Happy New Year

The Green Room would like to wish everyone a safe and happy new year!

Hillary Picks Up 10th Senator

Image courtesy of Hillary Hub

Good news for the Hillary Clinton campaign as they prepare for the Iowa caucus. The campaign announced today the endorsement of Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington. Cantwell's endorsement makes Hillary's list of senate endorsements grow to 10. Senator Barack Obama has 2 senate endorsements while Bill Richardson and Senator Joe Biden each have one. John Edwards and Chris Dodd have none.

End of Year Box Office

2007 ends with National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets leading the box office. The new film Alien vs. Predator: Requiem tanked at the box office not even breaking the top 5. Serves the right for releasing it on Christmas. Meanwhile, well received Juno performed well and Sweeney Todd dropped to number 9.

Here's a rundown:

1. National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets - $35.6 million
2. Alvin and the Chipmunks - $30 million
3. I Am Legend - $27.5 million
4. Charlie Wilson's War - $11.7 million
5. Juno - $10.3 million

*Red indicates new to theaters

2007 Deadliest Year for Iraq (So Far)

While the second half of 2007 saw a dramatic drop in violence in Iraq, 2007 has been the deadliest year for the United States military since the invasion in 2003. 2007 saw the death of 899 U.S. troops. At least 3,902 U.S. troops have died since the start of this (pointless) war.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22451069/

Golden Globes Still On

Despite the Writer's Guild of America announcing that they will picket at the Golden Globes Ceremony, NBC has announced that the ceremony will go on as scheduled.

But will the actors show up? Probably not.

Pollspot: Republican National

Sen. John McCain leads a national Rasmussen tracking poll for the Republican presidential nomination. However, his lead of 17% is not statistically significant since his rivals are all within the poll's margin of error. Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are a point behind at 16% and Rudy Giuliani is two points back at 15%. Slightly off the pace, but still within five points of McCain, is Fred Thompson at 12%. This would make it a 5-way tie.

Jimmy Fallon Weds

Image courtesy of Ask Men

Lots of celebrity weddings recently! Former Saturday Night Live cast member Jimmy Fallon married his producing partner Nancy Juvonen yesterday. Congratulations!

Pollspot: New Hamsphire Tightens

According to Political Wire, "A new American Research Group poll in New Hampshire finds the Democratic presidential race tightening and the Republican race deadlocked.

Among Democrats, Sen. Hillary Clinton leads with 31% followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 27% and John Edwards at 21%. The poll has a margin of error of 4 points.

Key finding: Clinton has dropped 7 points in two weeks while Edwards has gained 6 points and Obama has gained 3 points. Undeclared voters provide positive playback for Edwards based on his television advertising running in New Hampshire and this is reflected in the ballot results. Edwards now leads Obama among undeclared voters 38% to 23%.

In the Republican race, Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain remain tied at 30%, followed by Mike Huckabee at 11%, Rudy Giuliani at 9% and Rep. Ron Paul at 7%.

Pollspot: 4 Days To Iowa

According to Political Wire, a new McClatchy-MSNBC poll in Iowa shows a statistical dead heat in the Democratic presidential race and a big shift in the Republican race. John Edwards leads with 24%, followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton with 23% and Sen. Barack Obama with 22%. Edwards has the momentum since the last poll in early December gaining 3 points, while Clinton lost 4 points and Obama lost 3 points.

Among Republicans, Mitt Romney has regained the lead as Mike Huckabee "has lost momentum and support, even among evangelical Christians who had propelled him into the top spot just weeks ago." Romney now leads with 27%, followed by Huckabee at 23%, Fred Thompson at 14%, and Sen. John McCain at 13%. Huckabee is down 8 points since earlier this month, while Romney is up 7 points.

The Green Room is a big supporter of Senator Hillary Clinton and encourages her Iowan supporters to go out and caucus for her this Thursday, January 3rd.

Pollspot: Zogby Iowa

A Reuters/C-Span/Zogby tracking poll released today shows that on the Democratic side, there is a three-way statistical tie with Sen. Hillary Clinton leading with 30.7% support, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 26.8% and John Edwards at 24.2%. The poll's margin of error is 3.3%.

On the Republican side, there is also a tie for first place. Mike Huckabee leads with 27.7%, followed by Mitt Romney at 26.6%, Sen. John McCain at 10.9%, Fred Thompson at 7.8% and Rudy Giuliani at 7.3%. The poll's margin of error is 3.4%.

