry. But Rogan's challenger, state Sen. Adam Schiff, has still raised
more than twice as much from the television, movie and music industries
for what will be one of the marquee races of the congressional elections.
"You have to differentiate between the artistic side, many of whom are
Democrats, and the managers and business side of this industry, that tend
to be more Republican," said Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (Va.), chairman
of the National Republican Congressional Committee. "I think we're doing
fine on the business side, but on the artistic side Democrats outdo us."
Gephardt has made repeated trips out west and has established close ties
with celebrities and prominent insiders such as Fox Family Worldwide
CEO Haim Saban. Saban, an Israeli who created the Mighty Morphin
Power Rangers, has donated $246,000 to the DCCC this election. "A lot
of Democratic officeholders spend time cultivating people over there,"
Valenti said. "It just didn't happen overnight."
Gephardt has been friendly with Spacey since 1997; in December, Spacey
flew back from filming in London so he could give Gephardt the Directors
Guild of America's award for defending filmmakers' rights, sparking a
minor controversy when he joked about his friendship with the minority
leader.
"We have stood together during moments of national peril: I have gotten
stoned with him on many nights," Spacey said. "In fact, that scene in
'American Beauty' in the alley, it's entirely based on an evening behind the
Capitol Dome--the great reefer and the House leader."
Though Spacey made it clear he was joking, Gephardt's opponent in
Missouri, Bill Federer, seized upon the statement and mailed an account of
the speech to his political supporters. The attack even prompted Loreen
Gephardt, the congressman's 92-year-old mother, to publicly defend her
son as the only 1988 presidential candidate to have never used illegal
drugs.
The media hoopla surrounding Spacey's remarks obscured the more
serious point the actor made in his speech, which helps explain why he has
come to Gephardt's aid this year.
"Men like Dick Gephardt are the vaccines we receive to fight the virus
being spread by politicians who use their power and influence to try to
define what art is," Spacey said.
The two men have established a sort of mutual admiration society. Spacey
likes talking politics, education and health care with Gephardt, while the
minority leader praises the actor's craft and his lack of pretentiousness.
"You think some movie stars are very aloof," Gephardt said, adding that
Spacey grew up in "a normal middle-America family" watching movies all
the time. "That's not what he's about. He's anything but that."
A publicist for Spacey said he was on location and could not answer
questions for this story. But for Gephardt--who called Spacey the day the
Oscar nominations were announced to congratulate him--it is Spacey's and
other entertainment figures' political consciousness that has motivated them
this election.
"I just think he's very interested in the issues we deal with and wants us to
win the House back for all the right reasons," Gephardt said. "It's just that
simple. They believe in what we're doing and they want to see it happen."
Staff researcher Madonna Lebling contributed to this report.
© Copyright 2000 The Washington Post Company
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
And the Winner Is . . . House Democrats
Spacey Heads a Cast of Fund-Raisers
By Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 25, 2000; Page A01
Kevin Spacey, the wisecracking Academy Award nominee known for
playing a murderer and a pot smoker, does not have much in common with
the rather strait-laced Richard A. Gephardt, except for this: Both men are
pushing hard for the Democratic Party to regain control of the House.
A longtime supporter of President Clinton, Spacey is now putting his
considerable star appeal at the disposal of the House minority leader. Last
June, he arranged for a staging of his Broadway hit "The Iceman Cometh"
for the benefit of a Democratic fund-raiser in New York. Last fall he gave
the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee 100 tickets to the
Washington premiere of his film "American Beauty," giving House
Democrats a chance to reward their best donors with a glitzy reception.
The warm relations between Spacey and Gephardt, who began talking
politics in earnest in a Los Angeles hotel gym a few years ago, are the fruit
of an unprecedented Democratic effort to collect campaign funds for the
drive to retake the House. While Clinton has successfully tapped the
entertainment community for campaign money since he first ran in 1992,
Gephardt and his colleagues are finding California celebrities increasingly
amenable to their cause this election season.
The boost reflects the broader Democratic success in wooing business
executives from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. For the first time in years,
House Democrats are proving competitive with Republicans in mining
contributions from the business community; the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee (DCCC) has even raised slightly more money from
business so far than its Republican counterpart, according to the Center for
Responsive Politics.
It's all part of what is shaping up to be a battle royal for control of the
House this year, with only six seats separating the two parties. Republicans
and Democrats--as well as independent interest groups--are raising tens of
millions of dollars for political contests that collectively rival the presidential
campaign in significance.
The Hollywood situation is a case in point. For all their political activism,
most stars and studio execs are fairly parsimonious when it comes to
writing checks. As Gephardt put it carefully, "People in show business
have strong feelings about issues, but they don't always step up to the plate
and help you."
