Senator Craig May Resign

Numerous news sources are reporting that Republican Senator Larry Craig of Idaho will announce his resignation as US Senator tomorrow. News broke this past week of Craig pleading guilty to charges of lewd conduct when he was arrested in a men's restroom in June.

Pollspot: Michigan State

Here's a Michigan poll courtesy of Political Wire:

Michigan:

According to a new EPIC-MRA poll, Sen. Hillary Clinton leads the Democrats in Michigan with 40%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 21% and John Edwards at 16% percent.

On the Republican side, former Gov. Mitt Romney leads with 25%, edging out former Mayor Rudy Giuliani with 23%. Former Sen. Fred Thompson is in third with 16% and Sen. John McCain trails with 15%.

It's a little surprising to me that Mitt Romney is polling slightly better than Rudy Giuliani.

Because it's just too damn funny...

I'm not a big fan of Nancy Grace so I thought this was pretty hilarious!

Earlier today we wrote here how Iowa would allow gay marriages. Not the case anymore. Now, gay marriages in Iowa has been halted until the state Supreme Court hears an appeal. And the country continues to move backwards. For more on this story, click here.

Enchanted

Disney's big budget 2D/Live Action release Enchanted hits theaters this November. The movie stars Academy Award nominee Amy Adams, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden, and Grey's Anatomy's Patrick Dempsey. The trailer looks like a lot of fun.

Check it out here.

Tony Snow Stepping Down

Is anyone staying with President Bush these days? After Karl Rove and Alberto Gonzales, Press Secretary Tony Snow will step down on September 14th. He will be replaced by his deputy, Dana Perino.

Halloween

New at the movies is Rob Zombie's reimagining of John Carpenter's slasher Halloween. So far, critics at Rotten Tomatoes are not loving this remake. The movie is currently at 22% with 4 fresh and 15 rotten. Critics tend to not like slasher flicks to begin with so who knows. The trailer most definitely looks interesting.

David Beckham Rests Up

New LA Galaxy star David Beckham will sit out for the next six weeks after damaging a ligament in his knee. He was paid mucho mucho dinero to join the team and he hasn't played too long at all. Is he worth the money?

Image courtesy of ABC

The new promo for the 4th season of Desperate Housewives. Last season was fire...hope this season doesn't disappoint.

Iowa Allows Gay Marriage

An Iowa district court ruled yesterday that gay and lesbian couples can legally marry based on Iowa's constitution's guarantee on equal treatment. Very good news indeed. Go here for more on the story.

Ashlee Heads to Ghana

No new posts from Green Room correspondent Ashlee Tran for a while. She flies out to Ghana today to stay until December. We wish her the best.

Princess Diana

Today marks the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana's death. She's still talked about as much, if not more, as she was when she was alive.

Britney Raking In The Big Bucks

According to Kevin Federline's attorney, Britney Spears earns a reported $737,868 per month. At this rate, she earns $8,854,416 per year. Just to compare...President George W. Bush's presidential salary is around $400,000 per year (of course he earns a lot more than that otherwise and he is extremely wealthy to begin with) The court documents also reveal that Kevin Federline receives $20,000 per month of spousal support from Britney. This spousal support will end on November 15th.

Train Crash In Brazil

Image courtesy of the Associated Press

At least eight people have died and sixty people have been injured in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (where I'm from) during a train collision. The fast-moving train, carrying around 850 people, slammed into an empty train. Some passengers are currently trapped in the wreckage. For more, click here.

Snoop Tapped To Host MTV Europe

Image courtesy of Artistopia

Snoop Dogg will host the MTV European Music Awards according to Variety. The awards will take place in Munich, Germany and broadcast on November 1st, 2007.

Britney Wants You To Gimme More

Britney Spears's comeback single has been leaked to the internet. You can listen to "Gimme More" at Perez Hilton and download it via other sites. In addition to "Gimme More," a song titled "Cold as Fire" also leaked. However, it is unclear at this time whether "Cold as Fire" will appear on the album or if this is even a finished version of the song. As for "Gimme More," I think it's pretty good. Definitely catchy and different. As she starts the song off..."It's Britney bitch!" Britney Spears is back....but can she not have another meltdown? I think she'll probably mess this up.

Pollspot: The First Primary State

More good news for my candidate Senator Hillary Clinton. While other surveys dealing with New Hampshire found Hillary Clinton edging out Barack Obama, the American Research Group's July survey had Obama and Clinton in a tie. However, "The radically different numbers released today by ARG for August -- Clinton at 37 percent, Obama 17 percent, Edwards 14 percent, Richardson 7 percent -- gave her an even bigger lead than other national surveys." This is great news for Hillary Clinton as she enters the vital Fall portion of the campaing.

