Almost Live from Hollywood: Freeping with the eGray Hooker (includes pictures)

From Reuters (via Yahoo! News)

Streisand Appears at Democrats' Fundraiser
Mon Sep 30, 1:01 PM ET

By Gina Keating
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (Reuters) - Entertainer Barbra Streisand came out of retirement for about two hours on Sunday to back the Democratic Party's bid to win back control of the House of Representatives and the national political agenda.

Reuters Photo

Despite an aversion to live performances, Streisand's dedication to politics led her to headline multimillion-dollar Democratic fundraisers in 1986 and 2000, and Sunday's event at the Kodak Theater appeared to be as successful -- with Hollywood's elite shelling out $500 to $250,000 per ticket.
"Ten people paid $250,000," Steve Harvey, the comedian acting as master of ceremonies, told the crowd.
Streisand appeared after performances by the Three Mo' Tenors and Barry Manilow who said he had "never been a political kind of guy ... I'll leave that to Barbra."
She swept on stage to a standing ovation in a green, off-the-shoulder gown and sat on a chair beside producer-composer David Foster, who played piano and provided a running commentary for the evening.
"I don't particularly enjoy performing onstage but I'd do practically anything to help the Democrats win the House," Streisand told her audience.
She sang a few of her standards -- "Funny Valentine," "Evergreen" -- and unleashed an attack on the House's Republican majority and President Bush ( news - web sites) during a rendition of "The Way We Were."
Pausing in the middle of the song, Streisand said she found Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney ( news - web sites) "frightening," adding: "I find bringing the country to the brink of war unilaterally five weeks before an election frightening."
Exhorting the concertgoers to "get the facts out, get the truth out, and get the vote out," Streisand launched into her final number, "God Bless America," then yielded the stage to House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt.
Gephardt, who visited earlier in the evening with Hollywood's elite at a pre-concert reception, emphasized the party's need to pick up the seven seats needed to win back a majority from Republicans he described as "the most intolerant, radical, extreme, know-it-all ... on every issue."
Among those who kibbutzed with Gephardt and the California congressional delegation at the pre-concert reception were Warner Bros. COO Alan Horn, former studio boss Mike Medavoy, comedian Richard Lewis, and actors Alan Cumming, Ed Begley Jr., Sally Kirkland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and her producer husband Brad Hall.
An examination of the latest local polls by the New York Times showed that Republicans had a slight edge last week in the fight for control of the House. The paper cited the Democrats' difficulty in rallying voters around domestic issues, such as the economy and corporate corruption because of the specter of war with Iraq.

And, from the AP (via Yahoo! News):

Streisand Helps Dems Raise $6 Million
Mon Sep 30,10:17 AM ET

By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Barbra Streisand fattened the Democrats' war chest for their effort to take back control of Congress, headlining a Hollywood gala that raised some $6 million.

AP Photo

The diva emerged from semiretirement to deliver a nine-song set Sunday night on the stage of the Kodak Theatre, the new home of the Oscars ( news - web sites). Celebrities such as Christian Slater and Julia Louis-Dreyfus rubbed shoulders with top House Democrats including Minority Leader Dick Gephardt and California's Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the minority whip.
Streisand's show set a fund-raising record for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said spokeswoman Jenny Backus.
A longtime liberal and Hollywood's queen Friend of Bill during the Clinton years, Streisand created a stir last week when she sent Gephardt a forceful letter urging him to stand up to President Bush ( news - web sites) on Iraq and chiding, "It is time for the Democrats to get off the defensive and go on the offensive."
Gephardt joked about the letter in a speech after Streisand's performance.
"Some of the Republicans thought that was cute," he said. "Well, what I want to say to my friends in the Republican Party is, eat your heart out. I get faxes from Barbra Streisand, they get faxes from Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson."
Streisand did not explicitly discuss the Democrats' position on Iraq, nor did Gephardt. The singer prefaced a rendition of "God Bless America" with the remark that it was, "a prayer for our Democratic leaders to continue to have the strength and courage to stand up for what is right."
Draped in a sweeping, metallic green gown, she also performed her hit "The Way We Were," with altered lyrics to convey that she missed a Democratic Congress and administration. Democrats have a one-seat Senate edge, but the GOP holds the House, with 222 Republicans, 210 Democrats and two independents.
"Scattered pictures of the House we left behind," she sang. "Lovely Democratic memories, of the way we were."
Two years ago, Streisand said an official goodbye to live performing with "farewell" concerts in New York and Los Angeles, but she apparently couldn't pass up the chance to raise money for the Democrats.
The concert was dubbed the National Democratic Gala and billed as the Democrats' "marquee fund-raiser" in their battle to undo Republicans' six-seat edge in the 435-member House of Representatives in November.
Some 3,500 guests paid $500 and up for tickets.
Performing alongside Streisand were Barry Manilow, comedian Steve Harvey and the singing group Three Mo' Tenors.

