John McCain claims kook-rocker Jackson Browne pitched a fit over the candidate's use of the song "Running on Empty" for one reason -- to make sure Browne's new album won't be running on empty. Jackson sued John back in August over the Prez-seeker's use of his song in an Ohio campaign ad about gas prices. Now, McCain's lawyers filed a response, saying Jackson complained so he could get press to promote his new album, which came out a month later.
J-Mac also makes the argument he could use the tune whenever and where he wants because he was running for Prez, not trying to make a buck off it. If the court buys this "political speech as public interest" claim, it pretty much means curtains for a bunch of other musicians who were PO'd about their songs being used by the GOP.
A mandatory recount for the Minnesota Senate race between former SNL-er Al Franken and Norm Coleman begins today -- but all our photog wanted to know was if psychobabbling alter-ego Stuart Smalley would be hitting up the Hill, too, if Al wins? We also asked him about the current state of SNL -- spoken like a true politician.
After getting reamed by Tim Robbins over that whole polling place snafu, the NYC Board of Elections wants Testy Tim to turn that frown upside down -- and do a PSA for 'em!
Officials tell TMZ they're inviting TR to "join" them to produce "service announcements" about voter participation. Somehow, given that Tim called the head of the org a "corrupt scumbag," it might take a lil' arm-twisting.
No word from Tim yet on whether he'll bite.
Not surprisingly, the BOE phrased their offer slightly more diplomatically than Robbins' screed.
Does this look like the current leader of Alaska, and former McCain running mate or just another candid shot of a celeb with nice legs kickn' it by the pool? It's no coincidence -- Sarah Palin oozes the celeb vibe and appears more than comfortable with it.
The pic was taken at the Republican Governor's Conference in Miami. Sarah apparently cut out of the seminar on post traumatic election stress syndrome.
Apparently even if you touch Barack Obama you can become a star in your own right.
Zariff, Barack Obama's barber for the last 14 years, has had his barber shop become a tourist attraction since Obama has become President-elect.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports people come from everywhere come to take pictures of the chair Barack Obama gets his hair cut in -- and his haircut has inspired people to ask for the "Obama Cut" throughout the day.
There's a questionnaire circulating from Barack Obama's peeps that everyone gets if they're up for a Presidential appointment. The short story -- Obama wants all the skeletons out on the table before he nominates anyone.
There are 63 questions prospective nominees must answer. Barack wants to know if the person has sent embarrassing emails, whether that person has been accused of sexual harassment, late in paying child or spousal support. He always wants to know about arrests, and, of course, those pesky housekeepers.
It's ironic -- Barack Obama shattered racial barriers, yet some stand-up comedians are still hung on the whole Black vs. White thing. Denis Leary and Richard Belzer have their differences on whether Obama is fair game, but both dudes don't think Blacks and Whites are the same -- at least on stage.
McCain fan club President Kelsey Grammer took a shot at the New York Times (or liberal media) for printing that whole Sarah Palin didn't know Africa was a continent fiasco. He must have forgot the most fair and balanced news network, FOX News, broke the story.
Ex-GOP poster boy Joe the Plumber pretty much flushed his political allegiance down the toilet this weekend in NYC -- at least when it came to his choice of nightlife.
Spies tell us his big party stop in NYC was at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club -- Jay being one of Barack Obama's loudest and staunchest supporters. We're told the 40/40 welcomed McCain's boy with open arms -- and drinks on the house.
Joe's other stops were equally telling: He dropped by the Navy's USS Intrepid (McCain) and Coyote Ugly (Palin?).
George W. Bush really could be this dumb: Turns out he may actually have seen "W.", and actually liked it.
So says Josh Brolin, the guy who played the Prez in Oliver Stone's flick. He tells the Chicago Sun-Times, "I understand he's seen the picture, and liked it." Let's review: The film is two hours of Bushie boozing, womanizing, choking dramatically on pretzels, and leaving pretty much the fate of the Western world up to Dick Cheney and Karl Rove, chuckling all the while.
Of course, the official line from the WH is the president has had "much more important things to do than comment on this ridiculous movie."
Caroline Kennedy is rumored to have a spot in Barack Obama's administration as the US ambassador to the UN -- and even though she didn't say a lot, her facial expressions told us that something is definitely up.
It's been less than 48 hours since the election has ended, and the Sarah Palin bashing and blaming is already in full force -- and it's Fox News leading the charge?!
Basically, Fox News reporter Carl Cameron went on the air with Shepard Smith yesterday to reveal all sorts of incredibly damaging "off the record" juicy secrets about Palin -- like the fact she didn't know Africa was a continent. But It gets better ...
In the report, the woman who several Fox News personalities hailed as a person qualified to run the country is portrayed as someone who couldn't pass the 4th grade.
There's the bus -- and there's Sarah Palin being thrown under it.
The bad news for Sarah Palin: She lost the election. The worse news: She had to go back to Alaska. There aren't any Saks or Neiman Marcus stores in the Last Frontier.
After getting reamed by Tim Robbins over that whole polling place snafu, the NYC Board of Elections wants Testy Tim to turn that frown upside down -- and do a PSA for 'em!
Apparently even if you touch Barack Obama you can become a star in your own right.
There's a questionnaire circulating from Barack Obama's peeps that everyone gets if they're up for a Presidential appointment. The short story -- Obama wants all the skeletons out on the table before he nominates anyone.
Ex-GOP poster boy Joe the Plumber pretty much flushed his political allegiance down the toilet this weekend in NYC -- at least when it came to his choice of nightlife.
George W. Bush really could be this dumb: Turns out he may actually have seen "W.", and actually liked it.
