TUESDAY 5:45 PM: Hollywood VIP David Geffen was seated at President Obama’s table.
TUESDAY UPDATE: The White House announced today that also invited from showbiz were GE chairman Jeff Immelt whose corporation runs NBC Universal, Oprah Winfrey galpal Gayle King, director M. Night Shyamalan, and actors Alfre Woodard and Blair E Underwood.
Entertainers: Jennifer Hudson, AR Rahman, Bay Area Empire Bhangra, Kurt Elling, Marvin Hamlisch
EXCLUSIVE: If tradition stands, the details of the guest list will be revealed only a few hours before the Obama administration’s first state dinner tomorrow. The welcome for India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be the biggest social event of the Obama White House. Already the Washington DC press corp is buzzing about the “got-to-be-there” fever. But this first dinner is primarily a thank you to the Obamas’ most important political supporters. So I’ve learned that, among the Hollywood contingent asked to attend, are onetime DreamWorks partners David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg; Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman Michael Lynton; and WME Entertainment Agency co-CEO Ari Emanuel.
Spielberg’s inclusion is interesting since he was a much ballyhooed Hillary Clinton supporter during the first months of her primary campaign when she looked like a sure thing, then quietly threw his clout behind Obama after he became the clear winner. But, given that the guest of honor is India’s highest ranking statesman, Spielberg’s new financial relationship with India’s giant corporation Reliance more than explains his presence. Geffen was an early Obama backer who publicly took on the Clintons with pointed criticism at the start of the primary season. Katzenberg was one of Obama’s earliest supporters, and became a faithful fundraiser. Both he and Geffen were considered Obama’s biggest Hollywood bundlers during the campaign.
Lynton was a longtime supporter primarily because of the influence of his wife Jamie whose Chicago family has longtime political connections to the Obamas. Her mother Joanne Alter, the first female Democrat elected in Cook County, talent-spotted Obama in 2003 and convinced her daughter to support him. As a result, Lynton co-hosted an early fundraiser for Obama’s Senate bid in 2004 in addition to hosting one of the earliest Hollywood campaign events for him when most showbiz types were still supporting Hillary. (Will.i.am, who composed the viral video for the Obama campaign anthem “Yes, We Can,” met the candidate during a fundraiser at the Lyntons’ home.)
And Chicago native Emanuel not only was one of Obama’s first Hollywood political and financial backers, but, like duh, his brother Rahm is the White House chief of staff. They’ll join the President and First Lady and 400 guests in an elaborate tent erected on the South Lawn. As for who has been chosen to provide the evening’s entertainment, this White House has shown eclectic taste: Stevie Wonder already has played a concert in the East Room, Marc Anthony already took to the South Lawn for an evening of Latin music, and the Foo Fighters played the Fourth of July party.
He should have also invited the heads of CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS and NY Times, since they support him fully as well.
Barrack Hussein Obama and his merry band of idiots have been lame ducks since day one. Obama makes Bush look like a rocket scientist. When are people going to realize this guy is a fraud, an actor. When you want to have a refreshing drink and pull up to the old punch bowl, the turds that you see floating in it are Obama and his lapdogs, ABC, CBS, MSNBC, NYT. All I can say is fire them all, Reid….GONE, Pelosi……GONE, send these a-holes a clear message. And simply ignore all liberal Hollywood types, don’t waste a dime on their products. Put them in the poor house just like we are all going to be under BHO.
I could not have said it any better!
Hans, you’re an idiot. Just like Bush. Obama is a great President and you’re a great fool.
Entertainment is America’s chief export. Don’t hate the player or the game, just keep hating yourself.
Wonder if you had this much bile when Bush was ruining the country.
I feel so bad for you. To have a heart filled with such hatred and contempt because of a man’s color. When will you people realize that we all came from the same place; Mother Africa. May the Lord heal your head and heart.
ronald reagan — refresh my memory here — he was an actor, correct?
i feel sorry for you ditto heads bush and chaney were the biggest cowards in us history thank god they are gone
Hans Gruber, Get a life. In america, the majority wins and get used to Presiden Obama. We will vote again to re-elect him. You are just like the rest of the right wing nutties….a band of hypocrites!!. Guys like you drive me nuts. You claim to like America, yet you cannot stomach when an American President honors a visiting head of state. You claim to be CHRISTIANS and love GOD, yet you right wingers are first to commit adultry (SC Gov), first to commit prostitution (Louisiana Senator), first to molest children (Tex repub congressman). The Dems do it, but they do not rub it in our faces. Get used to PRESIDENT OBAMA. Myself and the rest of AMERICA will match you in voting POWER!!
