BREAKING NEWS: Rob Reiner endorses Hillary Clinton

Earlier this week, Washington's political elite took notice when Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh --- the very definition of a moderate, heartland Democrat --- endorsed Hillary Clinton's presidential bid. Now, she's scored a coup in Hollywood, earning the support of Rob Reiner, one of the entertainment community's quintessential liberal activists.

As The Times' Tina Daunt reports tonight, the announcement will be made Thursday. And Reiner, in a sequel to Oprah Winfrey's much-publicized fundraiser for Barack Obama at her spread near Santa Barbara, will underscore his commitment by hosting a fundraiser for Clinton at his Brentwood home. The event is planned for Oct. 21 --- the candidate's 60th birthday.

As we noted when Steven Spielberg signed up with the Clinton camp in June, the bigger news would have been if Reiner had strayed from the brand name that long has been a Hollywood favorite. He may have shopped around among the Democratic White House contenders longer than many in the industry. But with Clinton running a nearly flawless campaign so far, there was little reason for one with his political pedigree to take a flier on someone else.

Perhaps not by happenstance, Reiner's endorsement will be made official on the same day that a leading Republican presidential candidate is hoping to make a large endorsement splash in California. ...

Rudy Giuliani, as reported two days ago, is expected to announce that former Gov. Pete Wilson is backing him.

The Washington Post notes in a blog posting that the two "are in many ways political soul mates, both Republicans in blue states who are pro-choice but more conservative on foreign policy and national security."

Yet, as the item recollects, they were at odds, in 1994, over Proposition 187, the controversial California ballot measure that sought sweeping cuts in government services to illegal immigrants. Wilson was --- and remains --- closely identified with the initiative that many analysts believe served the immediate interests of California Republicans but seriously harmed them long-term; Giuliani denounced the proposal as "inhumane."

The Post piece wonders if the link to Wilson might damage Giuliani's prospects of wooing Latino voters in a general election campaign. Others have recently wondered if any GOP nominee can succeed on that front, given the tenor of the debate within the party on immigration policy.

While the Reiner and Wilson endorsements vie for attention on the West Coast, Democrat John Edwards is playing a celebrity card in the key state of Iowa.

A release from his presidential campaign on Wednesday announced that stumping for him there this weekend will be "America's favorite prime-time plumber." That would be James Denton, who, as the release quickly added, plays the character Mike Delfino on ABC's "Desperate Housewives."

Could be, now that we think about it, that Edwards has more to be pleased about today than either Clinton or Giuliani.

-- Don Frederick 

Comments

[Dexter Poinblather]

Unbelievable! Stop telling us which celebrity will support which democrat.
Although, word on the street is that Soleil Moon Frye is backing Richardson. Do you think she can swing the Sabrina cast behind Richardson? ugh.

[Confucious]

Wow... he really is a Meathead

[Awkins]

Boy! Rob Reiner wasn't just acting as a "meat head" on All In The Family. He really is a "meat head" - dead from the neck up.

[DH]

Guess the "Meathead" nickname still applies.

[C.E. Nelson]

What do you expect from the "meathead"? Who cares who he supports or any of the other liberals from Hollyweird land. They are so over!

[Fred Buse]

HEADLINE: Meathead endorses Hillary.

[William Minton]

Reiner is, and always will be a meathead. ie STUPID!

[Bradley Ellis]

Who cares? Is Reiner all that relevant anymore?

[Schratboy]

Big deal. Rob "Meathead" Reiner has been a Clintonista since Slick Willie's whirl through the Oval Orifice. I thinks it's funny that Reiner embodies the character he played in All in the family: a dullard liberal of low expectations.

[maxziel]

Isn't this the same gentleman that endorsed public daycare? Tell you what Mr. Reiner...the day you put YOUR children or grandchildren into a public daycare facility, I will follow suit.

[jules]

go figure - dems/out of touch hollywood/"actors" just like in vietman - at least i never spit on a soldier - but i believe this crowd had and has.

[Tom G]

Why would anyone want the Hollwood elite to back them?

[Elsa Sale]

"She will be the next President of the United States", a prediction from a guy who, in 1992, when asked if he thought he'd win an oscar, he said something like "I have better adds than Marisa Tomei". She won. I hope you're right again, Mr. Reiner!

[Pete McIntyre]

So,"The Meathead" is for Shrillery.Big news! And who cares who these limo liberals are supporting anyway?

[TT]

Ooohh, a Hollywood Celebrity backs a democrat. WHO CARES.

[Greg Webber]

Meathead never did had any good sense.

[Jeff]

This is breaking news? Who cares who these Hollywood Blowhards endorse?

This is not going to impact the votes of anyone that i know.

[Sammy Davis III]

Meathead's for Hillary? It's over now.

[J T]

Rob Reiner is still the quintessential meathead.

[aRCHIE bUNKER]

WOW! Meathead is backing HRC. That really seals it for me. Anything a Hollywood has-been thinks, I think too.

[Richard MacCarthy]

So now "Meat Head" as Archie used to call him is supposed to mean something to me the average American cditizen.

[Kirk]

Well, well...an endorsement from an overzealous, overweight has-been !
Who cares? Get a job Rob aka Meatball!!!

Kirk Orlando

[Brian P]

Still a Meathead.

[toro]

Rainer has never evolved from his TV role that gave him the name "Meathead"!

[Felipe]

Wilson’s support of 187 was based on legitimate budgetary concerns by a Chief Executive Officer of the world’s seventh largest economy. California voters voted for it overwhelmingly because of the outrage of the mounting costs, such as health care and education, that illegal immigration bore on the State. In 1994 the most expensive cost of illegal immigration was about $2.5 billion a year for educating some 400,000 illegal immigrant children. The majority of Californians voted for 187 because they saw it as the Governor’s duty to do something about such an outrageous burden to a state already in financial difficulty. By the way, today’s cost, we’re told, are $10.3 billion. Given that number and the fact that we are living in a post 9/11 world, I’m guessing that 187 would pass easily pass again today.

So Wilson's support hurt CA Republicans? How do you explain the fact that in 1994, for the first time since Ronald Reagan, the Republicans gained a majority in the legislature and had a Republican Speaker? And didn’t, in 2003, Republican Arnold Swarzeneeger openly admit that he supported 187 when he ran and won the Governorship over Gray Davis? Why did this happen? Maybe the voters were mad at Davis for not supporting their vote for 187.