Courtesy of Political Wire.

The Iowa Caucus will be held Thursday.

Countdown to Iowa: 4 days

Longer post forthcoming, but an interesting article I came upon about Obama and his foreign policy experience, or rather, lack thereof.

From the Washington Post

Pollspot: The Poll With Different Results

According to Political Wire, A new American Research Group poll in Iowa continues to be an outlier among the various public surveys that have shown a statistical tie in the Democratic race for president.

On the Democratic side, the poll finds Sen. Hillary Clinton leads with 31%, followed by John Edwards and Barack Obama at 24% each.

On the Republican side, Mitt Romney leads with 32% support, followed by Mike Huckabee at 23%, and Sen. John McCain at 11%.

Clinton & Obama Buy Major Ad Time

With the Iowa Caucus less than a week away, the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigns are buying major ad time in the state. ABC News "has learned that Sen. Barack Obama's campaign is trying to buy advertising time on the night before the caucuses for a live political commercial, to air statewide." Meanwhile, Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign "announced on Thursday that she would buy a two minute block of time on every 6pm newscast in the state."

No Charges for Brandy

The L.A. City Attorney has decided not to file charges against R&B singer Brandy Norwood over the fatal car accident she was in last year.

Confusion Surrounding Bhutto's Death

Image courtesy of Harry Walker

Controversy continues to build around the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Today, Pakistan's Interior Ministry says that Bhutto was killed when she fractured her skull when she hit her head on her car's sunroof after a bomb exploded. Yesterday, the Ministry said she was killed due to shots from the bomber before changing their story and saying Bhutto was killed due to a shrapnel injury from the bomb. The story keeps changing and Pakistani President Musharraf's administration is losing its already low credibility. Bhutto went on record before her death stating that if she were to be assassinated that Musharraf would be to blame. Also noteworthy is the lack of security surrounding Bhutto at the time of her death. Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda may also have had some involvement in her death. For more on this story, click here.

Pollspot: No Budge in Iowa

Another poll still shows an extremely close race in Iowa.

A new Research 2000 poll in Iowa shows the Democratic presidential race is a virtual three-way tie, with John Edwards rising to tie Sen. Barack Obama for the lead and Sen. Hillary Clinton just one point behind. Edwards and Obama each get 29% support, with Clinton behind with 28%.

On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee remains in the lead with a 7-point edge over Mitt Romney, 34% to 27%. Fred Thompson is a distant third with 11%, followed by a three-way tie for fourth between Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Ron Paul, with 8% each.

Key finding: "There is plenty of room for shifts in the final days before the Jan. 3 caucuses, with 19 percent of Democrats and 31 percent of Republicans saying they are likely or very likely to change their minds."

Courtesy of Political Wire

Divorce for Penn

Image courtesy of BBC

Academy Award winner Sean Penn and his wife of 11 years, actress Robin Wright, are divorcing. Penn was previously married to Madonna.

Wedding Bells for Fergie

Image courtesy of MSNBC

Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson of the Black Eyed Peas and actor Josh Duhamel are engaged.

iTunes: The New Blockbuster

Apple and Fox will sign a deal that will allow films to be rented on iTunes. iTunes currently offers a selection of movies for sale at $9.99 in addition to tv show episodes costing $1.99. The rental service is expected to cost between $2 and $5. Films rented will be available for a 24-hour period. The service will begin early next year. For more on the story, click here.

Pollspot: Anyone's Game

These polls are seriously all over the place. Political Wire brings to our attention two more polls today inr egards to Iowa and New Hampshire.

Iowa:

A new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll in Iowa finds a three way statistical tie among likely caucus goers with Sen. Hillary Clinton at 31%, John Edwards at 25% and Sen. Barack Obama at 22%.

Among likely Republican caucus goers, Mike Huckabee leads with 36%, followed by Mitt Romney at 28%, Fred Thompson at 10%, Sen. John McCain at 8%, and Rudy Giuliani at 8%.

New Hampshire:

A new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll in New Hampshire finds Sen. Barack Obama leading likely primary voters with 32%, Sen. Hillary Clinton at 30%, and John Edwards at 20%.

Among likely Republican primary voters, Mitt Romney leads with 34%, followed by Sen. John McCain at 20%, Rudy Giuliani at 17%, and Mike Huckabee at 12%.