Hans Gruber, you act like you are the only one who gets to vote in America…NOT!!. The rest of us Americans also get to vote and we said last November that we want Obama. We will say it again in 2012 that we want Obama. You lost once and you will loose again THIS IS NOT your country alone. It belongs to the rest of us
Absolute bull crap no member of the MSM except some commentators on MSNBC support anything the democrats say. THEY ARE REPUBLICAN OWNED AND SPEW THE CRAP REPUBLICANS TELL THEM. If this country had a free unfrittered MSM bush wouldn’t have been able to steal two reigns.
And by the way = what’s wrong with Hollywood. Bush sent out invites to all the has been movie stars and has been country western stars to attend his “dinners”.
Just because BHO is bad does not mean GWB was good. Just because GWB was bad does not me BHO is good. If I am on fire and you dump me in water and wont let me up I may not burn to death I will just drown. Change is not always good. Unless its underwear in which case I am all for it :)
Did you honestly just say “What’s wrong with Hollywood”?
Hollywood is primarily a very close knit membership of very gay and very disturbed people who can be led around by the ring in their nose like sheep. Spineless and short on ears and long on mouths. The first to go when the fit hits the shan.
if you have to ask WHATS WRONG WITH HOLLYWOOD, then you are just one of the un-informed morons who elected this clown. ( no offense to real clowns intended ) Hollywood is NOT reflective of American values and I hope Hussein Obama continues to pal around with them, 2012 cant get here soon enough
“Absolute bull crap no member of the MSM except some commentators on MSNBC support anything the democrats say. THEY ARE REPUBLICAN OWNED AND SPEW THE CRAP REPUBLICANS TELL THEM.”
You’re joking right? CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC all did their part to get Obama elected. Only Fox has Republican commentators and even in the early days of Obama’s Presidency alot of Fox’s anchors were caught up in the hype (I remeber one blonde anchor on Fox saying Obama and Biden were the hunkiest duo ever to serve as President and V.P LOL!).
But don’t even try to tell me those first five networks are biased towards Republicans. Those networks are so obviously left. In fact I don’t think they even try to hide it.
And why to you leftist bitch about Fox anyway? Let the right have their one network. You guys have 5.
What’s wrong with Hollywood? A town filled with millionaire fascists who feign support of all causes liberal while contributing not one dime to charity and making their movies overseas to avoid having to pay union rates.
And stupid cow loser ugly fat liberals believe Hollywood and obama give a crap about them and the rest of the underclass, but they would not piss on them if they were on fire.
People in this country who believe they are entitled to medical coverage, housing, food, car payments, and all the other BS liberal politicians promise for free because rich people will pay better get a clue.
Real Americans are not going to take this crap. Real Americans want their economy back. Real Americans want the opportunity to work and earn as much as they can without having to give half of it to scumbag liberal freeloaders.
It is over. Obama is over. Global warming is over. And all the other BS the chicago mafia America-hating fascist have been trying to ram down the throats of decent American is over.
Fat freeloading parasites will have a choice: Get their fat a$$es up and get a job, or move to fu@king Canada.
marge, what planet are you living on? 90% of MSM are democrats and obama supporters. thats not me talking that is fact based on poles taken in the media.
yes bush did have some stars and c&w singers but, again nothing like this why, because again most are democrat and i might add most all hollywood types are clueless aboit what is going on in the real world. they are only worried about what makes them look good and feel good. it is all about them. this like most politicians and our president. it is all about them, period.
Blind liberal claiming the alphabet-media is run by republicans. Bush won both elections so get over it. What’s wrong with Hollywood? Nothing if you like a bunch of liberals with no morals and are hypocrites. They live such outstanding lives. I think you suffer from post-Bush derangement syndrome.
You seriously have to be one of the most ignorant brain washed fools to believe that republicans control the main stream media. They can’t even control their own party.