Meanwhile, "in the Republican race, ARG gives Romney 27 percent of the likely primary vote, Rudy Giuliani 23 percent and John McCain 12 percent. Fred Thompson slipped to 8 percent, falling behind the biggest gainer, Mike Huckabee, at 9 percent, up from just 1 percent in July." Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani aren't too far apart.

Source: American Research Group - New Hampshire Union Leader

Unions Back Clinton, Edwards, and Huckabee

The OC Register has good news for presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Mike Huckabee. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers announced today that they are endorsing Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mike Huckabee. The union has over 700,000 members and they estimate that about a third of their members vote Republican. They issued a dual bipartisan endorsement so all their members would participate. This is Hillary's second major union endorsement this week. She secured the 125,000 member United Transportation Union's endorsement earlier this week. Go Hill!

Meanwhile, Democrat John Edwards is being backed by the 530,000 member United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. One third of their members are registered Republicans.

Good news for the three candidates.

Lachey to Host Dance Wars

Image courtesy of People

Former pop star and Dancing With The Stars season 2 winner Drew Lachey will host Dance Wars: Bruno vs. Carrie Anne according to Variety. This ABC mid-season show is a spin-off to the hit show and will feature Dancing With The Stars judges Carrie Anne Inaba and Bruno Tonioli forming rival dance troupes who compete against one another. The show is slated to premiere after this season of Dancing With The Stars wraps.

Fred Thompson Announcement is Coming

Image courtesy of Buddy TV

In not-so-secret news, NBC is reporting that Fred Thompson will announce his candidacy for president on September 6th. Thoughts?

Taliban Releases Remaining South Korean Hostages

Image Courtesy of the Associated Press

After six weeks, Taliban militants finally released the remaining South Korean captives being held hostage in Afghanistan. In mid-July, the Taliban captured 23 South Koreans, transporting them by bus to one of their main strongholds in Kandahar. Since then, the Taliban killed two male hostages and allowed one woman to go free. On Wednesday, they released another twelve, but it was not until today that they let the remaining hostages go free. According to news sources, the South Korean government had made a deal with the Taliban to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year in exchange for the captives. For the full story, click here.

Because's it's just too damn funny...

This is more painful than funny. Game show bloopers with people who are just flat out stupid. In fact, they make Miss Teen South Carolina look like Einstein. Love the throwback to the Oozinator at the end (if you don't know what that naughty toy is then you will love the end of the clip).

Olsen is an Informer

Image courtesy of Poster

While Mary Kate Olsen has been busy with a recurring role on Showtime's Weeds, Ashley Olsen hasn't been doing much. Now, Ashley has been cast as a sexually, promiscuous girl in the film The Informers. The movie is the story of seven intersecting storylines taking place on one weekend in Los Angeles 1983. Also starring are Kim Basinger, Brandon Routh, and Billy Bob Thornton.

Mamma Mia!, Here I Come

Image courtesy of USA Today

With Hairspray released and Sweeney Todd coming up, the next movie musical has just started filming in Greece. Mamma Mia! has been a hit on Broadway and in London's West End. The show has been seen by over 30 million people. Now, Academy Award winning legend Meryl Streep and former James Bond Pierce Brosnan will bring the musical to the big screen. Also starring is Amanda Seyfried, who held her own with Lindsay Lohan as Karen in 2004's Mean Girls.

Hillary Clinton on Letterman

Image courtesy of Hillary

Senator Hillary Clinton will make her 7th appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman tonight. It will be her first appearance as a presidential candidate. The Late Show airs at 11:35 PM EST.

Movie Trailer: Lions For Lambs

Lions For Lambs is a story very relavent to the current state of the United States. Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, and Tom Cruise star in the film slated for release on November 9th.

Click here for the trailer.

Pollspot: Iowa...Yet Again

Political Wire brings us this Iowa poll today...

Iowa:
In Iowa, a new Time magazine poll shows John Edwards leading the Democratic presidential race with 32%, followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton at 24%, Sen. Barack Obama at 22% and Gov. Bill Richardson at 13%. Complete poll results are available.

John Edward's efforts of focusing mainly on Iowa may be working but I still predict that Hillary Clinton will win Iowa come January. Bill Richardson rises a little.