Pollspot: Deadlocked Iowa

Political Wire is reporting on a new Strategic Vision (R) poll from Iowa that shows both the Republican and Democratic presidential races essentially tied.

For Democrats, it's Obama at 30%, Clinton at 29% and Edwards at 28%.

For Republicans, it's Huckabee at 29%, Romney at 27%, Thompson at 15%; and McCain at 14%.

The poll, which has a 4.5% margin of error, was taken over the last two days.

Courtesy of Political Wire

Jessica Alba Engaged

Actress Jessica Alba and her boyfriend Cash Warren are engaged. This has been confirmed by Alba's publicist. Jessica Alba announced she was pregnant earlier this month.

Mischa Barton Arrested

Image courtesy of Reuters

Former The OC star Mischa Barton was arrested this morning for DUI.

Turmoil in Pakistan

Benazir Bhutto

1953-2007

Major news today out of Pakistan with the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. A suicide bomber shot Bhutto and then blew himself up killing himself and 22 others. It's unclear whether Bhutto died from the shot or from the blast. Bhutto was the first female prime minister of the nation and led Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996. After living in exile, Bhutto returned to Pakistan this past October after President Musharraf signed an amnesty deal. While she had great support in the nation, she also faced a very strong and violent opposition. For more on this developing story, please visit CNN.

Movie Trailer: The Other Boleyn Girl

Image courtesy of IMDB

Click here to see the trailer for The Other Boleyn Girl starring Eric Bana, Natalie Portman, and Scarlett Johansson. The film hits theaters this coming February.

Merry Christmas

The Green Room would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Pollspot: Who Knows Anymore

Things really do change in Iowa every day. I hope this poll is correct!

A new American Research Group poll in Iowa shows Sen. Hillary Clinton expanding her lead in the last week. Clinton now leads with 34%, followed by John Edwards at 20%, and Sen. Barack Obama at 19%.

In the GOP race, Mike Huckabee leads at 23%, trailed by Mitt Romney at 21%, Sen. John McCain at 17%, Rudy Giuliani at 14% and Rep. Ron Paul at 10%.

Courtesy of Political Wire

Katherine Heigl Ties the Knot

Image courtesy of All Posters

Grey's Anatomy and Knocked Up star Katherine Heigl married boyfriend Josh Kelley this past weekend. Her Grey's co-stars were in attendance. Heigl will next be seen on the big screen in 27 Dresses alongside James Marsden. Congratulations to the couple.

Box Office Report

Nicholas Cage rules the box office leading into Christmas. National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, one of five new movies, was able to become the top grossing film this past weekend. Appearances by Johnny Depp, Will Smith, Julia Roberts, and Tom Hanks helped the weekend become a big earner for Hollywood.

Here is an estimated rundown:

1. National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets - $45.5 million
2. I Am Legend - $34.3 million
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks - $29 million
4. Charlie Wilson's War - $9.6 million
5. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - $9.3 million

*Red indicates movie new to theaters.

Sweeney Todd

Image courtesy of Broadway World

The Green Room highly recommends Tim Burton's new film, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, starring Johnny Depp. Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen also star in the Stephen Sondheim penned movie musical. The movie opened to overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Pollspot: Boston Globe Shows Obama Edge

Image courtesy of The Boston Globe

A new Boston Globe poll released today shows Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton virtually tied in New Hampshire. Obama leads Clinton 30 - 28%. However that is within the polls margin of error of +/- 5 points. On the Republican side, John McCain also appears to be closing in and tying former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. It could be all over for Romney if he loses Iowa to Mike Huckabee and New Hamsphire to John McCain.

Pollspot: Obama Catches Hillary

According to Political Wire, a new USA Today/Gallup poll of New Hampshire voters shows Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama tied at 32%, with John Edwards at 18%.On the Republican side, Mitt Romney leads John McCain, 34% to 27%."Effectively tied for third place are former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, at 11%, and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, each at 9%."

Tom Tancredo Drops Out

Republican presidential hopeful Tom Tancredo has dropped out of the presidential race.

Good riddance!

The Secret Life of Bees

ComingSoon is reporting that Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, and Sophie Okonedo have signed on to star in The Secret Life of Bees, based on the novel by Sue Monk Kidd. Also, in final negotiations to star in the film are Alicia Keys and Dakota Fanning.

