Stars Raise Cash for George Clooney's Dad

Yahoo! News ^ | 4/16/04 | Nancy Zucherbrod - AP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON -

Some of Hollywood's top draws, including Oscar winners Michael Douglas (news) and Renee Zellweger (news), "Friends" cast member Courteney Cox (news) Arquette and actress Drew Barrymore (news), are playing supporting roles in the candidacy of a Kentucky Democrat.

Their choice: Nick Clooney, father of actor George and brother of the late actress/singer Rosemary.

The 70-year-old Nick Clooney, a former television anchor and newspaper columnist, raised nearly $500,000 in the first three months of this year, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission (news - web sites).

A good chunk of the cash came from Hollywood's "A" list.

George Clooney (news)'s former cast members from NBC's "ER," such as Noah Wyle (news), donated to Nick Clooney's campaign. So did Zellweger, Oscar winner for "Cold Mountain" who once was romantically linked to George, actor/producer Douglas, Arquette and Barrymore. Filmmakers Harvey and Bob Weinstein of Miramax also gave to the Kentucky Democrat.

Nick Clooney, a self-described "commonsense Democrat" who opposes abortion and supports the rights of gun owners, raised more money in the quarter ending March 31 than the three Republican candidates combined.

Clooney hopes to succeed Democratic incumbent Ken Lucas, who is retiring after three terms representing the 4th Congressional District, which snakes along the Ohio river and includes much of the northern Kentucky suburbs near Cincinnati. Republicans say the race represents one of their best chances to pick up a Democratic seat.

Nick Clooney could not be reached for comment Friday. Last month, he said he was grateful for his son's help, saying it showed "this is more than just politics. We still matter to one another."

Republicans have argued that Nick Clooney could be hurt politically by his son's liberal views. George Clooney declined, through a spokesman, to comment Friday, but in a letter published in the Cincinnati Enquirer last Sunday, said, "It seems the best way to campaign against my father is to go after me."

George Clooney added that he and his dad have political differences and that his father "has earned the right to be judged on his own merits."

The Republicans vying for the GOP nomination are business consultant Geoff Davis, lawyer Kevin Murphy and chiropractor John Kelly King. Davis, who lost to Lucas two years ago, has the most money on hand, about $600,000.

>

[NormsRevenge]

On the Net:

Federal Election Commission:

http://www.fec.gov/

Clooney campaign:

http://www.clooneyforcongress.com/

Davis campaign:

http://www.geoffdavis2004.com/

Murphy campaign:

http://www.kevinmurphyforcongress.com/

[NormsRevenge]

Nick Clooney, a self-described "commonsense Democrat" who opposes abortion and supports the rights of gun owners, raised more money in the quarter ending March 31 than the three Republican candidates combined.

"commonsense Democrat" ? lol

[NormsRevenge]

A good chunk of the cash came from Hollywood's "A" list.

No comment on "A" list. ;-\

[NormsRevenge]

Is this an example of "commonsense Democrats"?

[WinOne4TheGipper]

Isn't a pro- lifer considered unclean in the Hollywood Leftist Scriptures? And, IIRC, a pro gun rights person is considered Satan himself...

[WinOne4TheGipper]

Norms, can you do me a huge favor? I can't seem to access my profile, so can you please ping my list nto this thread? The list is on my profile page and you don't even have to post the banner if you don't want to. Thanks.

[NormsRevenge]

Ping

[cwb]

Hey...he's a "common-sense" democrat. What else would you expect from a democrat who wants to get elected in Kentucky:)

[Rummyfan]

Nick Clooney, a self-described "commonsense Democrat" who opposes abortion and supports the rights of gun owners,

A common sense Democrat? Isn't that an oxymoron??

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

I'm guessing Rosemary was a Republican. I saw her at a jazz festival not long before she died, and that was definitely the impression I came away with. If she wasn't, then she had to have been one of those Democrats with no clue what their party is about these days.

[Arpege92]

Nick Clooney supports the rights of gun owners? Didn't George Clooney wish death on Charleton Heston not that long ago for supporting the rights of gun owners?

[WinOne4TheGipper]

Thank you. Every time I tried to access the profiles, it took forever to load and it never quite did.

[Kuksool]

[Nick Clooney, a self-described "commonsense Democrat" who opposes abortion and supports the rights of gun owners]

If Nick Clooney really holds these positions, then why would the Hollyweird types be raising money for him? Wouldn't they be bashing him for being a right wing extremist?

[Hildy]

Opposes abortion and supports gun rights and the Hollywood liberals STILL gave him money. Wow.

[Hildy]

I think this has more to do with getting Clooney name into politics so George can come in and already have some viable political cache. That's what George really wants to do. Except for his Ocean's Eleven franchise, he can't open a movie.

[Petronski]

"commonsense Democrat"

That'd be a Republican who wants to cash in on his Hollywood connections.

Meanwhile in personal politics, does George know what his daddy stands for?

[Ghengis]

Nick Clooney, a self-described "commonsense Democrat" who opposes abortion and supports the rights of gun owners...

That's horsecrap. I remember watching Nick Clooney on TV as a kid talking up gun confiscation after the Robert Kennedey and Martin Luther King Jr. assassinations. In fact, I do think I remember him staging a stunt with young George Clooney, who brought out his toy guns to Nick on the air, statint that he didn't want to play with them anymore because they were bad.

And isn't it odd that you would have to add the qualifier, "common sense" to your political party affiliation? Says something for his opinion for the rest of his political friends I'd say.