Elizabeth Edwards Defends Hillary

Image courtesy of Harry Walker

Elizabeth Edwards recently told Time magazine,

"I do not think the hatred against Hillary Clinton is justified. I don’t know where it comes from. I don’t begin to understand. But you can’t pretend it doesn’t exist, and it will energize the Republican base. Their nominee won’t energize them, Bush won’t energize them, but Hillary as the nominee will."

While it was nice of her to defend Hillary Clinton for once, her agenda is, of course, to try and bring Hillary down so her husband can rise. It's true that the Republican base will rise up against Hillary should she get the nomination. However, just because that's true, it doesn't mean that we should someone who isn't the best nominee (like John Edwards for example) to go up against the Republicans. Hillary is the best qualified candidate and she will take on any attack Republicans throw at her. It wouldn't be the first time.

Clinton Gives Away Money

Image courtesy of MSNBC

Senator Hillary Clinton is giving the $23,000 in donations she has received from Norman Hsu, who is wanted in California for failing to appear for sentencing on a 1991 grand theft charge, to charity. Also giving away Hsu's contribution money to charity include Senator John Kerry, Al Franken, and Senator Barbara Boxer. For more, click here.

Pollspot: New Jersey

Political Wire shows Clinton and Giuliani way ahead in New Jersey.

A new Strategic Vision (R) poll in New Jersey finds Sen. Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic presidential race with 49%, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 22%, John Edwards at 8% and Gov. Bill Richardson at 5%.On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani leads with 51%, followed by Fred Thompson at 12%, Mitt Romney at 9%, and Sen. John McCain at 7%.

Pollspot: Some less mentioned states

DailyKos posted some 2008 match-ups showing Senator Hillary Clinton against Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, and Mitt Romney in New York, Massachusetts, and Kansas. Senator Clinton expectedly loses in Kansas but triumphs in NY and MA!

Kansas
6 Electoral votes. Bush won in 2004 by 25%. Clinton versus Giuliani, Thompson, and Romney.
Clinton (D) 40 (36) Giuliani (R) 54 (56)
Clinton (D) 44 (45) Thompson (R) 49 (48)
Clinton (D) 45 (44) Romney (R) 45 (44)

Massachusetts
12 Electoral votes. Kerry won in 2004 by 25%. Clinton versus Giuliani, Thompson, and Romney.
Clinton (D) 57 (56) Giuliani (R) 37 (36)
Clinton (D) 62 (64) Thompson (R) 30 (29)
Clinton (D) 62 (63) Romney (R) 33 (30)

New York
31 Electoral votes. Kerry won in 2004 by 19%. Clinton versus Giuliani, Thompson, and Romney.
Clinton (D) 59 (58) Giuliani (R) 37 (36)
Clinton (D) 64 (64) Thompson (R) 31 (30)
Clinton (D) 64 (66) Romney (R) 27 (27)

Fergie Scores 3rd Number 1

Image courtesy of Artist Direct

Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas scores her 3rd Billboard Hot 100 number 1 hit this week as "Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal)" takes the top spot from Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls." Finally...Sean Kingston's song was getting on my last nerve.

High School Musical 2 Reigns Supreme!

The soundtrack to High School Musical 2 will enjoy a second week atop the Billboard Top 200 albums selling around 367,000 copies. This brings the total to nearly a million copies sold. The phenomenon is taking over!

Amy Winehouse Cancels

Amy Winehouse has canceled her performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. The 23-year-old's US record label said all her US appearances had been canceled “in a continued effort to support Amy Winehouse's well-being.” At least she didn't say she was coming and then not show up...like she is known to do.

Hurricane Katrina Anniversary

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Today marks the 2nd anniversary since Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana and Mississippi leaving New Orleans in a devastated state.

Castro Bets On Clinton/Obama

Image courtesy of MSNBC

Fidel Castro, who Perez Hilton reported had died last week, is putting his money on Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The ailing dictator wrote in an editorial in the communist party newspaper, Granma, that the pairing of the two Senators would be invincible according to CNN. Now, who's to say Fidel Castro even wrote this. He may very well have been dead for a while now and someone else in the government might be trying to cover things up.

Bill and Hill On The Campaign Trail

Image courtesy of US Constitution

Hillary Clinton is once again calling on her husband to hit the campaign trail. The couple will be in New Hamsphire on Sunday and Iowa on Monday. Last month, Bill and Hill campaigned together in Iowa during the week of July 4th.

Pollspot: Arizona Losing The McCain Love

Image courtesy of Northwestern

According to Political Wire, an Airzona poll by Arizona State University shows Senator John McCain holding a narrow lead in the GOP presidential race with 24%. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and Fred Thompson are all virtually tied in second with close to 20%. McCain has gone down from 32% in April and 44% in February.