The film is set in 1964 South Carlolina and centers on Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning), who escapes her lonely life and problematic relationship with her father by running away with her only friend (Jennifer Hudson) to a town that holds the secrets to her mother's past. There she is taken in by an eccentric trio of beekeeping sisters (Keys, Latifah, Okonedo).

Pollspot: Getting Down to the Wire

The Iowa Caucus is fast approaching and it continues to look like a 3-way tie between Obama, Clinton, and Edwards for the Democrats. Take a look at some polls courtesy of Politcial Wire:

American Research Group:

The American Research Group released new polls from Iowa and New Hampshire, but both show results very different than almost every other recently published poll.

Democrats:
In Iowa, Sen. Hillary Clinton leads among Democrats with 29% followed closely by Sen. Barack Obama with 25% and John Edwards with 18%. Obama has the softest support in Iowa among Democrats, with 25% of his supporters say they might change their minds.

In New Hampshire, Clinton leads with 38%, followed by Obama at 24%, and Edwards at 15%.

Republicans:
In Iowa, Mike Huckabee leads with 28%, followed by John McCain at 20%, Mitt Romney at 17%, and Rudy Giuliani at 13%. Huckabee's support in Iowa is the softest among Republicans, with 62% of his supporters saying they might change their minds.

In New Hampshire, Romney and McCain are tied at 26% each.

Strategic Vision:

A new Strategic Vision poll in Iowa that also shows the Democratic presidential race in a statistical tie. Sen. Barack Obama leads with 30%, followed by John Edwards and Sen. Hillary Clinton tied at 27%.For Republicans, Mike Huckabee leads with 31%, followed by Mitt Romney at 25%, Fred Thompson at 16%, Sen. John McCain at 8%, Rudy Giuliani at 6%.

CNN:

A new CNN/Opinion Research poll shows the Democratic race for president in a statistical tie. Sen. Hillary Clinton leads with 30%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 28% and John Edwards at 26% -- all within the poll's margin of error of four points.

On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee leads with 33%, followed by Mitt Romney at 25%, and Rudy Giuliani at 11%.

Britney's Sister Expecting

Image courtesy of Evil Beet Gossip

Jamie Lynn Spears, the 16-year-old younger sister of Britney Spears, has announced that she is expecting her first child.

WGA & the Golden Globes

The Writer's Guild of America has announced that they will be picketing outside the Golden Globes ceremony next month. This will lead to quite a different ceremony and many wonder if any actors will show up and cross the picket lines to attend the ceremony. The WGA strike is now in its 7th week.

Pollspot: Iowa, NH, and National

While Senator Clinton has lost some of her power since I've been away in Europe, I still believe that she can and will win the Democratic Party's nomination. More importantly, I still believe in her. Here are some polls courtesy of Political Wire:

Iowa:

The latest Washington Post/ABC News poll shows Sen. Barack Obama leading the Democratic field with 33%, followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton at 29%, Edwards at 20% and Gov. Bill Richardson at 8%.

Key finding: "Each of the leading contenders appears to enjoy distinct advantages. More of Obama's backers said they are certain to participate than did those who have gotten behind Clinton. But Clinton's supporters are the most committed and enthusiastic, and Edwards counts among his supporters experienced caucus attendees who are more likely to turn out again."

New Hampshire:

A new CNN/WMUR poll shows Sen. Hillary Clinton regaining her lead in New Hampshire -- thanks to a boost in support from older Democratic voters. Clinton leads with 38%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama with 26% and John Edwards at 14%.

In the Republican race, Mitt Romney is still out in front with 34%, followed by Sen. John McCain at 22% and Rudy Giuliani at 16%.

National:

A new Reuters/Zogby national poll shows Mike Huckabee surging into a virtual tie with Rudy Giuliani in the Republican presidential race. Huckabee is now just one point behind Giuliani, 23% to 22%.

Among Democrats, Sen. Hillary Clinton's national edge also shrunk, though she's still eight points ahead of Sen. Barack Obama, 40% to 32%.

Journeys with John: Athens

November 30th - December 2nd, 2007

This concludes the Journeys with John series. I return to the United States this week.