The MSM is do behind the Obama administration it is embarassing! Gaffe after gaffe but you don’t see Leno, Letterman, SNL etc spending 3/4 of their shows attacking Obama. There’s more material to have fun with Obama then Bush ever gave them but they refuse to run with it.
Your claims about MSNBC are simply outdated my friend.
MSNBC is owned by GE. GE’s CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt.
Immelt is on Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board.
Conflict of interest anybody? Just sayin.
Obama is completely incompetent. The only people that can stomach this stuffed suit is left wing nut jobs and over inflated ego maniac movie stars that have no idea how common folk live. Enjoy the state dinner you one term disgrace, while our troops languish in a foreign waiting for Odummy to make up his mind
I see the crazy right-wingers have hijacked your comments page now. They seep in everywhere with vengeance, fear, paranoia and hate.
Actually Anita I prefer to be called a Thinking, informed American, but I will take Right winger, as long as you take Wrong winger.
Yeah, right? I thought this was an industry site… apparently these clowns are everywhere, chasing down every Google hit for the name “Obama.”
Jesus, who are these right-wing assholes commenting on this site? GO AWAY.
Let’s just hope it is to inform them that they are the next industry to be taxed to death and have salary caps.
Will Al Gore’s group please calculate the CO2 emitted into the atmosphere by all of these Hollywood elites flying to DC for this dinner? I would love to see the amount of CO2 emissions they create flying their private jets, riding in limo’s and staying in 10,000 sq ft hotel suites.
Oh wait, these are liberals. They will plant 2-3 trees and call it a carbon offset and everyone will applaud their greatness.
Those network news organizations will be there to report on the shindig, although they won’t actually eat with the other 400 guests.
Just as an aside: Are these guys that are jewish self-hating jews? The reason I ask is one of Nikki’s other stories in the jewish holiday ceremony is being scaled back. The number of guests and the ceremony have been ‘walmart-ized’ as opposed to ‘NeimanMarcus-ized”. Maybe the ceremony was scaled back because Obama’s social secretary figured that the cuts in the holiday ceremony would be offset by the 3 or 5 big wigs from Hollywood?
On a more serious note: I hope they have a nice dinner. India is an important ally that is in an area of the world we need to be in. Outsourcing movies to India is a good idea if one were anti-union.
I support the unions of the arts and I’m sorry to see them being dissed by Speilberg et al.
For years now The Elite Hollywood bosses continue make every effort possible to make all movies OUTSIDE the USA…leaving qualified/talented American film workers (union and non-union) broke and out of work…All so the politically correct elite “stars” and “producers” can pocket the extra buck gained by filming outside our country. The Hollywood Elite has no loyalty to the almost extinct American Film workers or to American locations that could benefit financially from a Hollywood movie.
…such noble Americans!!!
Hum. Most Hollywoods are socialist so they fit right in with socialist marxist Obama and his minions.If libs would look past the BS they might see what a growing majority are beginning to see.
By the time the liberal sheep see it the US Will Be gone.
These phony Hollywood liars and no one questions them. They are predominantly making movies in Canada and elsewhere to avoid union wages. Also, where are all the war protestors and the snarky comments at awards shows towards Obama who has still not gotten us out of two wars. Obamao’s only goal is to bankrupt this country while he parties, golfs, and vacations.
Here is nobel idea….How about President Obama invites people who are really in need of a Thanksgiving Dinner. Like the people who are homeless or hard on there luck because of the economic crises. Instead he has to have his “Hollywood Friends” there. It just shows were his morals as a human being really are.
The more the left turns to hollywood, the more America turns away. Keep on doing it idiots.
This man is DISGRACING the People’s House! The White House is turning into a frat house. These Hollyweird idiots are going to do things in OUR house they should not do, just so they can say “oh, guess who I did in the Lincoln bedroom!?”
Shame, shame, shame.
We’re going to need “Extreme Makeover: White House Edition” when this wrecking crew leaves it.
They’re executives and business people for the most part, not actors.
Yeah, but “leftists’ and ‘hollywood’ are parts of America too.
