Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie with their kids | Photo courtesy of dailymail.co.ukCheck out this new look of Angelina Jolie as rogue CIA operative Evelyn A. Salt in the upcoming spy flick, Salt.
The film costars Liev Schreiber as Winter, her ally and supervisor in the CIA’s Russia office. Tom Cruise was initially meant to star in the film as Edwin A. Salt but was rewritten for Angelina Jolie when Tom dropped out last summer.
Salt opens in 2010 and has been shooting in both New York City and Washington, D.C.
Angelina Jolie got her only Oscar for her brilliant portrayal of blonde sociopath Lisa Rowe in "Girl, Interrupted."
And she was a gorgeous Marilyn Monroe lookalike as TV reporter Lanie Kerrigan in the romantic comedy "Life or Something Like It."
Now the blonde ‘do is not Jolie’s only look in the film. Angelina Jolie also sports a blonde wig as she transverses the globe being her bad spy self.
"She's a character you never know. People who think they know the real her may or may not.
Those who think they can tell whether she's in a disguise also may or may not. You're supposed to be kept guessing," Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventure tells USA Today.
"Angelina Jolie tells you her agenda, but are you supposed to believe it?"
The most fascinating aspect of the entire Salt moviemaking process is the fact that the role was initially written and cast for Tom Cruise.
When Angelina Jolie flashed interest, the spy’s gender changed.
President-elect Barack Obama today appointed Peter Orszag as his budget director, and Robert Nabors as his budget deputy director and vowed to act swiftly and boldly on the economy, saying that he’ll hit the ground running according to AP.
As he collects the finest minds in America to fix the collapsing economy, he also continued to announce new members to his ‘team of rivals’. ‘Team of rivals’ is a reference to a biography about Lincoln who liked to work with difficult, opposing and argumentative politicians. And politicians who had run against him for President. Obama is doing the same: Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates…
Today I read on comedian Andy Borowitz’s blogpost that Obama is now appointing Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston to key cabinet positions.
Continuing in his quest to assemble a so-called “team of rivals,” President-elect Barack Obama today announced that he would name Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston to key Cabinet positions.
The two actresses, who have been perennial tabloid fodder as a result of their longstanding feud over actor Brad Pitt, were surprise choices for Mr. Obama’s Cabinet, since neither of them has been a government official or even portrayed one in a movie.
But in his weekly Internet address, the President-elect explained his rationale for choosing the sworn enemies to his Cabinet: “I chose Jennifer and Angelina for the same reason I have chosen every other Cabinet member: they clearly despise each other with a passion.”
(And just for the record yesterday, Obama officially named Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary and Lawrence Summers as director of the National Economic Council. He also appointed Melody Barnes as director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Heather Higginbottom as the council’s deputy director.)
President-elect Barack Obama named Peter Orszag as his budget director on Tuesday and said his job will be to conduct a thorough review of federal spending programs, "eliminating those programs we don't need and insisting that those we do need operate in a cost-effective way."With the economy in crisis, Obama said, "Budget reform is not an option. It's a necessity."
Echoing Abraham Lincoln, Obama added, "I will ask my economic team to think anew and act anew."
Orszag is the director of the Congressional Budget Office, a man who the president-elect said "knows where the bodies are buried."
Obama's focus on careful federal spending marked something of a contrast from Monday, when he declared that restoring the economy to health took priority over the budget deficit. He called on Congress to prepare an economic stimulus program for him to sign as soon after Inauguration day as possible. Estimates of the measure range from $500 billion to $700 billion over two years.
"We are going to have to jump-start the economy ... but we have to make sure that those investments are wise. We have to make sure we are not wasting money in every area," he said Tuesday, defining the two objectives that will guide his economic program.
Elected in an Electoral College landslide, Obama claimed "a mandate to move the country in a new direction and not continue the same old practices that have gotten us into the fix we are in."
At the same time, he said, after gaining only 53 percent of the popular vote," we enter into the administration with a sense of humility and a recognition that wisdom is not the monopoly of any political party."
He added, "I think what the American people want more than anything is just commonsense, smart government. They don't want ideology, they don't want bickering."
