Politics Archives

June 26-30, 2008 – This gay pride week, 39 years after the Stonewall riots in New York City launched a civil rights movement, is also a presidential election year, so we checked in to see how the candidates were celebrating.  While none of the presidential contenders actually marched in a gay pride parade, like New York Governor David Paterson did, a candidate’s spouse gave a nod to the queer community.  Michelle Obama gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Committee’s Gay & Lesbian Leadership Council gala on June 26.  The next day we found former presidential candidate and current senator Hillary Clinton talking to graduates of the Eagle Academy for Young Men, an all-male high school that is apparently not all gay, and certainly excludes lesbians.  We dashed to Pipersville, Pennsylvania on Monday where Republican John McCain spoke at a town hall-style meeting that turned not to be a gay pride event.

New York, May 31, 2008 – EXCLUSIVE - Ralph Nader is still in the U.S. presidential race as an Independent candidate, and he campaigned on the East Coast this weekend.  We caught up with him on Saturday night at Cooper Union in New York City, where rock goddess Patti Smith made an unannounced appearance to support Nader.  Smith recited the words to her song People Have the Power, which she said is Nader’s favorite.  She later offered to autograph CDs that were for sale at the fundraiser. 

Nader spoke for over two hours(!) at the event before taking questions from the audience and auctioning off three special-edition reissued copies of his 1965 classic book, Unsafe at any Speed.  Two copies sold for $2,300 apiece, and when the price of the third dropped to $1,000, Smith jumped in and bought it herself. 

Nader’s supporters were generous with their time as well as their money - the event began at 7:30 P.M., and when we left shortly before 11:00 P.M., Nader was signing copies of his 2004 book, The Good Fight. 

New York, May 8, 2008 – There was some controversy at the Time 100 gala, the party celebrating the magazine’s annual list of the most influential people in the world.  Senator John McCain made the list, and bystanders booed as he entered Jazz at Lincoln Center for the gala.  Presidential candidates are resilient, and McCain was all smiles inside, and even congratulated his Democratic rivals.  “I’m very honored to be here, and I know my two colleagues are also recognized.  Senator Obama and Senator Clinton wish they could be here tonight, and they are equally honored", McCain told reporters.

Organizers asked honoree Madeeha Hasan Odhaib to put away the Iraqi flag she held on the red carpet - a strange request since she was honored for starting a business sewing flags that now employs 100 women in war torn Baghdad. 

Performers at the gala included newly-married Mariah Carey, newly pregnant Amy Poehler and her “Weekend Update” partner Seth Meyers, who told us he prepared for the evening by “writing jokes about all these influential people.”

When Time editors included Robert Downey, Jr. on the influential list, could they have known that his movie Iron Man would have one of the biggest openings in history on the same week that the Time 100 issue hit newsstands? 

Other notables at the gala included Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, comedy king Judd Apatow, Herbie Hancock, Ethan Hawke, Anjelica Huston, Lance Armstrong and Hollywood giant Tyler Perry. 

Washington, D.C., April 26, 2008 - Apparently the impending presidential election has put the Hollywood set in a jovial mood, because Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ dinner drew a heavy contingent of celebrities, most of whom had stayed away during the Bush administration years. 

Joining the usual powerful media figures like Martha Stewart and Katie Couric at the Washington Hilton was everyone from Donatella Versace to Ashlee Simpson to Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane.  Panting tweens lined the hotel lobby and screamed in ecstasy when the Jonas Brothers arrived.  Padma Lakshmi was there, and so was her ex, Salman Rushdie with a gorgeous young date. Awkward!  New York Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman told us that he was “amazed” by the new smaller size of his competitor, the New York Post.  Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner attended, but managed to hide from cameras all evening.

Craig Ferguson hosted the dinner, rambling on a bit, and President Bush himself played maestro, picking up a baton and conducting a marching band.  W also donned a cowboy hat and even sang. 

The stormy evening didn’t stop revelers from hitting the parties.  Pamela Anderson popped into the Bloomberg party at the Costa Rican Embassy for just a few moments, and dashed off to catch a plane, we hear.  Over at the brand new Newseum, Rosario Dawson hosted Capitol File’s party, where Pete Wentz deejayed.