The only part of the recent movie 2012 that was good was when Hollywood fell into the Pacific ocean…The overpaid liberal Hollywood elites (starting with Oprah and Martin Sheen)cant make a movie for the life of them, have no sense of values, and misrepresent Americans.. Let’s cap their salaries…what a great idea…lets see how fast Obama’s money will dry up then…guess you have to get your election funds from the crooks at Acorn when they buy a vote for a $1 or a smoke…
Well, one thing’s for sure, Stevie won’t be back because he wouldn’t shut up about how great and sexy Michelle looked.
Which Stevie said that…Stevie Wonder?
“Which Stevie said that…Stevie Wonder?”
HAW!!!!! YOU, my friend owe me for that mouthful of soda you caused me to spit out laughing!!!! nicely done!
Which is kind of funny when you think of it. How would Stevie Wonder know how “great and sexy” the sleeveless one looks?
McCain was right. Obama wants to be a celebrity, not the leader of a nation.
So true!
Wait, McCain you say? This IS the McCain who took one look at his wife after she survived a horrific accident, saw that she was five inches shorter because they had to cut her legs to save her, gained weight from all the medication she had to take to save her life and STILL stood by and waited for him, hoping and praying that HE would be okay – yet he dumps her and goes and looks for a newer, richer, glitzy second wife so she could fund his political aspirations McCain?
WTF cares what he thinks.
You right wingers are true morons whose only opinion is that which Glenn Beck and his ilk give you.
If this country is SO CRAPPY now that OBAMA is in the White House, why don’t you move somewhere else?
I’ll bet most of you have never traveled further than your backyard barbeque pit and never-ending kegger to even have a clue of how difficult others in the world have it and how damn lucky we are to live here and all you do is bitch and moan and complain.
I laugh my ass off when I read one of you Drudge folks talk about how you’re not going to support Hollywood if they don’t conform to what YOU want. You’re lucky you live in a country where you can actually get on the internet and say what you want. The US is so bad under Obama? Then go hop a plane to China and see if your anti-government commentary won’t get your ass put in jail so fast it would make your heads spin!
Oooo, you’re not going to support Hollywood films? Who cares? Most of the income now-a-days comes from overseas anyway! No one is gonna miss your whin-ey ass in the seat in the theater! I know I won’t!
I’m so sick of hearing people rant about Obama. Where were you when Bush and his Wall Street banker buddies were sucking the life out of our economy? Give me a break! Now you’re quoting McCain! Like I said, WTF cares what McCain says? If you’re gonna quote somebody pick somebody with a damn brain and who has a true sense of integrity. It’s obvious McCain forgot that AND what the words “in sickness and in health till death do us part” meant. What a tool.
erb,
Quoting a line from an Adam Sandler film, “we are all more stupid for having listened to your ‘rant'”. Why not make an argument with facts? Instead of stereotypes? If citizens of the US thought like you, Obama could never have had been elected. Both sides need to take a step back and make decisions and statements based soley on the facts. Obama has broken his number one promise to the American people, transparency. He pushed through a spending package(to call it a stimulus, it would have had to stimulate something other than making TV anchors “legs all tingly”)and now is attempting to push through a health care spending package. Why do you think that he and his administration do not want the public to see it? Look at the facts and stop calling names….basically GROW UP and start taking care of yourself and your decisions instead of relying on an incompetent commander and chief, but according to the press was one heck of a community organizer
You libs always get so personal… when it comes to the other party. Your side has had its share of wife swapping bad boys too… Kerry, Clinton, Edwards but like you say WTF cares. Oh, and conservatives are morons because we listen (now and then) to Beck, Limbaugh, and O’Reilly while we bbq and drink beer instead of spending our days reading books by Al Franken or watching movies starring Sean Penn… now that is an argument for stupidity! Conservatives have no ideas. How about instead of printing up billions of dollars and giving it to government and its friends/campaign contributers to stimulate the economy… they give America a 6 month tax relief (businesses as well as individuals). I’ll bet that would stimulate (or at least help some keep their jobs.
No, folks like you have to use the same language I heard 2-8 years ago directed at YOU… if you don’t like it here leave.
Oh, and as far as Hollywood and it’s ilk… they soon will have to sell their wares abroad…. look Michael Moore brought in a whopping $14MM for his last blockbuster.