Along with Orszag, Obama named Robert Nabors as deputy budget director. Nabors has been the top staff aide on the House Appropriations Committee, which prepares spending legislation.
The president-elect said he would have additional appointments to his economic team in the coming days.
At first glance, his roster of economic officials so far embodies what seem to be mutually exclusive goals. Timothy Geithner, Obama's choice for treasury secretary, Lawrence Summers, who will head the National Economic Council, and Orszag all have links to Robert Rubin, who as President Clinton's treasury secretary pushed for a balanced budget.
But all three will also be part of an administration that will drive deficits to new heights with an economic plan designed to save or create 2.5 million jobs and redirect the economy over the next two years. Economists from across the political spectrum, including some who have served as informal advisers to Obama, have put the size of an economic recovery package as high as $700 billion over those two years.
Obama summed up the challenge Monday.
"The way to think about it is short term, we've got to focus on boosting the economy and creating 2.5 million jobs, but part and parcel of that is a plan for a sustainable fiscal situation long-term, and that's going to require some reforms in Washington," he said during a news conference in Chicago to introduce Geithner and Summers.
"To make the investments we need," he said at another point, "we'll have to scour our federal budget, line by line, and make meaningful cuts and sacrifices, as well, something I'll be discussing further tomorrow."
Obama is already starting in the red. The federal government reported a record deficit of $237.2 billion in October, which reflected only a portion of the $700 billion Congress approved last month to rescue the financial markets. The government's red ink has been rising over the past eight years, reversing a surplus achieved during the Clinton administration.
Leonard Burman, director of the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, said Geithner and Summers reflect both the need for a large-scale stimulus to the economy and for fiscal restraint once the economy shows signs of improvement.
"What's good about the appointments that Obama has made is that it suggests, in ways that his campaign never did, that he really understands this," Burman said.
The fact that something is technically legal does not make it ethical, honest, or right. Barack Obama’s use of a portion of the Presidential Seal in his campaign underscores his total lack of character, ethics, and integrity but, as he did not use the complete seal, he did not actually break the law.
(Disclaimer: we are not qualified to give formal legal advice.) “What he did was dishonest and unethical but admittedly legal” is, however, very faint praise for someone who wants Americans to trust him with enormous authority and control of nuclear weapons. It is in fact a Federal crime to use the Seal of the President to “convey a false impression of sponsorship or approval by the Government of the United States.”
Obama’s “Presidential Seal” is obviously not the real one, so he did not violate U.S. Code Title 18, Section 713. It is sufficiently similar, however, to convey to his audience that he is or will be the President. While the Obama campaign has been careful to obey the letter of the law, its intention is to convey a false and fraudulent air of gravitas which is consistent with the cult-like rock star aspect of his entire campaign.
We have seen pictures of Obama surrounded by people, mostly women, who are desperate to touch him the way groupies struggle to touch a rock star. There are also posters of Obama in heroic poses similar to those used for Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin; that is, his campaign is using “leader worship” the way the Communists and Nazis once did.
This time, however, Obama may have taken a step too far. Although he did not actually break the law by using a device similar (but not identical) to the Seal of the President to promote himself, “he didn’t break the law” is the kind of faint praise that may finally bring this phony smile and empty suit crashing down.
Katie Holmes has purchased a gift basket for Nicole Kidman’s soon-to-be-born child that is apparently worth more than $2,000 according to Star Magazine. Showing no ill will towards the ex is a beautiful thing(what the hell, Holmes is quite a bit younger after all). Maybe Holmes stores her hate for Penelope Cruz. No word if the basket contained a book by L. Ron Hubbard.
Cruise gets Smith & Beckham to fence
Smith said, “Tom has a room for training. We don't get enough time to hang out, just us three guys, so this is his way of getting together and bonding. David and I go to his home and just do fencing. It's a lot of fun." "We wanted an activity that was strenuous, but we're getting older - we have to think about slowing down. We've got to watch our joints," he added.
Tom Cruise has reportedly recruited Hollywood pals David Beckham and Will Smith to join him in his newest hobby: fencing.
The Mission: Impossible star is said to have built a room in his U.S. home for practicing his swordsmanship - and often invites close friends Smith and Beckham to join him in the sport.
