James Hirsen
Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004

Hollywood Censor

The Web site freekerrybook.com recently tried to offer access to a copy of "The New Soldier," written by John Kerry and the notorious Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

The book was first published in 1971 and is rare enough these days to fetch hundreds of dollars on eBay.

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As it turns out, a Kerry chum would show just how much Hollywood cherishes free expression.

George Butler is a Hollywood producer who made a pro-Kerry flick about the book "Tour of Duty." The film is presently called "Going Upriver" and is a recounting of the disputed Vietnam service of the Dem candidate.

It seems that Butler hired a lawyer to file a complaint with Yahoo, which resulted in Yahoo shutting down the freekerrybook.com Web site.

Well, now apparently the founder of the site has started up a new 527 organization, freekerrybook.org, and re-established access to the book.

Kerry has tried to silence the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, muzzle the Web site and tether Teresa.

The Left Coast Report wonders who'll be the next to get the Kerry cork.

Kitty Litter

Kitty Kelley knows how to grab attention.

She's releasing her book "The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty" smack in the middle of a red-hot political campaign, just as friends of the Dems are searching for sleaze.

The producers of NBC's "Today" show are dutifully complying with the Bush-bash agenda, doing three days of Kitty crock.

On Sept. 13 Kelley appeared on the show and, while expressing gratitude to NBC, snipped at the White House. "Thanks for having me," Kitty purred. She continued with "I really appreciate this because I know that the White House put great pressure on NBC not to have me, and I commend the president of your network and you for not caving."

Kelley's primary named source has repudiated the charges in the book.

To his credit, CNN's Larry King refuses to have Kelley on his show. He's joined by Newsweek magazine, which is refusing to publish an extract of her book.

The Left Coast Report guesses that in some CBS and NBC offices, a lack of sources is never going to get in the way of helping Dem friends.

Alec Baldwin's California Reaming

Unlike his brother Stephen, Alec Baldwin doesn't appear to have seen the light. 

He apparently wasn't paying attention when his first-grade teacher instructed the class to think before speaking, either. 

In a cable appearance on "Topic A with Tina Brown," Alec managed to insult the popular present California governor as well as the beloved late former California governor-turned-president of the United States. 

Baldwin took a potshot at Arnold Schwarzenegger, saying that he "had zero qualifications whatsoever to be the governor in the state of California, none." 

The actor and diehard Dem also asserted that "the Republicans are very keen in getting people to come in and be the host of the show. Reagan was like that. They get a guy who can read lines and be the front man for the band, so to speak, and other people take over and get the job done."
 
The Left Coast Report thinks Alec may be suffering from a case of Ahnold envy. 

Steven Spielberg's French Connection

Filmmaker Steven Spielberg has won his share of awards.

Now it looks as if the maker of prize-winning movies such as "E.T.," "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan" has received a different kind of conferral.

Spielberg has been granted knighthood in the French Legion of Honor.

The honor was bestowed by French President Jacques Chirac when Spielberg was in France to promote his latest movie, "The Terminal."

The Left Coast Report hears that Spielberg reciprocated by making Chirac an honorary member of Texans for Truth.

Ellen Barkin's Motherly Kick

This year the Venice Film Festival was preoccupied with the subject of abortion.

The flick that won the Golden Lion prize for best film was "Vera Drake." It's an anti-life film that even this year's Cannes festival saw fit to reject. The star of the movie, Imelda Staunton, was named best actress as well.

Also, Ellen Barkin, best known for "The Big Easy" and "Sea of Love," attended the festival to promote another anti-life flick called "Palindromes," which she stars in.

The actress explained how she would handle things if her daughter were to become pregnant.
 
At a press conference she bellowed, "I am the mother of a 12-year-old girl and I can tell you unequivocally that if my daughter was pregnant, I would take her kicking and screaming to have an abortion."

The Left Coast Report says, So that's what they mean by "choice."

The Left Coast Report is put together by James L. Hirsen and the staff of NewsMax.