This is a GREAT country… however, someone better start looking out for the common man or the fits gonna hit the sham
Hey, you left-wing nut. I’m an independent conservative AMERICAN who has lived in Europe, the far east and Asia. I have traveled in more countries than you limited math skills can count. I’ve also been all over the U.S. back yards you seem to put down. You can be in awe of the mostly worthless Hollywierd petrverts and lamestream media clowns. Just remember, you are what and who you eat. Go back to looking at pictures in celbrity mags and sucking up the trash on ET. That’s about the most depth of your intelligence level.
Well said. I agree with you 100%.
It’s only fitting that a person acting as a president, invite Hollywood. This that don’t deal in reality, invite the those that create unreal entertainment. Lastly, since obama thinks he is the star of the show, that he has all these Hollywood moguls around him, he is auditioning on what he will do once he is out of office in 2012.
These people are so far removed from the real world and by the way so is obama. Why are all the idiots from NY and Calif. He wouldn’t even get a part in a grade b movie.
The economy is a disaster, our US Troops are getting killed in Afghanistan.
Obama can’t make a decision on the war but he has time to invite Hollywood!
What the hell is going on in America????
you are 100% correct
What’s going on is that we get what many of us deserves. We choose idols like Sara Palin or Obama when all they want is the notoriety, therefore we get empty suits and no substance. Just like the many empires just before they fell off the cliff.
What’s happening?..Same as the last 11 months…everything you said is true and obama’s having another party..because that’s what he does!
And 4 US soldiers died in Afghanistan today
Great! Another huge Bailout for the polital pay back of his pals and cronies that will be paid by the tax payers is soon to come.
The Corruption and Fraud continues in Washington DC.
Well Whoppee I am sure the Soldiers in Afghanistan will be re-assured that the one who Speaks Softly and Carries A Tin Cup will continue to wait for his Czar of War Mr. Dither Donothin to make a decision. I just know as the soldiers are just so happy to sit and get shot at in their small numbers as Barry and his menions have a nice evening!
Who cares about Hollywood anymore?
Since you’re reading and posting on a website Deadline Hollywood Daily, I’d say…YOU!
Obviously, BHO does!!
WHO CARES, HE’S A ONE TERM PRESIDENT, AND THE HOLLYWOOD STARS ARE ALL IDIOTS!!!!!!!
I totally agree. Ronald Reagan was an idiot!!!
Lol…this is funny. Reagan was an awful actor. He worked with chimps for God’s sake! You should be thanking God he went into politics.
Good to know my hard earned (and measley) dollars are going to good use. Hey Dems, can’t you get the rich to pay for this?
Big suprise, Hollywood runs the White House. Rounding out the rest of the invitations will be Andy Stern and Bertha Lewis representing the two biggest (or are they one) criminal enterprises in the country formally known as America.
Hope the fat cats enjoy the meal.The non-entity they supported last year won’t be around for a second term because everyone else is smarter than they are
Looks like all our bad apples are in one place.
The only people who could possibly care are the omitted Hollywood “has beens.”
Who cares? Payoffs are a part of politics. Until lobbyists are banned, political patronage is a part of the landscape. Labor unions get GM and Chrysler, Goldman Sachs gets bailed out, GE gets green contracts. And in 2012, the next President will have to “thank” his/her supporters as well. Deal with it!
I was thinking the exact same thing. So what that a president pays back his loyal supporters. I guess if you don’t agree with that presidents politics you can always find a reason to criticize. I am not a supporter of Obama and I am critical of many things..but here I’m like Meh..
Well! There you go again! A circus tent setting seems very appropriate for this group of clowns! You should invite Jimmah Carter too! No offense to a real clown!
This is why I do not go to the movies. It’s been 5 years and I ain’t miss’n a thing.
Steve, I’ll see your five years of non-movie attendance and raise you another five. My boycott started with Hanoi Jane Fonda.
I aint been to the movies since the Scientology fellow was in a silly spy movie about 15 years ago I think.
Of course he’s turning to ultra-liberal Hollywood sorts, the kind who think Roman Polanski is a nice guy who ought to be released despite raping a 13 year old girl.
America is turning against this socialist empty suit, and he needs funding to continue his Alinskyite agenda of American decline by choice.
