Michael Moore Attacks Barack Obama

Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories):
1. Huckabites
2. Golden Globes Scenario Has Oscar Scared Stiff
3. Bill O'Reilly Jeered for Being a Journalist
4. Michael Moore Attacks Barack Obama
5. Tom Cruise Strikes Deal with Writers

1. Huckabites

In what appears to be a campaign strategy, presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee is making the rounds on the late-night shows. Huckabee followed an appearance on the "Tonight" show with one on the "Late Show with David Letterman." He is also set to take to the stage on "The Colbert Report" and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." The former Arkansas governor is well suited for comedy shows as illustrated by some of his signature one-liners. Here's a sampling of choice Huckabites:

"If celebrity and money were the most important factors in becoming president of the United States, then Paris Hilton would be president." (Commenting on the recognition and financial backing of his rivals for the GOP nomination.)

"Dude, where's my candidate?" (On the lack of conservative enthusiasm expressed early in 2007, a play on an Ashton Kutcher movie voicing what conservatives may be asking themselves.)

"I will confess this: If you play the spot backwards it says, 'Paul is dead. Paul is dead.'" (Remarking about an ad that critics said contained a subliminal cross-like image.)

"We've had a Congress that spent money like John Edwards at a beauty shop." (Referring to the pork barrel spending in Washington.)

"I may not be the expert as some people on foreign policy, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night." (Responding to criticism of his foreign policy experience.)

"These three birds all said they would not vote for me on caucus night. You see what happened to 'em. Now that one that flew away? He left saying 'I'm a Huckabee supporter.' We saw a Huckabee button on his rear end and so we knew not to take him." (Quipping while on a recent Iowa pheasant hunt.)

"In one of the first churches I was assigned to, I thought I was supposed to be the captain of a warship leading the congregation into a battle against spiritual darkness. But they wanted the captain of the Love Boat." (Commenting on being a Baptist minister.)

2. Golden Globes Scenario Has Oscar Scared Stiff

"What would the NFL be without the Super Bowl?" one movie exec told the New York Times. "They will find a way to make it [the Oscars] happen."

Maybe. Maybe not.

The Oscar folks started getting nervous when the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) announced that the actors who were nominated for Golden Globes, in a show of support for striking writers, would not be attending the ceremony.

It could be that the only one walking the red carpet will be Al Gore.

Let's face it. Awards shows aren't really about honoring peers. They're about the public's insatiable desire to have another opportunity to star gaze. That's the draw, and that's what brings in the big bucks.

For the Academy, it translates into around $50 million in Oscar-related revenue. ABC TV brings in scores of millions in ad money each time the golden boy mugs for the camera.

Winning an Oscar can also give a boost to a film, in box-office terms, of 5 to 10 percent.

All of the dough means that keeping actors (who also happen to be SAG union members) away from the awards shows is the Writers Guild of America's (WGA) ace in the hole in getting concessions from execs and ending the strike.

The WGA is keeping the pressure on Jay Leno as well.

WGA West President Patric Verrone told the New York Times that he had "made it absolutely clear" to Leno (who is a WGA member) that writing for The Tonight Show constitutes a violation of the guild's strike rules.

Sherry Goldman, a spokeswoman for the WGA East said that some action will be taken against Leno.

"He is not getting a pass," Goldman said.

3. Bill O'Reilly Jeered for Being a Journalist

The primary responsibility of a journalist is to be a conduit of information. In our New Media world, a large part of the information being conveyed is taking place via pictures.

While at a recent Barack Obama rally in Nashua, New Hampshire, Bill O'Reilly was trying to get a good camera shot but was being blocked by an Obama aide.

O'Reilly indicated to Fox News that he had informed Obama's trip director Marvin Nicholson that he was in the way and did so "fairly nicely."

According to O'Reilly, his words were, "You are blocking the shot sir."

When Nicholson didn't budge, O'Reilly "had to gently remove him from that position."

The reality is that people at public events are routinely asked to change position to facilitate camera shots.

CBS News reported that some press photographers witnessed "shouting and pushing" on the part of O'Reilly.

"I was shadowing the Senator as I often do during the rope line and he [O'Reilly] started yelling at me to move out of the shot," Nicholson reportedly said. "I went up to him and said, 'Sir, don't push me anymore,' and he said that I was low class."

O'Reilly noted that there was "no scuffle at all. I just removed him from the camera range." Nevertheless, the cable host expressed sorrow for the "confrontation."

Did Nicholson by any chance play a hall monitor in "High School Musical"?

4. Michael Moore Attacks Barack Obama

After giving faint praise on his Web site to Barack Obama for opposing the Iraq war from the start, Michael Moore (who incidentally has repeatedly expressed his love for Hillary Clinton) slammed the Illinois senator.

"So Barack," Moore wrote, "you can talk all you want about 'let's put the partisanship aside, let's all get along,' but the other side has no intention of being anything but the bullies they are. Get your game face on now. And, if you can, tell me why you are now the second largest recipient of health industry payola after Hillary?"

"You now take more money from the people committed to stopping universal health care than any of the Republican candidates," Moore added.

5. Tom Cruise Strikes Deal with Writers

Studio heads are fuming.

Executives who run the movie biz are members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), a group that represents hundreds of movie studios and production companies, and negotiates with entertainment industry trade unions like the Writers Guild of America (WGA).

Interestingly, the WGA has made a deal with Tom Cruise and UA that is similar to the agreement that the union cut with David Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants.

By making the first interim deal with the WGA, UA now has a competitive edge over the rest of the Hollywood studios. But this has also created a situation that has weakened the position of the AMPTP and created pressure for other companies to make side deals with the writers' union, which plays right into the hands of the striking writers.

To that end, the WGA is pursuing similar side deals with the Weinstein Co. (owned by former Miramax Films founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein) and Lionsgate.

The UA deal helps its distributor and majority shareholder MGM because needed product will be supplied to the company.

Because MGM is a member of the AMPTP, in a desire not to break ranks with the group, MGM CEO Harry Sloan had been pleading with Cruise and his sidekick Paula Wagner not to make their own deal with the WGA.

Could it be that there are some second thoughts about making Tom Cruise the head of United Artists film studio?