Tom Cruise: The Unauthorized Biography by Andrew Morton
If you are looking for a breezy summer read then Tom Cruise: The Unauthorized Biography is a book you might want to consider as it not a book you want to take too seriously.
In this book Morton gives us a glimpse into Tom Cruise’s early years as a struggling actor and his quick rise to fame as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the movie industry.
A major part of the book focuses on Scientology which is informative and a bit frightening. More interesting are his romantic liaisons that portray Cruise as a somewhat fickle romantic.
Morton’s account of Cruise is fairly even-handed although it may leave you a little more likely to believe the next tabloid story you see in the check-out line at the grocery store exposing one of Cruise’s many quirks.
"I present to you the next president of the United States, Barack Obama!" Gore said in a brief introduction of Obama at a Detroit fundraiser. He planned a later appearance with Obama at a 20,000-person rally at the Joe Louis Arena.
In a letter to be e-mailed to Obama supporters, the former vice president and Nobel Prize winner wrote, "From now through Election Day, I intend to do whatever I can to make sure he is elected president of the United States."
In 2000, Gore won the popular vote but lost the disputed election to George W. Bush, who captured Florida and its electoral votes after a divided Supreme Court ended the recount of ballots. Since then, Gore has made combatting global warming his signature issue, and has been recognized worldwide for his effort _ from an Academy Award to the Nobel prize.
Gore is one of the most popular figures in the Democratic Party, but he maintained a low profile in the primary campaign.
It's the second time that Obama has rolled out a major endorsement in Michigan, a state he did not campaign in during the primary because its election violated the party rules. Obama is counting on a win in Michigan in November, but brought Gore and 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards to help validate him among Democrats in the state after skipping their primary.
"It means a lot, obviously," Obama said of Gore's support, as he greeted workers outside the General Motors Flint Engine South plant. "He's somebody who is a visionary, not just for the party, but for the country."
Gore also asked for donations to help fund Obama's effort _ the first time he's asked members of his Web site AlGore.com to contribute to a political campaign.
"Over the past 18 months, Barack Obama has united a movement. He knows change does not come from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or Capitol Hill. It begins when people stand up and take action," Gore wrote. "With the help of millions of supporters like you, Barack Obama will bring the change we so desperately need in order to solve our country's most pressing problems."
Obama focused on his plan to improve the economy while in Michigan, which has the nation's highest unemployment rate. He told a crowd in Flint, which had a seasonally unadjusted April unemployment rate of 9.3 percent, that they cannot fear globalization but must embrace it as a reality of the future.
"At critical moments of transition like this one, success has also depended on national leadership that moved the country forward with confidence and a common purpose," he said.
Nice try asshat.
What part of ‘we are not stupid’ do you fail to get?
Let’s also be clear, the ‘blogger’ you see in the clip, Michelle Malkin, would be branded a ‘baby mama’ far quicker than I ever would. I wonder how she feels about this racism and sexism going on as she sits and spins for the GOP that uses her skin color to gain credibility with minorities? (yes, GOP, we see what you are doing)
Oh wait, apparently she thinks it’s ok because Michelle Obama has been treated with kid gloves and allegedly used the term ‘baby daddy.’
She’s kidding, right?
Sadly, she is not kidding.
Here is what that half of America is missing:
This has nothing to do with feeling the next first lady is ‘off limits.’
I expect everyone within an inch of Senator Obama be scrutinized.
I also fully expect Michelle Obama can take care of herself, and do not for one second worry the media is too hard on her or the right-wing bloggers too nasty. I get the distinct feeling Michelle Obama would and will handle herself as I would expect any strong, American woman.
Any strong, American woman who’s not a Republican, anyway.
What I will not do, however, is sit by and watch sexism and racism on national news. THIS woman might moan and groan over feminism and Clinton, over which supporters are voting McCain and which are too angry to kiss and make up with the Democratic party, but just as we called-out sexism with the Senator from New York, we are calling it out with the rhetoric surrounding Michelle Obama.
Let’s ask that producer if he would put the caption ‘Bush’s Baby Mama’ under First Lady Laura Bush. Of course not, because Laura Bush is white.
Maybe Fox News would consider ‘Trailer Trash Mama‘ under their next First Lady caption?