Tiresomely predictable. The man? spends our money like there’s no tomorrow, and next week one of his czars/senators will be in front of the cameras telling us how we NEED another stimulus bill. Or a tax hike. Or health care for e v e r y o n e, including all the i l l e g a l s.
Meanwhile back in Afghanistan………..
He has no honor, no shame, and there is no hope for America, unless we canstop this trainwreck.
Are you talking about violence? If you are then you best think twice about your words. While your cooling your heels, think about what our President has done for this country, think about what Bush did, two wars, broke the country, do not blame Obama, blame yourselves for standing by and not doing anything while Bush and his cronies raped America, Obama is trying to dig us out and all you do is whine, grow up!! How many people have died in the wats, this is not a Obama war, he is trying to get us out, he does not want to send more there to die, not one country has ever won a war in Afghanistan. While your at it, check out how czars Bush had.
You complain that we have troops dying overseas and then you condemn him for not sending more. You bitch & moan about all the dollars it will cost for health care etc. Yet, I guess you missed the news reports that state it costs the US 1 million dollars PER soldier we deploy overseas. Um, who do you think pays for that?
Make up your mind. More soldiers or less taxes? You can’t have both.
Believe me I don’t want more soldiers dying. But remember, if we send more troops WE pay for the additional costs NOT the government.
You want our soldiers home? Well so do I. But wait, will they have a job when they get here? Let’s bring all those soldiers back at one time. You got a job for them?
Hmm, I wonder if you thought about that part.
One thing I’m pretty sure of – I’ll bet Obama’s thought about that. Why do think he’s pushing for green construction initiatives? And government funded infrastructure construction and repair? Where do you think most of our soldiers are going to get a job when they come back?
But then we’ve got the other side. Let’s pull out of Afghanistan – let’s do that. Hell, the Russians couldn’t make any headway there – why should we expect to? Let the Taliban take over again – so that they can breed thousands more suicide bombers and nutcases whose sole purpose is the complete annihilation of western civilization.
But of course, people like Glenn Beck will tell you no matter what the problem – it’s all Obama’s fault.
Okay, so you get what you want – Obama out of office. Here’s a question – who should take his place? Glenn? Oh sure, I read a couple days ago that Mr. Beck might be thinking of running for office in a few years. Wait, this IS the guy who AGREED with a nutcase who called his show saying he hoped our country would be attacked on our soil again just so that it would discredit Obama. This is someone who says he loves his country? Is a patriot? No, this is a nut too and people who listen to him should seriously pause and consider why they are wasting their time.
I would love to hear all you complainers come up with a viable plan to turn this country around. No, not just “elect a Republican.” Actually come up with a PLAN that will turn this country around. I never hear that. All I hear is complaints about what you don’t like but no real solutions to make it better. And if you think having another terrorist attack our country is a good idea – please find another country. It’s obvious that you have no conception of how horrific that would truly be – that someone would actually say that and then someone who is supposed to love his country would agree tells me how truly sick they are too.
At last, hearing from someone who is not like a dining-room table. Obama has shown himself to be a person of intelligence, integrity, moderation and caution. His opposition seems to prefer a cowboy approach, like his predecessor’s. It’s about time we all grew up and tossed off our preconceived notions and TV-inspired prejudices. As my guru used to say, “What do you read, schmuck?”
If citizens would take more time to read various journals, instead of wallowing on the couch swallowing Fox bytes whole, we might be a bit smarter.
Nice response…well spoken with actual facts to back up yoiur opinions. How refreshing to hear a voice of reason!
Obama doesn’t have time to meet with Republicans who want to discuss the health care bills with him, and he doesn’t have time to decide what to do about wars against terrorists, but he has time to play golf and entertain lavishly.
Obviously you are in opposition to OBama, which means more than likely that you were in support of the prior administration…..so I assume you are aware that while that administration had embroiled us in two wars its leader, PRes. Bush, took more vacation days than any other President in history.
Who else can be invited, only Oba’s cronies. Where is the transparency and openness?
I guess he feels that he should honor the guys who gave him the millions in campaign funds? I just hope that he doesn’t let their moral values (or lack thereof) influence any more of his decisions. President Obama is already starting to lose his mass appeal.
Gee what a surprise. Well, at least they will have a lot in common, both segments operate and live in fantasy land.