Al Franken, Midwest Values PAC, Larry David, Jimmy Smits, Barbra Streisand

AL'S HOLLYWOOD JACKPOT

Elite Insiders Line Up To Give Franken Big $$$






Are conservatives misunderestimating this year's effort by Hollywood insiders to overthrow Capitol Hill's GOP leadership?

With a mistaken assumption that the end result of 2004's giant waste of liberal money will repeat itself this year, the right seems dismissive about their chances for success.

Given today's Washington Post report detailing big celeb dollars flowing into Al Franken's Midwest Values PAC, however, it might be time to rethink the threat level. So far, his list of contributors reads like a who's- who of the entertainment industry establishment.

It's clear they aren't at all discouraged by what happened during the last election cycle.


As we've previously reported, Franken is downright clever when it comes to money. He's got Air America Radio covering everything, including his recent move from Manhattan to Minnesota, studio expenses there and even the tab incurred when dining with executive producer Billy "$625,000 per annum" Kimball.

And to cover his bloated $2 million - plus salary and other perks, George Soros and Rob Glaser of RealNetworks are always happy to open their pocketbooks.

In today's report, we discover that a whole host of Hollywood stars have been tripping over each other in order to to fund Al's liberal PAC.

Sounds like a great deal for Franken, doesn't it?

From the AP's Frederic J Frommer:

WASHINGTON -- The list of contributors to comedian Al Franken's political action committee reads like a celebrity who's who: singer Barbra Streisand, writer-director Nora Ephron, actor-writer Larry David and actor Jimmy Smits.

Franken, who hosts a radio show on the liberal Air America Radio network, is considering challenging Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., in 2008. Franken moved his show from New York City to Minneapolis earlier this year, fueling speculation of a possible bid.

His leadership PAC, Midwest Values PAC, raised $500,000, according to a review of campaign finance reports. Franken couldn't use the money for his own race, but he can contribute to other candidates, engendering goodwill.

He has used the cash to contribute to national Democratic Party organizations, Minnesota Senate candidate Amy Klobuchar and House candidates Coleen Rowley, Tim Walz and Patty Wetterling,

Among the contri- butors to the PAC were actor Larry Hagman, directors Christopher Guest and Barry Levinson, and writers Harold Ramis and Aaron Sorkin.

Franken says he still hasn't decided whether to run for the Senate. Coleman's office declined to comment, but his campaign is already making an issue of Franken's Hollywood money.

"One of my potential opponents is comedian Al Franken," Coleman wrote in a fundraising letter a few months ago, "but there's nothing funny about his venomous 'Air America' liberal radio show, his high-powered and deep-pocketed Hollywood friends, his national network of Bush-haters or the magnitude of his personal wealth."

We've been tracking Franken's recent moves and the only conclusion that can be drawn is that he is certain to run in 2008. You could bet the farm on it.

And given the way he's been spreading around the dough, lots of politicians are going to owe him favors once his own effort kicks off.

For Hollywood's lefties, it's a two-fer: while planting seeds to get one of their own in the US Senate next time around, they're also helping to elect upper- midwest liberal Democrats in 2006.

While we're glad to see Senator Coleman keeping an eye on Franken's antics, we hope the Republican Party is also paying attention to what could very well turn out to be a serious future threat.

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Franken Aid, Wanted, Franken PAC: David A Lunde for the Radio Equalizer, Franken Golf: Pete at IHillary