Or would THAT be offensive? Playing into stereotypes?
Of course it would.
How about a ‘McCain’s Stepford Wife’ under the next Cindy McCain story?
Of course not, Fox would never dream of anything so crass and offensive while labeling the woman who could be the next First Lady.
Yet Fox is fine with ‘Baby Mama’ as the words describing Michelle Obama.
Why?
It’s called racism, sexism, and it is as clear as Rupert Murdoch’s bias.
Yes, Stefania at MOMocrats has it right:
“Just who do you think your audience is, Fox News? A bunch of 11-year-olds? Didn’t you forget to call her Obama’s ‘boo’ as well as his ’shorty?’ /eyeroll It would be so easy to get outraged by this, but instead these tactics make me howl with laughter, because it shows that the right is scared out of their minds. Yesterday’s ‘terrorist fist jab’ is today’s Obama baby mama. Tomorrow will bring something worse, but it ain’t gonna make their cause look any better. The Republicans are are going to get handled come November. This I know…
In the immortal words of Kimora Lee Simmons, MOMocrats co-founder Stefania Pomponi Butler ‘will beat a bitch’s ass’ for messing with our country’s next First Lady.”
Lehman Brothers HQ in New York. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/Reuters
US investment bank Lehman Brothers today unveiled plans to raise $6bn (£3.03bn) to shore up its balance sheet and admitted it will post an unexpectedly large loss of $2.8bn in the second quarter.
Lehman, the smallest of the major Wall Street investment banks, said it has lost money on trading and hedging. The $2.8bn loss, or $5.14 a share, for the three months to end May is Lehman's first loss since it was spun off from American Express in 1994 and compares with a profit of $1.3bn, or $2.21 a share, a year ago. The bank will report full details of its quarterly figures next Monday. Moody's, the credit rating agency, cut Lehman's outlook from stable to negative.
It plans to rebuild its capital base by issuing $4bn of new shares and $2bn of convertible preferred stock through public offerings, diluting existing shareholders.
"The credit crunch is still with us and reverberating," said Chris Iggo, a strategist at AXA Investment Managers in London. "The fact that they're doing it and they still have problems on their balance sheet is no great surprise, but what it means is that the backdrop is still unfavourable."
Richard Fuld, Lehman's chairman and chief executive, said he was "very disappointed" with the second-quarter results, which fell short of what the market had expected.
"However, with our strengthened balance sheet and the improvement in the financial markets since March, we're well positioned to serve our clients and execute our strategy," he said.
Some analysts felt that on Wall Street Lehman's balance sheet was closest to that of Bear Stearns, which was bailed out by JPMorgan Chase in March.
As you might have heard, in the Vanity Fair article The Comeback Id, journalist Todd Purdum insinuates that former President Bill Clinton had an affair with actress Gina Gershon. As it turns out, Gina Gershon didn't appreciate that. In an email to gossip columinst, Liz Smith, Gershon called Purdum a "sleazy liar." She says:
This makes me sick; this irresponsible journalism! Now it is everywhere, and it's a complete lie. They never bothered fact-checking or calling anyone. I am sure it's no accident that this lie was leaked the day before the delegates would vote. I used to love Vanity Fair magazine; now it's just like those tabloid magazines, only without the good horoscopes!"
However, Vanity Fair denied Gershon's lawyers' demand for a retraction and released the following statement to TMZ today:
Todd Purdum's article does not indicate that former President Bill Clinton had an improper relationship with Gina Gershon. The story merely examines the concerns of some of Clinton's aides about reports of his behavior. We don't believe that any correction is warranted."
Gina Gershon is hot, so for Bill Clinton's sake, I hope this rumor is true. Because it's about time his penis got some good publicity. The chicks it's been in so far look like they should be escaping the circus of being chased by angry villagers. I'm almost positive that when you have sex with Hilary Clinton, the free health clinic gives you a free cyanide capsule.
Vanity Fair refuses to issue any sort of retraction for their Bill Clinton profile that implied the former President has been having an affair with Gina Gershon.
