Take that, Tina: Palin wants to spoof her spoofer
It's looking more and more likely that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will appear on ''Saturday Night Live'' -- to have some fun with Tina Fey.
As the comedian's impressions of the GOP vice presidential candidate draw laughs from Republicans and Democrats alike, a top honcho from the John McCain campaign tells me there's a debate going on about how to respond.
(NBC/AP)
Some key McCain staffers are content with Palin joking about the "SNL" routines on the campaign trail -- as when she scribbled "I'm not Tina Fey" on a supporter's cell phone and said she'd dressed as Fey on Halloween. But others -- including the governor herself -- think a return punch on the NBC airwaves is what's needed.
I'm hearing some sort of Palin tweak of Fey's American Express commercials is in the works.
While next weekend's ''Saturday Night Live'' will be a rerun, it is possible Palin could appear Thursday on the first of NBC's ''Weekend Update'' specials in prime time.
Otherwise, the next orginal "SNL'' show will be broadcast Oct. 18, a little more than two weeks before the election.
TV TALK: As tipped here July 31, Rosie O'Donnell will do a variety show on NBC. The first one on Nov. 26 will be just a special, and if the ratings are good the network may expand it to a weekly series. But don't look for any politics. NBC has a tight deal with O'Donnell to keep it all fun and light -- and pure entertainment. ... To help raise awareness of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Bonnie Hunt is staging a daily ''strongman'' carnival game on her talk show to raise money for the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern Hospital. Before she became a full-time entertainer, Hunt worked as an oncology nurse at Northwestern Memoral. So far, Bruce Jenner, Lauren Graham, Jamie Kennedy and Kathryn Morris are among the guests who have raised at least $1,000 each for the good cause. ... Speaking of Kennedy, right after I chatted Friday on CBS2 with the ''Ghost Whisperer'' co-star and stand-up comic, he was riding with good pal Meredith Ahern (and her dad and CBS2 boss Joe Ahern) to lunch at Rockit Bar & Grill when they were rear-ended on State Street. Everyone is OK, but instead of making nasty comments, the driver of the dump truck that rammed Ahern's car was thrilled he, uh, ran into Kennedy -- one of his comedy idols. ... Congrats to Kelly and Brian Douglas of Naperville. Their Itzy Ritzy line of luxury kids products was featured Friday on ''The Big Idea'' with Donny Deutsch on CNBC.
GOOD CAUSES: Bill Murray could easily have snared great seats for both Cubs playoff games at Wrigley Field, as he did for the Thursday game. But for Game 1 of the NLSD series, Murray opted to support pal Betsy Shepherd's favorite charity, the Michael Ceriale Foundation event at Wrigley Done Right, benefitting programs in memory of the slain Chicago police officer. It was the first time lifelong Cubs fan Murray had been to a rooftop club, where he and sons Jackson, Cal, Cooper and Lincoln and brother Brian Doyle Murray endured the Cubbies' loss with 1985 Bears Super Bowl champs Jim McMahon, Steve McMichael, Shaun Gayle and Emery Moorehead. ... There were a lot of happy mothers and daughters at Friday's official opening party for the spiffy new American Girl emporium at Water Tower Place, benefitting the Chicago Public Library Foundation and Mayor Daley's ''Chicago Reads Together'' early literacy initiative. Most excited were the 110 girls from 49 library branches surprised with their pick of any doll in the store -- all also issued tiny library cards from CPL commissioner Mary Dempsey. Event co-chairs Maureen Smith and Donna LaPietra were cheered by a Chicago Who's Who, including dinosaur expert Paul Sereno, who hopes a future American Girl doll ''represents the sciences.'' Sereno's suggestion: one inspired by 19th Century paleontologist Mary Anning, ''who never received the recognition she deserved for discovering dinosaur fossils,'' said Sereno.