John Goodman is Paul Bunyan

Image courtesy of E!

John Goodman (Roseanne) will voice legendary tall tale hero Paul Bunyan in the CGI film Bunyan & Babe. Goodman has also provided his voice to Monsters, Inc. and, of course, Dunkin Donuts commercials.

Big Cast Set For New Film

Image courtesy of People

New Line Cinema is trying to round out Ben Affleck to join the ensemble cast of He's Just Not That Into You according to Coming Soon. The rest of the cast already includes Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Long, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Ginnifer Goodwin (Walk the Line), Bradley Cooper (ALIAS, Wedding Crashers), and Scarlett Johansson.

The Rock Goes To Witch Mountain

Coming Soon is reporting that Disney is in talks with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to star in Witch Mountain. The Rock would play a Las Vegas cab driver who picks up two siblings with magical powers. This is a remake of Disney's 1975 film, Escape To Witch Mountain.

The View Makes Way For Whoopi

Image courtesy of ABC

The View's 11th Season starts on September 4th and ABC has unveiled the new promo shot featuring the new panel with Whoopi Goldberg. The first guest of the season will be Danny DeVito, who may or may not have been drunk on his last appearance and ended his interview by sitting on Rosie O'Donnell's lap. Still missing is the person who is supposed to fill the spot of Star Jones Reynolds. Sherri Shepherd said recently that she is still in talks for the spot. An ABC insider told People that filling that spot is not a big priority right now.

Latin Grammy Nominees Announced

The nominations for the Latin Grammy Awards. Among the nominees are Ricky Martin, who earned 4 nods, and Beyonce and Shakira for their collaboration, "Beautiful Liar." The awards will be presented live on November 8th, 2007 from Las Vegas. For more, click here.

Dancing With The Stars

Image courtesy of ABC Media Net

ABC announced today the line-up of (D-List) "celebrities" that will be participating in the fifth season of Dancing With The Stars.

This season's participants:


Wayne Newton
Marie Osmond
Jennie Garth
Sabrina Bryan
Scary Spice Melanie Brown
Mark Cuban
Jane Seymour
Helio Castroneves
Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Cameron Mathison


Season 5 premieres on September 24.

Katie Couric Heads to Iraq

Katie Couric will be reporting from Iraq and Syria in the coming weeks. It will be her first trip to the war zone. She will anchor the CBS Evening News from Baghdad next Tuesday and Wednesday followed by Damascus next Thursday and Friday. Her trip is in anticipation of the crucial military report on the progress of the American effort in Iraq. Click for more!

Pollspot: Hillary vs the GOP

This SurveyUSA poll has good news for Hillary Clinton in numerous states! The poll shows Hillary beating every GOP contender in 11 battleground states and only losing to Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thomspon in Alabama (but she beats Mitt Romney in Alabama). Definitely good numbers for Hill...not great.

It's Pinksville for Tatum and Willis

Channing Tatum image courtesy of MoneyForGum

Bruce Willis and Channing Tatum will star in Oliver Stone's Pinksville. The film will be a drama based on the 1968 My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War. This will be Oliver Ston'es fourth film about the Vietnam War era (Platoon, Heaven and Earth, Born On The Fourth of July).

Pollspot: Edwards Edging Obama

A new daily poll from Rasmussen shows Barack Obama and John Edwards in a virtual tie for second place. Usually, Obama and Edwards have been within the margin of error for each other but today's poll shows them even. The thing to be wary about is that this is a daily poll and it changes slightly from day to day. Hillary Clinton has enjoyed being at the top of this poll...and I enjoy her being in first as well. For GOP, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson are nearly tied with Mitt Romney coming up close.

According to Rasmussen:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson on top of the race for the Republican Presidential Nomination. Giuliani earns 23% of the vote from Likely Republican Primary Voters. while Thompson is also at 23%. Mitt Romney is favored by 16% and John McCain is the choice for 11%. Mike Huckabee tops the second tier at 5%.

In the race for the Democratic Presidential Nomination, Hillary Clinton continues to lead with 40% of the vote from Likely Democratic Primary Voters. Barack Obama earns support from 18% while John Edwards also attracts 18% (see recent daily numbers). New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson tops the Democrats’ second tier at 5%. Dennis Kucinich is next at 3%.