Gershon’s lawyers at L.A. celebrity law firm Lavely and Singer demanded a retraction from the mag, saying that “rumor mongering was substituted for fact-checking. It is apparent that Vanity Fair was intent upon publishing unsubstantiated rumors, and that it avoided learning the true facts so that the truth would not get in the way. Such conduct is reckless and malicious, giving rise to substantial liability for defamation.”
But now the mag is biting back. A Vanity Fair spokeswoman says, “Todd Purdum’s article does not indicate that former President Bill Clinton had an improper relationship with Gina Gershon. The story merely examines the concerns of some of Clinton’s aides about reports of his behavior. We don’t believe that any correction is warranted.”
It’s on people!
Shania Twain has broken her silence over her split from husband Robert “Mutt” Lange.
In a statement to her “beloved fans” posted on her Web site, the country superstar said she now needs time to heal her “broken heart.”
“As I am sure you have seen or heard; I am going through a rough time personally in my life,” Shania wrote. “I wanted you all to know that I could not be getting through this without you. Your letters, emails and words of encouragement give me strength. Your overwhelming support reminds me to smile, no matter how deep the pain and to always be grateful for all the beautiful blessings in my life.”
A rep for Shania announced in May the couple was splitting after 14 years of marriage.
According to People, sources “close to the situation” claim Lange was involved with a woman named Marie-Ann Thiebaud, a longtime secretary and manager of the couple’s chateau in Switzerland.
“Mutt and Marie-Anne left their spouses for each other and are still in a relationship,” People quoted a source as saying.
However, Lange denied the claim.
“It’s absolutely not the reason [for the separation from Twain],” Lange told People. “It’s not true.”
As far as Shania, she appears set to let her music do the talking for her.
“I have so much to say but I know the best way for me to speak is through my music. This is my therapy, my passion, and my love. I look forward to sharing it with all of you as I begin this new journey,” she added in her post. “I need some time to heal this broken heart but make no mistake; I will be back and hopefully stronger than ever. Thank you my friends, from the bottom of my heart. – Love, Shania.”
Shania, 42, and Lange, 59, wed on December 28, 1993. They have a six-year-old son named Eja.
The origins of the bump are murky, though most communication experts agree on a basic — if fuzzy — evolutionary timeline: the handshake (which itself dates back to medieval times) begat the "gimme-five" palm slap that later evolved into the now universal "high-five" and, finally, the fist bump.
Some claim the act of knuckle-bumping began in the 1970s with NBA players like Baltimore Bullets guard Fred Carter. Others claim the fist bump emerged off the court, citing the Wonder Twins, minor characters in the 1970s Hanna-Barbera superhero cartoon The Superfriends, who famously touched knuckles and cried "Wonder Twin powers, activate!' before morphing into animals or ice sculptures. One might also credit germaphobics for the fist bump's invention. Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel reportedly adopted the gesture as a friendly way to avoid his contestants' germs.
Even the terminology used to describe the silent move is under dispute. On reporting Obama's speech, The New York Times described it stuffily as a "closed-fisted high-five" while Human Events racily suggested it was closer to "Hezbollah-style fist-jabbing." One Internet poster even referred to it as "the fist bump of hope." Other terms for the move include "power five," "fist pound," "knuckle bump," "Quarter Pounder" and "dap."
The fist bump's precursor, the low- and high-fives, originated in the 1950s, again mostly among athletes, who deemed handshakes too muted and formal for celebrating teamwork and triumph. The 1980s are generally regarded as the heyday of the high-five, though the gesture has enjoyed a revival of sorts in recent years (especially among Gen-X parents and their offspring). Modern-day high-five enthusiasts have even created a cellphone version: Callers high-five their phones (slap the speakers) or simultaneously type "5."
The problem with the high-five is that it can occasionally be hard to pull off. Just ask Tiger Woods and his caddie, who botched a high-five on national TV during the 2005 U.S. Masters Golf Tournament.
Perhaps this is what makes the fist bump so unique. Though simple in motion, its meaning is far more complicated. A fist bump can express emotions from anger and fear to excitement and joy. In any other context, a clenched fist would be perceived as hostile.
Ambiguities aside, most pundits and observers alike had complimentary words for the Obama family's fist bump, seeing it as a rare moment of spontaneity and playfulness that a race already in its 17th month sorely needed.