Journeys with John: Rome

Journeys with John: Venice

November 20-21, 2007

Journeys with John: Prague

Nov 15-19

Journeys with John: Paris

November 8-11th, 2007

Journeys with John: Salzburg, Austria

Nov 1 - 4 2007

Journeys with John: Brussels

10/18/07

Journeys with John: Barcelona

10/10-10/13/2007

Journeys with John: London

10/2/2007 - 10/10/2007

Journeys with John: Berlin

September 28-30

Journeys with John: Glasgow/Edinburgh

September 21-23

Sherri Shepherd is a Half-wit

The new host Sherri Shepard was on "The View" today. No I don't watch the show but I do love video clips of people making idiots out of themselves. Here's Sherri unsure whether the Earth is flat or not.

Photo courtesy of dlisted.com

Evel Dick Wins Big Brother 8

Although our obsession with Big Brother 8 has decreased considerably since we all went off to school for the semester, I've still been checking out the blogs to see who would win this season. And the votes are in: "Evel" Dick Donato won the $500,000 over his 20 year-old daughter Danielle, who walked off with $50,000. Despite coming into the Big Brother house as an estranged father and daughter , Dick always made it clear that his goal was to bring Danielle with him into the final 2, and make sure she got some money out of the deal. While I can't agree with his antics on the show, I can at least say that his intentions toward his daughter seem to have been good.

Thanks EW for the photo.

Sex and the City Begins Filming

The first shot of Sex and the City's big screen debut is here! The movie will star Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Chris Noth, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler and Jason Lewis in reprisals of their tv roles. A newcomer to the cast is Jennifer Hudson. See ETOnline for more.

I'm loving this picture of Big and Carrie. They both look great, and I love the dress. I was never a fan of these two together (how could anyone cheat on Aidan??) but in the end, even I agreed they were right for each other. We'll see how they do on the big screens...

Journeys with John: Rotterdam/Amsterdam

Rotterdam/Amsterdam, Netherlands

September 14-16, 2007

Emmy Winners

And the Emmys go to...

Supporting Actor (Comedy): Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Supporting Actor (Drama): Terry O'Quinn, Lost
Supporting Actress (Comedy): Jaime Pressly, My Name is Earl
Supporting Actress (Drama): Katherine Heigl, Gray's Anatomy
Series (Variety, Musical or Comedy): The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Lead Actor (Comedy): Rickey Gervais, Extras
Lead Actress (Comedy): America Ferrara, Ugly Betty
Lead Actress (Drama): Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters
Lead Actor (Drama): James Spader, Boston Legal
Comedy Series: 30 Rock
Drama Series: The Sopranos

No major surprises here, in my opinion. There was no one show that swept the awards this year, although ABC did very well with awards for Lost, Ugly Betty, Gray's Anatomy and others.

For a complete list of winners, check out the official Emmy Awards website.

In Theatres Now

There is a huge variety of movies in theatres right now. Sadly, I've been too busy making s'mores using a candle in my apartment to see them. Check these out and let me know how they are:

3:10 To Yuma: Christian Bale and Russell Crowe. Yum.
Across the Universe: Evan Rachel Wood stars in this Beatles musical, which looks innovative and interesting.
Mr. Woodcock: Why, Susan Sarandon, why???
Silk: East meets West story of a man who falls in love with a Japanese concubine, starring Kiera Knightly and Alfred Molina.
December Boys: I'll keep talking about this movie until I finally see it, which will probably be on DVD. Daniel Radcliff plays another orphaned boy looking for replacement parents.
The Brave One: Jodie Foster plays a wounded woman on a mission to find her fiance's killer.

Happy movie watching!

New Legislature By Dems Could Shift Iraq Plans Starting Now

According to the New York Times, Democrats in the Senate are pushing for new legislature which would require that soldiers spend as much time at home as they did overseas before they are redeployed. This strategy, proposed by Senator Jim Webb of Virgina, would force President Bush to begin bringing troops home from Iraq earlier than planned, and would reduce the stress and fatigue soldiers face. Democrats say they are close to having enough Republican support for this proposal to pass. For more info, see the full article.

Journeys with John: Kasteel Well

Kasteel Well is a Dutch landmark located in Well, Netherlands about 2 hours from Amsterdam. It's truly a beautiful place in a tiny village. Emerson College owns Kasteel Well and sends around 80 students each semester for the study abroad experience.

I've been in the Netherlands for nearly a week now. It's been busy but I managed to put together a quick (and very unprofessional) video of the Castle. I didn't bother doing voice overs because I'll just let the Castle speak for itself. I really do apologize for my lack of camera abilities but I'll get better. Coming soon will be more videos from Well, Netherlands but the next Journey with John is Rotterdam/Amsterdam.