Senator Says He's Not Gay

Image courtesy of CNN and Minneapolis-St. Paul Intl Airport Police Department

This is an update on this story. Republican Senator Larry Craig, who was arrested for misdemeanor disorderly conduct in an airport restroom, says he regrets the decision he made to plead guilty to the charges against him. He also says that he not gay and accused an Idaho newspaper of conducting a witchunt. Ironic how homophobic his votes showed he was. For more on the story, click here.

Historic Governor To Campaign For Obama

Image courtesy of NACHC

The Politico is reporting that former Democratic Virginia Governor Doug Wilder is preparing to aggressively campaign for Barack Obama. Wilder made history as the nation's first elected Black governor and says Obama could shatter the Republican Party's virtual lock on the south. Wilder is the current mayor of Richmond.

Spanish Soccer Star Dies

Image courtesy of Goal

22-year-old Spanish soccer star Antonio Puerta of FC Sevilla has died. He collapsed at a match three days ago from a heart attack, which led to multiple organ failure. Puerta was just about to become a father. This is a heartbreaking story and we are keeping his family in our prayers.

UTU for Hillary!

Senator Hillary Clinton picks up a great endorsement today from the United Transportation Union today! Hillary for President!!!

Senator Craig Pleads Guilty of Sexual Misconduct

Image courtesy of Getty Images

Republican Senator Larry Craig from Idaho pleaded guilty to charges brought upon him for lewd conduct in a men's bathroom in an airport. A government watchdog group filed an ethics complaint on Tuesday after the Senator's plea, which would allow for further investigation into his actions and quite possibly causing his Senate career to come to an end. Senator Craig, who has served three terms, is looking ahead to re-election in 2008. However, with all the negative attention his plea has brought to the general public, his future in politics may not be looking so bright. For the full story, click here.

Owen's Suicide Attempt Confirmed

Image courtesy of E!

A 911 emergency call released to the press confirms that Owen Wilson was hospitalized for a suicide attempt.

Sweeney Todd is Coming

Image Courtesy of Johnny Depp

The new Johnny Depp/Tim Burton movie musical Sweeney Todd will have a wide release on December 21st, 2007. Dreamworks's initial plan for the film was to have a limited release on December 21st and then a wider release in January of 2008. This dark Stephen Sondheim musical tells the story of the demon barber of Fleet Street and is expected to receive an R rating.

Dawson's Return

Image courtesy of E!

Dawson's Creek star James Van Der Beek is returning to tv. He will join the cast of Ugly Betty in a recurring role as the owner of a fashion house. Ugly Betty's second season starts next month and expect special guest appearances from Salma Hayek and Victoria Beckham this season.

South Park Lives On

The creators of South Park have extended their deal with Comedy Central for another 3 years so expect to see new South Park episodes until at least 2011. The extension deal is worth a reported $75 million.

Dodd Gets Big Endorsement

Image courtesy of MSNBC

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut will announce that the International Association of Firefighters is endorsing him according to The Politico. The IAFF was the first union to endorse Senator John Kerry in 2004. Dodd will get a major boost from this, especially in New Hampshire. Many predicted that the IAFF would give their endorsement to either Governor Bill Richardson or Senator Hillary Clinton, who have both been reliable to the IAFF.

Britney Under Investigation

Image courtesy of The Planets

TMZ is reporting that Britney Spears is being investigated for possible child abuse. The L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services is conducting an active investigation and specifics have not been released. A custody hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 4.

Hogan's Issue Statement

Image courtesy of PR

Nick Hogan's mom, Linda Hogan, released a statement to the press about her son's accident yesterday, in which he was allegedly drag racing and crashed his car into a palm tree at high speeds.

Linda Hogan's statement:

“My son Nick and a friend were involved in a car accident last night. Nick suffered minor injuries and has been treated and released from the hospital. At this time, his friend, John Graziano remains hospitalized. Nick is currently at the hospital with John and his family. His sole concern is for the well being of his friend. On behalf of my family, we ask that your thoughts and prayers be with John and his loved ones.”

Owen Wilson Releases Statement

Image Courtesy of Fox News

Owen Wilson, who was hospitalized yesterday, has released a statement to the media. The actor says through his publicist, “I respectfully ask that the media allow me to receive care and heal in private during this difficult time.” News outlet allege that Wilson slit his wrists and overdosed on pills after an apparent suicide attempt.

High School Musical 2 DVD

Tweens and Zac Efron fans rejoice! Disney has announced that High School Musical 2 will be released on a special extended edition on December 11th, 2007 just in time for Christmas. The dvd will come loaded with special features. DVD records will probably be broken.