Hollywood Stars Hiring Political Advisors

Think only politicians have political advisors? Not anymore. According to LAobserved.com, the latest edition of “W” revealed that increasingly, along with personal trainers and person assistants, Hollywood heavy hitters hire political advisors. The article’s author Gabriel Snyder states, “Hired by moguls and movie stars, they act as the conduits between show business and Washington power.”

There are several names listed in the online article, including; Rob Reiner, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, TV mogul Haim Saban and Laurie David, producer of “An Inconvenient Truth” and wife of “Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Seinfeld" producer Larry David.

Rob Reiner explained the purpose of these advisors and the celebrity grab for influence and power:

“You have a lot of people who are very wealthy and very concerned about different aspects of society, and they want to use their money and influence in the best possible way,” Reiner says. “If they have a consultant who really does know the ins and outs of the political world, they can steer that influence to make the greatest impact.”

Contrary to what her statements and online posts would indicate, Barbra Streisand has “long been advised” by a professional as have others:

Barbra Streisand has long been advised by Marge Tabankin, who came to L.A. after having once worked in the Carter administration. For years, Steven Spielberg has called upon Andy Spahn, who once worked for the Democratic congressional and senatorial campaign committees, while Rob Reiner works with Chad Griffin, a former press aide in the Clinton White House who first met the director while showing him around the West Wing during a research trip for American President.

Snyder laid out the networking of groups and committees designed to influence and allow the old hands to have a “hand in grooming the newcomers.” That helps to explain why there are so few conservatives; the newcomers in Hollywood are cornered by these politically connected ideologues and are “educated” on issues and the appropriate politics. Snyder stated:

The current deans of the Hollywood political consultants are Tabankin and Spahn. Back in the 1980s, when Tabankin was the head of the Holly-wood Women’s Political Committee and Spahn led the Environmental Media Association, their offices were across the hall from each other. Over the years they have been joined by others, including Donna Bojarsky, who went to work for Richard Dreyfuss in 1989 and has helped the actor make his voice heard in Middle East affairs. The vets have also had a hand in grooming the newcomers. Lara Bergthold was hired by Tabankin after college and eventually took over the HWPC until it folded in 1994.

Finally, Snyder got to the Hollywood connection that we all know about but perhaps haven’t realized how calculated it is:

Some of the recent émigrés from D.C., including Liana Schwarz, have mixed the two worlds in previously unimaginable ways. Schwarz splits her time as a consultant for Laurie David, wife of Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David, and at the Natural Resources Defense Council. She has spent much of the past two years working on global warming issues, including helping to promote Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. When producers for the film, including Laurie David, pitched Gore on turning his eco-talk into a movie, they turned to Schwarz for advice on how to make the former vice president comfortable being a movie star.

I thought “Big Business” was evil because of its connections to the Three P’s: power, policy and politicians. Who would have ever guessed that in spite of, or perhaps, because of having these advisors, moguls and celebrities would say such stupid things?

(h/t LA Times)