Hollywood Falls Back in Love With Bill Clinton (Analysis)

When all was said and sung, this weekend's series of fundraiserscelebrating former President Bill Clinton's 65th birthday andsupporting the global work of his charitable foundation was like oneof those classic Hollywood romances: Though long separated by time andspace, the lovers catch sight of each other and immediately fall backinto one another's arms.our editor recommendsBill Clinton Honors Edie Wasserman, Lew Wasserman's WifeLady Gaga Drops F-Bomb at Bill Clinton Concert (Video)Bill Clinton on 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' Musical: Its 'Fabulous'Stevie Wonder Kicks Off Bill Clinton Birthday Concert (Video) It also was a kind of much-needed pep rally for a crucial Democraticconstituency that, despite the oncoming presidential election, hasbeen feeling a bit confused and a trifle tepid recently. With all three of the Clintons-the former chief executive, the currentSecretary of State and their daughter Chelsea-on hand for a Fridaybirthday gala at the Palladium, a Saturday night concert at theHollywood Bowl and a Sunday brunch and golf tournament, the weekendturned into as much a celebration of the industry's widely sharedconnection to the Democratic Party, as it was an appreciation of Bill. In part, Hollywood loves Bill Clinton for the same reason it loves anynatural celebrity. As Alex Avant, son of Motown great Clarence Avant,told the Hollywood Reporter between musical numbers at Saturday'scelebrity-studded concert, "He's a rock star!" But beyond the glitterfactor, there's the industry's admiration for a preternaturally giftedpolitician with legendary survival skills and the obvious fact thatthe former President so clearly and publicly values his associationwith Hollywood. From the start, he and Hillary cultivated friends inthe industry and drew stars and influential executives into theirlegendary network of friends. At one point, they virtually -- andunapologetically -- turned the White House's Lincoln Bedroom into aB&B for visiting West Coast celebs. More important, the Clintons always have taken Hollywood peopleseriously and have treated them as collaborators rather than ATMs.Many of those in attendance at Saturday's concert, for example, were drawn into political activism during the Clinton Administration and,since then, many have been encouraged to embrace global philanthropyand peace-making by the activities of the William Jefferson ClintonFoundation. All this weekend's events featured a cross section ofengaged Hollywood drawn from all ages. "I wanted people here from all over the world," Clinton told thecrowd at the Hollywood Bowl Saturday night. At a moment when the industry's dems are feeling more than a littleambiguous about their party's direction and many suspect the currentWhite House would like to keep a bit of distance for the sake ofpolitical expediency, Clinton's appearances were a joyous reminder ofwhat collaboration can create. That sense was most clearly on display at Saturday night's BowlConcert, which was titled, "A Decade of Difference"-a reference to theClinton foundation's ten years of work. With the one-time first familyin the front row, the evening began with a surprise appearance byStevie Wonder-who sang "For Once In My Life" at the former president'srequest-and moved through Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter, Usher andJuanes to an acoustical set by Bono and the Edge. Wonder made quite animpression when he urged the crowd to give to those who in need,saying "That's the joy of it all. That's why I'm here." On a lighter note, LadyGaga captured the crowd and Clinton's attentionwith a bit of suggestive banter, thanking the former chief executivefor giving her a "Marilyn Monroe moment" and playfully coming on to both Bill and Hillary. The Somali poet and singer, K'naan, struck a soulful note, when hetold the crowd that his "music comes essentially from struggle. Whenthe president took office in 1992, my country was in a desperatestruggle and devastating war, which I was in when I was a boy." Now,he said, he counts Clinton as a friend. "There's something ultimatelybeautiful about the way life takes you," he said. For many, the concert's highlight came when Clinton joined Bono andthe Edge on stage. "When Edge and I think of all the reasons we might want to be here inthe Hollywood Bowl, the Clinton Foundation would be enough," Bonosaid. "But right on top of the list...is that we live in a country nowthat is largely and truly at peace -- north and south -- because ofthe intercession of the 43rd President of the United States, WilliamJefferson Clinton. He is by far the most beloved American since JFKfor all of us