Sources Confirm Israeli Airstrike on Syria

It has been confirmed that Israel carried out an airstrike inside Syria last week. Sources say Israeli forces may have been targeting weapons on their way to Hezbollah militants. For the full story, see CNN.com.

Jennifer Hudson Joins SATC

Image courtesy of People

Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson has joined the cast of the much anticipated Sex and the City motion picture. She will be playing Carrie Bradshaw's (Sarah Jessica Parker) secretary.

It's Official: Sherri on the View

Barbara Walters has made it official that Sherri Shepherd will be the new permanent panelist on The View. A great addition. I was still rooting for Kathy Griffin.

Pollspot: Clinton and Giuliani Still On Top

From Political Wire:

The new USA Today/Gallup Poll shows Rudy Giuliani leading the Republican presidential field with 34%, followed by Fred Thompson at 22%, Sen. John McCain at 15%, and Mitt Romney at 10%.

For the Democrats, Sen. Hillary Clinton continues to lead with 45% support, trailed by Sen. Barack Obama at 24% and John Edwards at 16%.

Key finding: Republican voters are somewhat more satisfied with their candidates: 70% say they're pleased with the choice; 26% would like a new candidate. In April, a third wanted additional choices.

A nice 21 point lead for Hillary!

Pollspot: New Mexico

Political Wire brings us a poll from New Mexico.

According to a new Albuquerque Journal poll, Gov. Bill Richardson leads the Democratic presidential race in his native New Mexico with 44% support, followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton at 17 percent, John Edwards at 8% and Sen. Barack Obama at 8%.

However, 52% of those surveyed thought Sen. Hillary Clinton would eventually win the Democratic nomination.

Clearly...he's a popular governor.

HSM Rules Supreme

Even though Vanessa Hudgens is taking her clothes off, the soundtrack to High School Musical 2 continues to dominate the charts. It is number 1 on the Billboard 200 for a 3rd week selling around 219,000 copies pushing it well past a million units.

Foxy Headed to the Slammer

Foxy Brown is following in the footsteps of her rap rival, Lil' Kim. Foxy Brown was sentenced to a year in prison for probation violation. She will be eligible for parole after 8 months.

Pavarotti Passes

World renowned Opera singer Luciano Pavorotti has died. This might be old news but I'm just reading about it now that I'm settling in. May he rest in peace. He was 72.

Pollspot: PA, NC, SC

Here are some polls courtesy of Political Wire:

Pennsylvania:

A new Keystone poll shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic presidential race with 38%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 21% and John Edwards at 17%.

On the GOP side, Rudy Giuliani leads with 32%, followed by Sen. John McCain at 19%, Mitt Romney at 12% and Fred Thompson at 11%.

Key finding: Like an earlier Ohio poll found, Pennsylvania is trending blue with the leading Democrats beating the leading Republicans.

Solid lead for Hill!

North Carolina:

In North Carolina, a new Public Policy Polling survey finds Fred Thompson leading the GOP presidential race with 34%, followed by Rudy Giuliani at 16%, Mitt Romney at 13% and Sen. John McCain at 7%.

On the Democratic side, Sen. Hillary Clinton continues to provide a good challenge to John Edwards in his home state, edging him by two points, 30% to 28%, with Sen. Barack Obama coming in at 21%.

Fred Thompson is whooping ass there for some reason. Hillary and Edwards in a lock.

South Carolina:

In South Carolina, a new Clemson University Palmetto Poll shows Sen. Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic presidential race with 26%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 16%, John Edwards at 10% and Al Gore at 8%.

On the Republican side, Fred Thompson leads with 19%, followed by Rudy Giuliani at 18%, Sen.John McCain at 15%, Mitt Romney at 11%, Newt Gingrich at 9% and Mike Huckabee at 6%.

Solid 10 point lead for Hill in a key early primary state.

Early Polls Don't Mean What?

Just because I am in the Netherlands now it doesn't mean I won't stop following US politics, preaching about how Hillary Clinton should be the next president, and why Barack Obama should not.

Here's a quote from Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, about early polls not meaning anything.

"In mid-September 2003, national polls showed Joe Lieberman to be the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination. Then John Kerry won the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary, and the shift in momentum carried him to a decisive victory. The lesson: early polls don't mean a thing and success in crucial early-state contests will win the Democratic nomination."

