Barack Obama campaign nixes Lindsay Lohan
Controversial actress' offer to host campaign events gets a quick 'thanks, but no thanks' from strategists
On the heels of blasting John McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, Lindsay Lohan reportedly got a bit of a jolt from an unexpected quarter: the Obama-Biden campaign.
Apparently, LiLo was interested in becoming very involved in the Democratic ticket's bid for the White House -- even offering to host a series of events appealing to younger voters.
However, a top source in the Barack Obama team tells me the actress ''is not exactly the kind of high-profile star who would be a positive for us.''
Given Lohan's past problems, plus ongoing brushes with controversy, I've learned the campaign quietly told the actress ''thanks, but no thanks,'' but in far more diplomatic terms.
Lohan has been invited to attend several of the big Hollywood bashes this week -- and also pay big bucks for the privilege of rubbing shoulders with the likes of Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and other high-profile Hollywood boosters of the Obama campaign.
VIEW FROM THE RIGHT: Much has been made about the pre-election release of Oliver Stone's ''W'' -- widely seen as strongly negative about President Bush's path to the White House. Now there's a release date for a film I told you about Aug. 7 that could offset Stone's film.
Opening in Chicago Oct. 3 is ''An American Carol,'' a comedy strongly spoofing Hollywood's frequent left-wing political slant. Created by David Zucker (''Airplane!'' ''The Naked Gun''), the film stars Kevin Farley as Michael Malone -- a notorious Michael Moore-type filmmaker whose new crusade is an Ebenezer Scrooge-esque attempt to abolish July Fourth as a holiday. That leads him to being visited by three spirits from America's past (George Washington, George Patton and JFK) who show him the error of his ways.
BACK TOGETHER AGAIN: A big crowd of Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen fans turned out for the nation's first interracial comedy team's book party Tuesday night at Gibsons -- ironically on the site of the old Mr. Kelly's, one of Tim & Tom's favorite venues.
Among those on hand were Mayor Daley, Rich Melman, Bill Zehme and ex-Bears Tim Wrightman and Tom Thayer -- all chortling when longtime Dreesen-Reid buddy Dennis Farina quipped, '' I didn't even know Dreesen could write ... but then, I can't read either.''
The party marked the official publication date for Tim & Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White, an engaging chronicle of the two comics' rise from their South Side roots, co-authored with former Sun-Times sports columnist Ron Rapoport.
Dreesen and Reid will get a nice boost when they guest on David Letterman's show Tuesday.
MILEY'S MAN? Just as photos slipped out of Miley Cyrus out and about with 20-year-old underwear model Justin Gaston, there's word the 15-year-old ''Hannah Montana'' star's papa Billy Ray Cyrus is unhappy about the alleged budding romance. That's likely why Miley's spokesfolks are denying the duo are dating. Along with his modeling career, Gaston is a budding country singer who competed on the ''Nashville Star'' TV show.
LINCOLN LORE: Ex-Chicagoan James L. Swanson's award-winning Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killers spent three months on the New York Times best seller list. Now it will become an eight-part HBO miniseries, created by David Simon (''The Wire'') and Tom Fontana (''Oz''). Previously, Swanson's book had been optioned for a big-screen film, with Harrison Ford attached to play the cavalry officer who ultimately cornered Booth near Port Royal, Va.
Recently Swanson wrapped a children's version of his book Chasing Lincoln's Killer -- set for release for the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial next February.