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Subject: DRUDGE REPORT FINAL 8/11/97
Date: Sun, 10 Aug 1997 21:09:25 -0700 (PDT)
From: DRUDGE REPORT <drudge@drudgereport.com
To: drudge@drudgereport.com


XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT FINAL XXXXX AUGUST 11, 1997 XXXXX

GOP: THE BLUMENTHAL OPTION?

**Exclusive**

Republican power player Don Sipple was blinded last week when MOTHER JONESmagazine reported that he had knocked a few of his wives around. Sipple,who has helped top GOP candidates like Bush, Dole and Wilson take on thegender gap with attack ads that exploit women's fears of violence, isalleged to have beaten two ex-wives himself, the magazine roared. As wordof the story spread, Sipple began losing face and losing clients. Heimmediately quit the congressional race of New York Republican Vito Fossella-- the Molinari seat -- telling the campaign in a letter that he did notwish this to be a distraction for Vito. The Bush Boy and San Diego'sGolding are now likely to take a pass on Sipple's media advice.

But more importantly, the wife-beating revelations in MOTHER JONES by GEORGEmagazine senior editor Rich Blow could be unsettling long held establishmentsecrets in the capital city. Some are calling it the "Sipple Effect."

The DRUDGE REPORT has learned that top GOP operatives who feel there is adouble-standard of only reporting republican shame believe they are holdingan ace card: New White House recruit Sidney Blumenthal has a spousal abusepast that has been effectively covered up.

The accusations are explosive.

"There are court records of Blumenthal's violence against his wife," oneinfluential republican, who demanded anonymity, tells the DRUDGE REPORT.

"If they begin to use Sipple and his problems against us, against theRepublican Party... to show hypocrisy, Blumenthal would become fair game.Wasn't it Clinton who signed the Violence Against Women Act?"

[There goes the budget deal honeymoon.]

One White House source, also requesting anonymity, says the Blumenthalwife-beating allegation is pure fiction that has been created by Clintonenemies. "[The First Lady] would not have brought him in if he had this inhis background," assures the well-placed staffer. "This story aboutBlumenthal has been in circulation for years."

Last month President Clinton named Sidney Blumenthal an Assistant to thePresident as part of the Communications Team. He's been brought in to workon communications strategy, special projects, themeing -- a newly createdposition.

Every attempt to reach Blumenthal proved unsuccessful.

Blumenthal is married to Jacqueline Jordan Blumenthal. Mrs. Blumenthal isalso employed at the White House as the Director of the President'sCommission on White House Fellows.

* * * *

DAILY VARIETY: NEW YORK TIMES GOT IT WRONG

DAILY VARIETY on Monday reports that Stanley Kubrick is still shooting EYESWIDE SHUT, despite a recent article in the NEW YORK TIMES that called it awrap. "...EYES WIDE SHUT finally wrapped on Tuesday," wrote the TIMES'Sarah Lyall last week from London. Wrong, says VARIETY's Anita Busch andRex Weiner. They report that Kubrick, who began shooting his obsession onNov. 4, 1996, is not expected to complete principal photography untilsometime in September. He is into his ninth month of shooting in London, orapproximately 280 days, nearing a modern production record...

* * * *

MEDIA-GO-ROUND

...STREISAND: I'M NOT GETTING MARRIED ON BLOCK ISLAND AND VINCE FOSTER DIDKILL HIMSELF... Barbra Streisand says she's not marrying James Brolin on theisland off the coast of Rhode Island next weekend, as reported in this spaceand elsewhere. "There have been so many fanciful rumors that we had simplydecided not to respond to them anymore, since nobody believes the denialsanyway" -- Streisand in a statement to USA TODAY late last week. "Wefinally read the reductio ad absurdum on this - a journalist acknowledgingthat there would be no Block Island wedding but having the utter gall tothen say that we had canceled our plans because of his scoop." Referring toa NEW YORK POST columnist. "Please," she wrote, "two falses do not make atrue. It's a little like Kenneth Starr spending $30 million of our money toconclude that Vincent Foster actually committed suicide, something we knewall along"...

...The UNIVERSAL film PRIMARY COLORS wrapped last week. And according toJeff Ressner in August 18 TIME, everyone involved with the production --well, nearly everyone -- seems to be making a very concerted effort todistance the movie from any real-life counterpart. "I absolutely didn'twant to do an impersonation," insists Emma Thompson. She tells themagazine: "My character isn't Hillary; it's a composite of various people."[With that accent, Maggie Thatcher?] But John Travolta isn't the least bitcagey about his role in the latest media blur project. "I'm really playinghim," admits Travolta, who studied hours of videotapes of Bill Clinton toprepare. "It's false p.r. for me to do it any other way...unless there aresome legal issues I don't know about." Director Mike Nichols had Travoltawearing a salt-and-pepper wig to help capture the look. The UNIVERSAL filmopens next year, just in time to coincide with publicity generated by the'98 campaign cycle...

...AL FRANKEN SITCOM STUNG BY NEW CNN RULES... LATELINE, the possiblemid-season NBC show now filming at PARAMOUNT, is a parody of late-nightnews. Creator/star Al Franken has been hitting nothing but roadblocks inhis attempt to make LATELINE as funny/realistic as possible. Coming up witha name for the funny/realistic network the show revolves around has been anightmare. First it was MSFNN, or something like that, but MICROSOFTobjected to the use of "MS" anything. Then it was something like MNCNFN --but who could say it. So they've settled on MNFNN, they think. [Laughter.]And there are more troubles. Franken had hoped to use real news people toplay parts in the show. CNN's Bobbie Battista was all set to come toHollywood for her closeup in Franken's sitcom, that was before CNN NewsGroup president Tom Johnson decided it was a bad idea for CNN reporters toact out roles. [Laughter.] They've since settled on a local Los Angelesanchorwoman, notably not from the NBC affiliate, but she's convenient. Theanchorwoman/talent LATELINE is using works at KCAL TV-9, whose studios,coincidentally, are located next to the PARAMOUNT lot where LATELINE tapes.Cute. So, between news broadcasts she jumps over to the sitcom set.Orisittheotherwayaround...
____________________
Filed by Matt Drudge
8/11/97 03:04 UTC
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