Nice job Ron. You guys deserve kudos for your efforts. I'll bet you had a great time. I don't understand how some of those people can suppor the left, but they do. It's our job to make them too embarassed to show up for these events.

I saw something today that left my jaw dropped to the floor. I'm going to mention it because we're on the topic of the left and the lunatics that support it.

Kathy Ireland is a person that has taken more than a little ribbing for being an airhead. Today I found myself having to eat crow.

Shown was a clip of Ms. Ireland going toe to toe with Combs, of Hannity and Combs. Combs was talking with her and stating that she was a died in the wool conservative. He asked if she ever got ribbed for being a conservative. She said no, and it's a misconception that I'm totally conservative. I'm also liberal on a few subjects.

Combs, seeking to put her on the spot, asked, "Tell me one issue on which you come down on the liberal side." Without so much as a millisecond going by she retorted, "Well, I'm a liberal when it comes to championing the civil rights of the unborn."

I was shocked. Kathy, mia cupla!!!!

I don't think these were the exact words she used, but they are very close. The impact was just as I've stated. Wow, I didn't expect her to hit it out of the ballpark like that. Excellent job!

Ron, and those who joined you, great work.

Thanks, D1!

Still, it's not the same without YOU there!

I look forward to FReeping with you again SOON!

From www.digitalstoryteller.com:
...But back to the assignment several people - men and women alike - asked me about this week; Kathy Ireland, a three-time cover model for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
At 35 years old and now a mom of two, Ireland may be past her peak as a swimsuit model but she doesn’t seem to be slowing down in terms of work. She has a clothing line she is promoting through K-Mart and works on the board of directors of several charitable organizations.
Our fashion writer, a visiting photojournalism student from the University of Florida and myself met Ireland at the Disney/MGM Studios theme park. She was going into the Brown Derby restaurant with her parents, her 2 1/2 month old daughter, her manager and a make up stylist - all to eat lunch. I sat and chatted with her parents as the waiters took their orders and waited for the moment to get a photo.
Ireland’s parents were very down to earth and we traded kid stories. When she had a break with our reporter, Kathy was ready for the photo.

We went outside and I told her about the stories I’d heard about her when she was 11 and working her paper route. She laughed and sat down on the grass. In about three minutes, I had shot a roll of the easiest photos I’d made that week and I told her so. She did all the work by looking so natural. It was a photo of Kathy instead of another fashion shoot...

Kathy Ireland, former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model.

and
From www.amazon.com:
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Model, actress and entrepreneur Kathy Ireland proves that she's not just another pretty face in Powerful Inspirations: Eight Lessons That Will Change Your Life. The self-help lessons presented here cultivate strong families, understand your own worth, save part of your income, etc. may be prosaic, but Ireland salvages the book with down-to-earth personal anecdotes. This book will be most appreciated by conservative Christian women, since Ireland often speaks to women directly and peppers the chapters with discussions of her faith in God and the rationale underlying her pro-life activism.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
Kathy Ireland first gained recognition as a supermodel, but today she is respected for her design talents and business acumen as CEO and Chief Designer of Kathy Ireland Worldwide. Ireland, independent and strong-minded, has an entrepreneurial drive coupled with the desire to break free of the skewed standards of the modeling business, that gave her the impetus she needed to start her own company. Her billion-dollar business began with a line of socks, then apparel, and today it extends into home furnishings, flooring, and accessories designed for women like herself — busy moms whose top priority is taking care of their families. She also dedicates her energy to a wide range of nonprofit organizations, many of them dedicated to improving the lives of women and children.

Powerful Inspirations reveals the sources of Kathy’s strengths and enthusiasm, through insightful lessons that form a life-changing plan for her readers. In sharing her plan, Ireland also tells stories from her life, describing her close-knit family, the work ethic her parents taught her, and the sense of compassion they instilled in her. She offers an intimate portrait of her inner life and her spiritual growth, writing movingly of the support and comfort she has found in the Bible and other Christian teachings. She writes movingly of her failures and the lessons she’s learned while triumphing over them. Kathy’s account of her journey from the beaches of Santa Barbara to the boardroom, from supermodel to successful businesswoman provides readers the inspiration and encouragement to create a rich and rewarding life for themselves.

Got some good sign ideas :)

They showed a clip of Babs on the local Fox channel this morning. What a way to start the day....BLECCCHHHHH!!!!

Thanks Ron. I look forward to it.

D1