Why do I disagree? First and foremost because it's NOT early anymore. The Iowa caucus is in just under 4 months and in super Tuesday is less than 5 months away. So it is most definitely NOT early anymore. Also, to use Joe Lieberman as an example doesn't mean much. He is not as well known as Senator Hillary Clinton. This is a completely different race than 2004 and the Barack Obama campaign is doing everything to gain back the momentum they lost from John Edwards.

America, Is That You?

What have they done to America Ferrera? Not only is she a fantastic actress on Ugly Betty but she's also leading the charge for real beauty in Hollywood. So why would Glamour photoshop her so obviously on the cover of their "1st Annual Figure Flattery Issue"?? Is that their secret? Hire someone to photoshop your figure to make it more flattering? The biggest irony of it all is that a great episode of Ugly Betty involved America's character convincing a pop star to stand up for herself and say no to the editors of the magazine who wanted to "enhance" her photos. Is this life immitating art? Please.

Nude School Musical?

Vanessa Hudgens, star of the Disney High School Musical movies, has confirmed that a nude photo of her that's been floating around the internet since Thursday is real. Hudgens, 18, issued a statement that said, "This was a photo which was taken privately. It is a personal matter and it is unfortunate that this has become public." Supposedly the photo is one of a series she took with boyfriend and fellow costar Zac Efron. I wonder what Disney thinks about its latest princess being in such a compromising position... If you search hard enough, I'm sure you can find this photo somewhere on the web, but Hudgens' lawyers have done a pretty good job of getting it taken down.

Sherri Shepherd Set to Sit on the View

Although Barbara Walters won't make the official announcement until Monday, Sherri Shepherd is set to join the panal on the View. This comedian and former guest host of the show will make a great addition to the cast. I know John has been rooting for Kathy Griffen, but I loved watching Sherri Shepherd interact with the rest of the panal, and I think the show will be funny and interesting from now on.

Oprah Hosts Fundraiser for Obama

This coming weekend on September 8th, Oprah Winfrey will be holding a large fundraiser at her Santa-Barbara estate in California for Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Tickets are selling at $2,300 each (the maximum amount allowed by campaign finance laws). Oprah has never endorsed a political candidate before, but says that she truly believes Senator Obama. For more on this, click here.

Republican Congressmen Found Dead

Republican Congressmen Paul Gilmore of Ohio was found dead last night. He was 68 years old. For more on this story and how they will replace his seat, click here.

Pollspot: Most Respected Candidate

Courtesy of Political Wire:

In a nationwide survey, SurveyUSA asked adults how much respect they have for the candidates for the White House, on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 means "highest possible respect" and 1 means "no respect whatsoever." Here's how the candidates measured up:

Rudy Giuliani = 5.5
Hillary Clinton = 5.3
Barack Obama = 5.2
John McCain = 5.2
John Edwards 5.0
Fred Thompson = 4.8
Mike Huckabee = 4.5
Mitt Romney = 4.5
Bill Richardson = 4.3
Joe Biden = 4.3
Ron Paul = 4.0
Tom Tancredo = 4.0
Sam Brownback = 3.7
Chris Dodd = 3.6
Duncan Hunter = 3.5

I'm glad to see Hillary leading the Democrats! Not too crazy about Giuliani in first.

Academy Award nominee Jude Law was arrested outside his London home for attacking a member of the papparazzi.

New View Co-Host is Coming

Barbara Walters announced today that they will announce who the new View co-host will be on Monday, September 10th during the show. The new co-host will join Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, and Joy Behar. Here's hoping it's Kathy Griffin!

Kelly Clarkson to Try Again...

Kelly Clarkson has unveiled plans to try her hand at touring once again. She'll kick off a Fall tour based on her new album "My December" in Verona, New York. Kelly will hit 23 cities in the US and one in Canada. Her summer tour was cancelled amidst poor ticket sales and reports of a fallout between Kelly and her record company.

Sidenote: I hate when artists add one show in Canada and call it a "North America" tour! What about the rest of Canada? What about Mexico? Might as well just keep it all in the States... But I love Kelly Clarkson, and she puts on a great (if short) show, so I wish her good luck with this tour.