"Gestures, particularly ones that are recent, haven't been studied that much," says David Givens, director of the Center for Nonverbal Studies in Spokane, Wash. "For me, it's ironic because we all noticed that fist bump. I thought it was very touching. It was an elegant little non-verbal moment and it gave us a view into their relationship."
For his part, Obama, who once likened himself to NBA star Lebron James, said the fist bump reflects a marriage that keeps him grounded. "It captures what I love about my wife," he later explained to NBC's Brian Williams. "That for all the hoopla I'm her husband and sometimes we'll do silly things."
Though National High-Five Day already exists — the third Thursday in April every year — the fist bump has yet to claim its own day on the calendar. June 3rd might be a good candidate.
Barack and Michelle Obama show that you don't have to be a teenager or and athlete to look cool while executing a fist bump.
Barack Obama - continuing his campaign of politics as unusual - offered a hip alternative to scripted displays of affection by political couples by giving wife, Michelle, a hug, kiss - and quick fist bump.
It was short, but sweet.
"Fist bump of hope!" wrote one Internet poster about the couple's hand-to-hand show of solidarity.
Obama told NBC's Brian Williams Wednesday night he is proud of that magical moment.
"It captures what I love about my wife, which is that there is a reverence about her and a sense that for all the hoopla that I'm her husband and sometimes we'll do silly things.
"She's proud of me and she gives me some credit once in a while, but I actually pull some things off."
The affectionate 11-second exchange before Obama claimed victory as the Democratic presidential nominee Tuesday emphasized Obama's youth and ability to transcend the stereotyped political gestures of campaigns past, experts said.
"I would imagine to a young voter, this was another sign that these people are one of us," said psychologist Drew Westen, author of "The Political Brain: The Role Of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation."
"People saw their willingness to display their affection in the way they really do - at home, or in private moments."
It was a great alternative to Al and Tipper Gore's way-too-long nationally televised liplock or Bill and Hillary Clinton, in swimsuits, cavorting on a Virgin Islands beach.
The all-but-certain Democratic nominee for President, before addressing the crowd in Minnesota, shared a moment with his wife of 15 years.
As the couple met on the stage before a raucous crowd, Obama kissed her cheek as they hugged. The two exchanged a few quick words before Michelle raised her right fist, and Obama bumped it with his left.
Michelle Obama then flashed a quick thumbs up and headed offstage, with her husband patting her gently on the lower back as she exited.
"If it's calculated, it's a very good calculation," said Dr. Judy Kuriansky, the well-known psychologist. "America wants to see what's going on in the relationship."
The fist bump, she said, "was very hip, very cool, an 'I'm-with-it' move. It's almost cocky."
When Gore planted a kiss on his wife in 2000 at the Democratic convention, many saw it as merely a opportunistic shot at shedding his wooden image.
And when the Clintons were "caught" dancing during a 1998 vacation in the Virgin Island, critics saw it as calculating - an attempt to deflect attention from the Paula Jones sexual harassment suit.
Westen said the moment shared by the Obamas seemed to rise above such criticism.
"The way you respond to it may depend on partisanship," he said. "I think it was a remarkably genuine and seemingly unscripted moment between the two of them.
"As a married man, it made me smile."
Now that Barack Obama has become the standard bearer of the Democratic party (at least the sections of it without the surname Clinton), GOP nominee John McCain has decided to go on the general election offensive.
His first tactic: challenge that liberal whippersnapper to reenact historical events that took place when Obama was just a toddler...
The McCain campaign has issued a letter in the senator's name asking that Barack Obama agree to a series of at least 10 joint appearances this summer, with the first one next week in New York's Federal Hall.
Citing the original plan by Barry Goldwater and John F. Kennedy to fly around the country together in 1964, McCain writes [what] "a welcome change it would be were presidential candidates in our time to treat each other and the people they seek to lead with respect and courtesy as they discussed the great issues of the day, without the empty sound bites and media-filtered exchanges that dominate our elections."
Ahh, 1964. Weren't those the days? None of these pesky Web logs to generate empty sound bites for the proles. Fewer television sets to stand between Mr. Cleaver, the little lady and their elected officials. Back then it was just men, particularly white men, discussing the great issues mano a mano. The way it should be.
