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Bruce Springsteen used his latest fundraising bash for Democrat Barack Obama to poke fun at one of the presidential candidate's Republican rivals, Sarah Palin. Springsteen dueted with fellow rocker Billy Joel for the first time ever at the bash, at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom on Thursday. And the Born to Run hit-maker jokingly compared the pair's inexperience to criticism of Alaska Governor and vice presidential candidate Palin. He told the crowd, "Billy and I have rehearsed a little, but you have to consider this more like the vice presidential debate: you have to Palin-ise your expectations. We seem like we...

A star-studded new CD compilation inspired by Barack Obama's campaign for the presidency is available from Hidden Beach this week. The project, titled Yes We Can: Voices of a Grassroots Movement, features classic and current tracks by Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, Lionel Richie, John Mayer, Kanye West, Dave Stewart and others. The set also features brand-new music as well as excerpts from Obama's inspiring campaign speeches. The first-of-its-kind musical collection features an array of artists and material that reflects America's diversity and taps into the creative community's overwhelming response to the campaign's universal themes of hope, unity and change. Others...

The more Matt Damon talks, the more apparent it is that the Hollywood of patriots such as John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart is gone, gone, gone. Indeed, the city that once hosted Ronald Reagan's search and destroy mission for Communists now hosts $30,000-a-plate-dinners for every anti-American, anti-capitalist group in need of a sponsor (which is just a fancy way of saying they host Democrat fund-raisers). It was not so long ago that Hollywood actors believed it was as much their duty as others to fight the wars in which America was involved. Men such as Glenn Ford, Charlton Heston, Ronald...

Mike Farrell just took a cheap shot at Sarah Palin on PBS fund-raiser NOTE TO MODS; Please edit this as you see fit. I haven't posted a "vanity" before.

The McCain-Palin jukebox options are shrinking. The latest rockers to tell the Republicans to cease spinning their albums are the women from Heart, who were chagrined to hear their song "Barracuda" play at the Republican convention as Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hit the stage. Palin, a star high school basketball point guard, was nicknamed "Sarah Barracuda." The official Heart website states that "Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart have informed the McCain/Palin Campaign that Universal Music Publishing and Sony BMG have sent a cease-and-desist notice to not use one of Heart's classic songs 'Barracuda,' as the congratulatory theme for Sarah...

Ann and Nancy Wilson are pissed at the Republican Party and have fired off a cease and desist letter to the McCain/Palin campaign. Specifically, the Heart women are upset that the GOP has used their classic "Barracuda" as a theme song for Sarah Palin. TMZ obtained a statement from Heart's rep, who says "The Republican campaign did not ask for permission to use the song, nor would they have been granted that permission." The statement goes on: "We have asked the Republican campaign publicly not to use our music. We hope our wishes will be honored." We're told Ann was...

Lohan gets political on blog, sounds off on Palin Tue Sep 2, 5:44 PM ET NEW YORK - Lindsay Lohan is getting political. The 22-year-old actress took to her MySpace blog Tuesday to post her thoughts on Republican John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, and the revelation that Palin's unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. "I've been watching the news all morning, like everyone else — and (I) keep hearing about the issues related to `teen pregnancy.' ... Well, I think the real problem comes from the fact that we are taking the focus off of getting to know...

Maybe he was sick of the lack of media attention…maybe he had enough of the late night talk show hosts poking fun at his age…maybe he realized that belonging to a party that has been associated with rich, white men was not going to connect with voters in this historical election year. Or maybe he was just ready to take back some of the spotlight that has shined so brightly on Barack Obama and the Democrats since the beginning of the Democratic convention. Desperation can motivate people to make some pretty cynical and hypocritical decisions. Whatever the reason, John McCain’s...

Springsteen ends world tour at Harley celebrationBy CARRIE ANTLFINGER, Associated Press Writer Sun Aug 31, 9:36 AM ET MILWAUKEE - Bruce Springsteen ended his world tour over the weekend, toned down but revved up. Springsteen played more than 30 songs over 3 1/2 hours Saturday night on Milwaukee's lakefront for Harley-Davidson's 105th anniversary celebration. He made few comments between songs. Only for a few moments before "Livin' in the Future" did the rocker — who often brings his liberal-leaning political comments to the stage — stray into politics. Springsteen performed to a crowd not unlike the one that gave Republican...

Maybe he was sick of the lack of media attention…maybe he had enough of the late night talk show hosts poking fun at his age…maybe he realized that belonging to a party that has been associated with rich, white men was not going to connect with voters in this historical election year. Or maybe he was just ready to take back some of the spotlight that has shined so brightly on Barack Obama and the Democrats since the beginning of the Democratic convention. Desperation can motivate people to make some pretty cynical and hypocritical decisions. Whatever the reason, John McCain’s...

