Turns out all that Christian posturing by the administration was pure political opportunism. Not that this comes as a too big surprise, but as always it took a whistleblower. In this case it is David Kuo, who used to work as the special assistant to the president and was responsible for the White House Office Of Faith-Based Inititatives. According to his book Bush's chief strategist Karl Rove saw the evangelical leaders as 'nuts'. When the faith-based program was rolled out a bit too hastily, Rove answered an aide who complained 'Just get me a fucking faith-based thing. Got it?'. It worked though. Out of the 20 races targeted with Christian strategies, the Republicans won 19. Which might happen again on coming Tuesday.
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David Kuo's book is called 'Tempting Faith'
Watch David Kuo on Bill Maher.
And on 60 Minutes Part 1 and Part 2
Last night's Choice Awards ceremony at Cielo was in large parts a memorial to Willi Ninja, who passed away September 2nd. MC Ultra Naté stepped away for a while to make room for Willi's favorite House diva Barbara Tucker, followed by the lastest incarnation of his House Of Ninja recreating most of his classic dance moves a dozen deep. It wasn't exactly a full-blown ball, but a heartbreakingly sincere celebration of the House founder's legacy. Which according to Guy Trebay now lives on all over the nation with balls and houses springing up as far as in LA and Arizona.
What greater joy than watching stars implode in public. They reran Jessica Simpson's last appearance on the Tonight show. Which was way beyond her usual ditz, charting the unknown territories of pharmaceutically altered behaviour. It was hard to decide, which moments reminded us more of that other Texan bombshell. Was it the well-choregraphed recurring apperances of her cleavage, the slight slur in her speech or her rolling eyes worthy of an early 20th century minstrel show? Although a highpoint in the genre of 'celebrities just moments before their puclic breakdown' (which actually came a few days later during her sister's birthday party in London), it was a sad moment for Jay Leno, who seemed to be remote-controlled by Simpsons' creepy father-manager. Working his way down a checklist of gossip issues Jessica wanted to spin her way, his execution seemed even more wooden than usual. Foreshadowing greater things to come might be Simpson's new video, in which she blatantly rips off pre-breakdown Mariah.
Why are African kids all the rage now? Because they are oh so cute and Bosnian kids look too much like your maid in London? Because South East Asia is so 1973 and Gary Glitter's escapades in Vietnam somehow made having Asian kids a bit degoutant? And what could be next in celebrity colonialism? Keith Richards buying himself a new liver, preferrably in the Muslim world?
After they had released 'Exile On Main Street' in 1972, the Rolling Stones commissioned cover photographer Robert Frank to shoot a documentary of their US tour. The result was a hazy film full of scenes like Keith Richards nodding off backstage, roadies doing groupies and staged orgies. The Stones never released the film. Frank sued them and was allowed to screen the film once a year only once. There are some bootlegs around. Excerpts have now found their way onto YouTube. Watch the first clip, when Keith Richards and a roadie throw a TV set out of high rise hotel room. Not as much glamour and rebellion as Rock myhtology might make you believe.