McCain is so commited to authenticity he even had his letter delivered the old-fashioned way...
Obama aide Bill Burton, a campaign source says, went downstairs in their Chicago offices just now to collect a hand-delivered copy of John McCain's invitation to Goldwater-Kennedy-style debates with Obama.
"You know, you could have just emailed this," a somewhat puzzled Burton told the middle-aged messenger.
No, Bill, I don't think they could have.
McCain hasn't figured out how to connect his typewriter to the internet.
Bill Clinton and Gina Gershon?
A relationship between the former president and the "Bound" actress has been a Hollywood whisper for years. Now Vanity Fair has published a much-discussed story titled "The Comeback Id" that references their relationship. And it has some people wondering what -- if anything -- this story could do to his wife Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
Why is Gina Gershon a person of note? She may be most famous for kissing Elizabeth Berkley in "Showgirls," and if you missed that bit of cinematic history, watch the video below.According to Vanity Fair writer Todd Purdum, who is married to Clinton's former White House press secretary, Dee Dee Myers, Gershon is one of several women -- but so far, the only actress -- who Clinton has been rumored to be seeing socially.
The would-be intercessor was rebuffed by people around Clinton before ever getting an audience with the former president, and another aide told me that the effort was not well received by either Bill or Hillary Clinton and that some Hillarylanders, in particular, were in denial about the continuing political risks that Bill’s behavior might pose."
Bill Clinton has responded to the piece by calling the former New York Times L.A. bureau chief "sleazy," "dishonest" and a "scumbag." Click here to hear the former president talk about the piece on Huffington Post. In the clip, he tells supporters that the article is an attempt to boost Barack Obama and discredit his wife. His camp has also sent out a memo detailing the article's errors and calling it "journalism of personal destruction at its worst."
Purdum's piece also contains revelations about Clinton's relationship with Hollywood producer Steve Bing and Clinton's friendship with entrepreneur Ron Burkle. His business relationship with billionaire Burkle, says Purdum, is Clinton's largest source of income after books and speeches, about $15 million.
Burkle, if you recall, played host to that historic star-studded Hollywood pre-Oscar party for Giorgio Armani in 2007. Guests included George Clooney, Helen Mirren, Katie Holmes and Cate Blanchett.
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| Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks to the crowd during a campaign rally at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, 19 May 2008 |
The Democratic presidential candidate told reporters Friday that she meant no offense to the Kennedy family. She said she was trying to make the point that in 1968, candidates were still campaigning in June when Kennedy was killed.
Clinton made the comment while campaigning in South Dakota Friday. She said then that she could not understand calls for her to quit the race for her party's nomination when past Democratic races, such as Kennedy's, had extended into June.
Bill Burton, a spokesman for Clinton's Democratic rival, Senator Barack Obama, called the comment "unfortunate."
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| John McCain speaking to members of the National Restaurant Association in Chicago, 19 May 2008 |
The records show McCain, who has had skin cancer, to be cancer-free and in good health.
If he wins in November, McCain would be the oldest person elected to a first term as U.S. president. The Arizona senator turns 72 in August.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
It was the first time that Miller, 29, a Victoria's Secret model, appeared on the annul list and comes after she also graced the cover of the 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.
"(Miller) embodies the official return of the all-American supermodel. Not since Cindy Crawford ruled the catwalk has a pinup born and bred on U.S. soil so thoroughly captured the imagination of the American male," noted Maxim editorial director James Kaminsky.
Lohan, who topped last year's list of the Hot 100 "Ultimate List of the World's Most Beautiful Women," fell to a somewhat lukewarm No. 9.
"After a tumultuous year involving a car wreck and rehab, La Lohan had Hollywood wondering if she was worth the trouble," said Kaminsky.
Miller was followed by actress Scarlett Johansson, a "dangerously curvy bombshell" who, according to Maxim, also possesses "the acting chops to back up her mind-melting hotness."
And while Jessica Biel may have starred on the U.S. family-friendly television drama "7th Heaven" as a preacher's daughter, the actress is starring at No. 3 on the Hot 100.