Madonna Compares McCain to Hitler, Obama to Gandhi Photo of Noel Sheppard. By Noel Sheppard (Bio | Archive) August 24, 2008 - 11:00 ET In case you missed it with the Olympics going on, Russia invading Georgia, and the campaign for president in full swing, pop star Madonna started her much-awaited tour in Wales Saturday. Amidst the requisite autoerotic writhing and gyrating, Madonna managed to bash John McCain -- actually equating him to Adolf Hitler and Robert Mugabe! -- while comparing Barack Obama to Mahatma Gandhi. I kid you not. As reported by the Associated Press Saturday (emphasis added, photo...

Toby Keith: Obama's 'Best Democratic Candidate We've Had Since Bill Clinton' Toby Keith Praises Obama Tuesday, August 19, 2008 By Ryan Pearson, Associated Press Los Angeles - Barack Obama is getting praise from Nashville, courtesy of one big, patriotic country star. Toby Keith, perhaps best known to non-country audiences for his post-Sept. 11 song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue," says he's a Democrat, and was impressed by the senator from Illinois.

TAMPA, Fla. - The Super Bowl might be six months away from coming to town, but the celebrity rumors already are running rampant. The New York Post's Page Six reported on Tuesday that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform live at the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 1 at Raymond James Stadium. Amanda Holt, the director of communications for the local Super Bowl Committee, said this is the first she has heard of it.

Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young was interviewed on PBS's Charlie Rose show. The show, almost a complete hour, can be watched at this link. (Thanks to Jay for the tip.) If you can get past some of the political baggage, and you like Neil Young, it's an entertaining interview, where Young comes across funny, sincere and kind of sweetly naïve. With regard to the politics and his Let's Impeach the President phase, Young certainly is giving the distinct impression of having second thoughts. Some of what he says when Charlie prods him on the war: I look at it Charlie as...

Sorry if this is old news but this is the first time I've seen this movie. In "Shut Up And Sing" Natalie Maines names FR as the blog that started all thier probelems. WAY TO GO FR! Still watching on the Encore Drama channel.

This is the most graceless stunt I’ve seen a while. Leon Fleisher, the conductor and pianist, received a Kennedy Center honor. As part of the weekend of festivities associated with this prestigious award, Fleisher was invited to attend a White House reception along with the four other honorees (Brian Wilson, Steve Martin, Diana Ross, and Martin Scorcese). This caused the conductor to wrestle with his conscience. In the past seven years, Bush administration policies have amounted to a systematic shredding of our nation's Constitution — the illegal war it initiated and perpetuates; the torturing of prisoners; the espousing of "values"...

On the eve of the New York Philharmonic's departure on an Asian tour that will include a visit to Pyongyang, its music director, Lorin Maazel, suggested that Americans are not in a position to criticize the North Korean regime, because America's own record on human rights is flawed. "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw bricks, should they?" Mr. Maazel told the Associated Press. "Is our standing as a country — the United States — is our reputation all that clean when it comes to prisoners and the way they are treated? Have we set an example that should...

Finally, after nearly a year we get to the bottom of the story. Last spring, you were held up as a parody of environmental correctness when you proposed restricting the use of toilet paper to one square per bathroom visit. What was that about? I think it’s a fantastic and eye-opening example of how the media is operated by political figures, of how Karl Rove was humiliated in the media and how, within 24 hours, he was able to humiliate me and take any sort of credibility away from me. What are you saying? You think Karl Rove leaked the...

The Dixie Chicks are partners in name only - the multi-platinum- selling trio is all but broken up, according to a source close to the group.Natalie Maines and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison made just a handful of appearances together in 2007 - and now they rarely even talk, the source reveals. "The girls have gone their separate ways," the source close to the Texas-raised country musicians told The ENQUIRER. "They were not getting along when they toured together during 2006, but they managed to stay civil. Now when they're not forced to be together, the girls don't even...

Stars who spout 'pseudo-science should check their facts first'By FIONA MACRAE - More by this author » Last updated at 23:29pm on 2nd January 2008  Nicole Kidman: Criticised for promoting a computer brain workout programme   When your name's Nicole Kidman or Gwyneth Paltrow, everyone wants to hear what you have to say. But before holding forth on their favourite remedy, celebrities should get their facts straight, experts say. The two Hollywood actresses, along with the TV presenter Gillian McKeith and fashion designer Stella McCartney, are singled out by a charity founded to increase the public's understanding of scientific...