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Democratic Convention After Dark – Money, Bunnies and Monkeys

  • Capital Connections ®
  • |
  • August 16, 2000

by Karen Feld

Hooray for Hollywood! Jimmy Smits introduced the First Daughter, “Hey Chels,” at the oh-so-glitzy Hillary for Senate bash, Saturday evening. Chelsea was there with her boyfriend from Stanford, who is a White House intern this summer — I could do a whole column on this one. The First Lady sat next to Brad Pitt at dinner and the President was sandwiched between John Travolta and Cher, who repented for not voting for Bill Clinton. She confessed, “I didn’t vote for you,” and then sang “If I Could Turn Back Time.”

And not so shabby, Chelsea sat next to Jim Brolin (Hillary sat on his other side) at brunch, while her Dad sat beside Brolin’s wife, Barbra Streisand, at the entertainers’ Malibu home. The next day “Chels” hanged with “West Wing” stars in their Oval Office set. She’s a star this week at the Democrat Convention and so is her Mom. In fact, Hollywood loves all the Clintons! A tough act to follow! The President certainly went all out to cement his legacy and coffers before turning over the convention to Al Gore.

Sex In The City’s Emmy-nominated star, Sarah Jessica Parker, sat in the press stands at the Staples Center cheering for Hillary. And she’s a New Yorker. That’s a sure vote!

Christie Brinkley was not only a delegate to the Democratic convention, but she got into the party spirit shooting photos at Bloomberg News’ opening night post convention party at Spago in Beverly Hills. I ran into West Wing’s John Spencer there and he told me it was his first political convention. “There was a lot going on for me, the thrill of sitting with the real White House Chief of Staff, John Podesta, watching this incredible event.” “‘I’d vote for him [Clinton] a third time.” Spencer added, “I don’t want the Baby Bushes.” But he said if we get the Bushes, the TV show won’t change. “We’re about three steps ahead of the carnival; It’s entertainment first.”

Orange County Congressman Loretta Sanchez moved her fundraiser from the legendary Playboy Manse in Holmby Hills, but that didn’t keep her hubby and key aides from stopping by Hef’s bash for a couple hundred A-list media the other evening. Maybe her on-and-off the convention platform schedule wasn’t so politically correct, but Hef made sure he was at his politically correct best. He even abandoned his bathrobe for a sport jacket — in honor of the press, no doubt . “I think quite frankly it had very little to do with Playboy,” said Hef about the Sanchez hoopla. “They made a controversy out of it.” “This is like a Monty Python skit,” Hef told Martin Lewis, who wore a yarmulke adorned with a Playboy bunny. “I’m loyal to Joe [Lieberman] but I’m a hedonistic liberal,” said Lewis. Guests oohed and awed at the grotto, and watched the “bunnies” as well as the monkeys that call the manse home.

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