Britney Spears just cracked the Top 20 in the ninth annual list, squeaking in at No.19 after a year that included stints in rehab and a notorious head-shaving incident.
The rest of the list includes the usual suspects - Beyonce, Charlize Theron, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Heidi Klum, and some new faces, including 22-year-old Ashley Tisdale from the hit tween movie series "High School Musical."
Rounding out the Hot 100 women in film, television, music, sports and fashion at No.100 is Tila Tequila, the self-professed bi-sexual TV reality star.
But despite the huge margin of victory, the night could yet prove to be her swansong in her historic bid for the Democrat nomination.
And Mrs Clinton left the door open for a possible run as vice-president on a dream ticket by lavishing praise on the Illinois senator, who remains in pole position to win the hard fought contest despite yesterday's defeat.
Boost: Hillary takes applause during her victory rally in Charleston, West Virginia
She nevertheless insisted she was the stronger candidate, saying: "I never give up – I will keep coming back.
"I am more determined than ever to carry on this campaign until everyone has had the chance to make their voices heard. This race isn't over yet," she added.
Although she admitted to some "dust-ups along the way" with Mr Obama, she told the cheering crowd she "totally admired" her opponent.
Speculation was rife before the scale of the win became clear that Mrs Clinton may have been clinging on for the West Virginia vote – and possibly for Kentucky next Tuesday, where she is also expected to be a big winner – to drop out of the race on a high note.
But it now appears she will keep campaigning at least until the final five states have gone to the polls.
Quit while she's ahead: Analysts speculated that Hillary, pictured campaigning yesterday, has been clinging on for the West Virginia vote to drop out of the nomination race on a high
West Virginia voters played right into Mrs Clinton's core support – older, less well-educated and lower income white families.
One in four voters yesterday were 60 and older and a similar percentage said they had no education further than secondary school. More than half said their incomes were below £25,000-a-year.
Race was also a factor, with two in ten whites saying the race of the candidate played a part in their decision. Even more worrying for Mr Obama was that two-thirds of voters said they would not support him as the nominee if he defeats Mrs Clinton.
Exit polls showed that 64% of West Virginia voters thought the economy was the most important issue.
Democrat insiders claim the victories in white working-class strongholds will underline Mrs Clinton's strengths as part of a new behind-the-scenes strategy to compell Barack Obama to agree to her running as his vice presidential running mate.
The dream ticket claim has gained in credibility in recent days, with close aides of Mrs Clinton conceding privately that she would now be interested in campaigning at Mr Obama's side.,p>
In the second quarter of last night’s Cavaliers 88-77 victory over the Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce wrapped his arms around Lebron James to stop the Cavs’ star from getting an easy dunk.
Momentum carried the two players into the first couple rows of seats where Lebron’s mother jumped up and got in Paul Pierce’s face and started yelling at him.
Lebron responded by yelling at his mom, not so nicely, to sit down.
“I told her to sit down, in some language I shouldn’t have used,” James said. “Thank God today wasn’t Mother’s Day. All I could think about is her. . . . I know my mother. It’s fine, we’re good.”
Now some people are commenting about how Lebron was disrespectful to his mother. I will agree that yelling at your mom is generally not a good idea. But Lebron is a grown man who was at work trying to do his job and win a much needed Game 4. If your mother came to your job and started yelling at people you’d probably be embarrassed and want to get her out of there as quickly as possible.
I don’t blame Lebron for what he did. In the middle of a very close, tense game where he was still struggling, the last thing he needed was his mom jumping up and getting in the middle of an incident she had no business being in.
Note to Gloria James: This is the NBA Playoffs and it is going to continue to be very physical. Fortunately your son is a big guy and I’m pretty sure he can handle it on his own.
Well fellas, looks like Jessica Simpson could be back on the market. 1 week before her sister Ashlee is said to be getting married, Tony Romo has broken off their relationship. After what some called a “bachelor party” styled weekend, the Dallas Cowboy quarterback said, “It is what it is, probably best to move on”. Witnesses say a drunken Romo blabbed on about Jessica Simpson’s terrible bedroom skills, all the while being mobbed by handfuls of women. Let’s hope that Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo don’t go from breakup to makeup, as we would willingly volunteer to be her rebound. Call us!