Irish." The singer added: "I also want to salute the extraordinary brain hecalls his missus....her patience and impatience in traumatized spotsof the world is something we should all think of." Bono then broke into special version of "Sunday Bloody Sunday," adding afinal verse: "On another broken hill, red crosses and a crescent mooncollide. Pilgrims pray to know God's will. Scratching in the dirt and queueing up to die. Scorched earth or a cruel sun. Is this the battleJesus won? Oh no. No." As Bono's voice trailed off, Clinton blinked back tears. After the duo finished their set, the former president wrapped hisarms around both men. "We've been friends for a long time," Clinton told the crowd. "And Iwant to say to Bono, thank you for the One Campaign. Thank you forcampaigning against debt, thank you trying to save the foreign aidbudget of the Secretary of State of the United States, thank you forcampaigning against poverty." He added: "I want to say to Edge thankyou for doing something very close to my heart. When Katrina almostdestroyed the most unique, cultural and musical resource in America inNew Orleans, this man led an effort to raise money for the all thosemusicians in New Orleans area who had no money but who are part ofAmerica's history and I will never forget it." Throughout the program, the industry's most politically active memberssat listening in the VIP section. The crowd included Ron and KellyMeyer, Steve Bing, Michael King, Barbra Streisand and James Brolin,Ashton Kutcher, Ellen DeGeneres, Lawrence Bender, Jeremy Piven, MariaBello, and Maria Shriver. Also attending the concert was Laura Ling,who was imprisoned in North Korea with fellow U.S. journalist Euna Leeand later rescued after intense negotiations by Clinton. Ling helped kick off the show by telling the audience, "PresidentClinton didn't just save my life. Every day he is saving lives around the world." The depth of Clinton's appreciation for Hollywood as acollaborator-and for its culture and traditions-was clearly signaledby the weekend's first scheduled event, remarks delivered at amemorial service for Edie Wasserman, a beloved industry figure. Theformer president's connection to the woman he eloquently praisedFriday was far from pro forma. It was, in fact, both long andpersonal. In politics, as she did so often in his storiedentertainment industry career, Edie Wasserman was her husband Lew's talent spotter. A deeply committed Democrat, she was one ofHollywood's earliest supporters of both Clinton and Jimmy Carter and,while her husband deeply admired Lyndon Johnson, Edie numbered LadyBird Johnson among her closest friends. While anyone with a sense of Hollywood history knows that LewWasserman virtually created the industry's modern structure, fewerrecall that Lew and Edie together essentially brought what we now think of as Hollywood's political dimension into being. In themid-1960s, they created the town's first lavish politicalfundraisers, the forerunners of this weekend's events. With Edie as his adviser and Arthur Krim, then chairman of UnitedArtists as his partner, Wasserman established a circle of major donorscalled the President's Club, whose largesse was sufficient to buy members face-time with the chief executive. Lew established aparticularly close relationship with Johnson, one that was cementedwhen he hand-picked LBJ's most trusted aide, Jack Valenti, to becomepresident of the Motion Picture Assn. of America and, thus, the industry's Washington lobbyist. ''What you have to understand is, ifHollywood is Mount Olympus," Valenti later would say, "Lew Wassermanis Zeus.'' And from their fabled Beverly Hills Olympus, Edie played the role ofHera-constant helpmate and conscience. Edie and Lew were long-timepolitical and financial supporters of civil rights and-because bothhad been denied a college education by their families' financialcircumstances-they were generous donors to scholarship funds. In fact,when Clinton awarded Lew the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a 1995White House ceremony, he particularly singled out his manycontributions to minority scholarships. It was political theme-one of the constants of his career-to whichClinton returned during his remarks at Saturday night's concert.Speaking of his own hard-knock upbringing in Arkansas, Clinton mused, "Nobody climbs any ladder alone. We are not going to build thiscountry back by telling people they are on their own." It was the heart-felt sentiment of a man who clearly felt he was amongfriends-and, as this weekend's financial returns for his foundationwill demonstrate, those friends clearly still love him for feelingthat way. Related Topics Lady Gaga Bill Clinton Stevie Wonder Bono The Edge