This year, however, the television, movie and music industries have
showered House Democrats with contributions. Last election, according to
the Center for Responsive Politics, they collectively gave $488,000 to the
DCCC. In 1999 alone, by contrast, they donated $960,000. Oscar night
Sunday will be no different: House Democrats are holding a $75,000
viewing party at the Los Angeles Petersen Automotive Museum, with a
host committee that includes mogul Barry Diller, singer Gloria Estefan, and
actors Woody Harrelson, Martin Sheen and Hilary Swank.
According to industry officials, impeachment accounts for part of this
phenomenon--many Hollywood figures were outraged by the
congressional action against Clinton--but the party's strong showing in the
1998 elections also has translated into more dollars from L.A. luminaries.
Andy Spahn, who heads corporate affairs for the DreamWorks studio,
had no trouble enticing executives and stars to support a $2.1 million
fund-raiser for House and Senate Democrats sponsored by DreamWorks
partner David Geffen in May.
"There was tremendous anger about the partisan nature of the Republican
leadership of the House, particularly with regards to impeachment," Spahn
said.
Democrats have always managed to connect with show business types on
social issues such as gun control, abortion and the environment, and now
that they are within striking distance of the majority, they have found
Hollywood a fruitful source of income even as the impeachment issue has
faded. Just this year, for example, movie star Michael Douglas gave House
Democrats $50,000.
"People feel like Democrats have a chance to win and it would be better to
have them in charge, so they have come out of the closet to give again,"
said one entertainment industry executive who asked not to be identified.
A few Republicans have defied this trend. Despite his role in impeachment,
California Rep. James E. Rogan is being backed by industry heavyweights,
such as Motion Picture Association of America President Jack Valenti,
who appreciate his work on copyright and other issues of concern to the
industry. But Rogan's challenger, state Sen. Adam Schiff, has still raised
more than twice as much from the television, movie and music industries
for what will be one of the marquee races of the congressional elections.
"You have to differentiate between the artistic side, many of whom are
Democrats, and the managers and business side of this industry, that tend
to be more Republican," said Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (Va.), chairman
of the National Republican Congressional Committee. "I think we're doing
fine on the business side, but on the artistic side Democrats outdo us."
Gephardt has made repeated trips out west and has established close ties
with celebrities and prominent insiders such as Fox Family Worldwide
CEO Haim Saban. Saban, an Israeli who created the Mighty Morphin
Power Rangers, has donated $246,000 to the DCCC this election. "A lot
of Democratic officeholders spend time cultivating people over there,"
Valenti said. "It just didn't happen overnight."
Gephardt has been friendly with Spacey since 1997; in December, Spacey
flew back from filming in London so he could give Gephardt the Directors
Guild of America's award for defending filmmakers' rights, sparking a
minor controversy when he joked about his friendship with the minority
leader.
"We have stood together during moments of national peril: I have gotten
stoned with him on many nights," Spacey said. "In fact, that scene in
'American Beauty' in the alley, it's entirely based on an evening behind the
Capitol Dome--the great reefer and the House leader."
Though Spacey made it clear he was joking, Gephardt's opponent in
Missouri, Bill Federer, seized upon the statement and mailed an account of
the speech to his political supporters. The attack even prompted Loreen
Gephardt, the congressman's 92-year-old mother, to publicly defend her
son as the only 1988 presidential candidate to have never used illegal
drugs.
The media hoopla surrounding Spacey's remarks obscured the more
serious point the actor made in his speech, which helps explain why he has
come to Gephardt's aid this year.
"Men like Dick Gephardt are the vaccines we receive to fight the virus
being spread by politicians who use their power and influence to try to
define what art is," Spacey said.
The two men have established a sort of mutual admiration society. Spacey
likes talking politics, education and health care with Gephardt, while the
minority leader praises the actor's craft and his lack of pretentiousness.
"You think some movie stars are very aloof," Gephardt said, adding that
Spacey grew up in "a normal middle-America family" watching movies all
the time. "That's not what he's about. He's anything but that."
A publicist for Spacey said he was on location and could not answer
questions for this story. But for Gephardt--who called Spacey the day the
Oscar nominations were announced to congratulate him--it is Spacey's and
other entertainment figures' political consciousness that has motivated them
this election.
"I just think he's very interested in the issues we deal with and wants us to
win the House back for all the right reasons," Gephardt said. "It's just that
simple. They believe in what we're doing and they want to see it happen."
Staff researcher Madonna Lebling contributed to this report.
© Copyright 2000 The Washington Post Company
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