For a full list of tour dates, see Billboard

Craig May Not Resign

Image courtesy of The Washington Post

This past Saturday, Senator Larry Craig resigned from the US Senate after he pled guilty to lewd conduct for a men's room incident. Now, the Senator might be having a change of heart. Just what the GOP needs...more controversy and unrest. No complaints from me! For more on Senator Craig the flip flopper who might not resign, go here.

Mr. and Mrs. Maguire

Image courtesy of NY Mag

Spiderman Tobey Maguire married his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Meyer in a secret ceremony Monday night. Not a big fan of Tobey but congrats!

Halle Berry Expecting

Image courtesy of People

Halle Berry revealed to Access Hollywood that she is 3 months pregnant. All the best to her!

Shaq Files For Divorce

Can no one stay together these days? Shaquille O'Neal filed for divorce from his wife of five years Shaunie. The couple have 4 children together.

Republicans Want Hillary But I Don't

In today's New York Times, the article "For Democrats, Primary Field Gives Confidence" says "Democratic voters appear as energized about this election as Republican voters are subdued, though that could change once the Republicans rally around a candidate and if Mrs. Clinton is nominated and turns out to be as polarizing a candidate as Republicans are hoping."

The article went on further to say "Some expressed concern that Mrs. Clinton, as a general-election candidate, would be hurt by voter animosity that has accumulated over the years. 'Hillary has the baggage from the Bill years, and all the various scandals they have been through,' said Ken Purington, 50, of Rollinsford, N.H."

This is why I don't want Hillary to get the nomination. People's minds are already made up about her. It's not even October yet and her unfavorables are already higher than Kerry's and Gore's were on their respective elections days. Anyone who doesn't like Bill Clinton already doesn't like Hillary just by association. "Two for one deal" will be no benefit for Hillary. The Republicans are deflated. Hillary will ignite the hatred the religious right has for her marriage-cheating husband.

I sympathize (to a degree) with all the Hillary fans out there. She is in an unfair situation and it sucks. But unfair or not, this is how it is. For once the Democrats have an easy win, please don't mess it up by nominating Clinton.

Whoopi Starts New View Season

Image courtesy of BuddyTV

Whoopi Goldberg officially joined the panel of The View today as the show began it's 11th season. Goldberg joins Barbara Walters, very pregnant Elizabeth Hasselbeck, and Joy Behar. No mention on if or when the final panelist chair will be filled.

Nicole Kidman Bares All to Vanity Fair

Image courtesy of Dlisted

Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman told Vanity Fair that she suffered a miscarriage shortly after marrying Tom Cruise at the age of 23. She said the traumatic experience caused her to adopt first daughter Bella. Kidman suffered a second miscarriage in 2001 a month after she filed divorce from Tom Cruise. I really feel for Nicole. I think she's immensely talented and much better off without Tom Cruise.

Pollspot: Experience or Change

Political Wire had this new Gallup Poll up today:

A new Gallup Poll consulted voters on their preferences for change versus experience in the upcoming Presidential election. Almost 3 in 4 respondents said they preferred a candidate wanting to make change rather than one with experience in Washington when forced to choose one over the other. While this may seem problematic for Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign for President, when given further options voters seemed to want both an eagerness for change and exceptional experience in their candidate. 96% said change was a desirable characteristic and 59% said experience was also important. However, only 18% seemed to think being an outsider with limited Washington experience was a desirable characteristic -- making it less of a draw for candidates like Sen. Barack Obama.

I think Hillary Clinton represents both change and experience. I think I would choose experience slightly...just slightly...over change. Change isn't always a good thing.

Wise Words from Fitty

This is just comical to me, but for once 50 Cent are on the same page. Here's what he had to say about the 2008 election.

"I'd like to see Hillary Clinton be president. It would be nice to see a woman be the actual president and ... this is a way for us to have Bill Clinton be president again, and he did a great job during his term." - 50 Cent

Bellatrix is Back

Image courtesy of Film Fetish

Helena Bonham Carter will reprise her role as Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. She's not due back on the movie's set until Spring. The next Harry Potter movie has a targeted release for November 21,2008.

John Edwards Picks Up Two More

Image courtesy of After W

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is leading the pack with the most union endorsements. Today, he picked up two more big ones. The Steelworkers and the Mine Workers both are throwing their support behind John Edwards. Senators Hillary Clinton and Chris Dodd have also picked up a few union endorsements.

Owen Wilson Discharged

Image courtesy of Fox News

Owen Wilson was discharged from the hospital this past weekend following his alleged suicide attempt.