Inside the Beltway

Ally’s birthday

That was Jordanian Ambassador Prince Zeid Ra’adAl-Hussein and his Texas-born wife Princess Sarah Zeid hosting a Washington observance for Jordan’s 62nd Independence Day at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel yesterday.

And yes, the ambassador told Inside the Beltway, Jordan’s birthday (actually this Sunday) is celebrated in much the same fashion as America’s Independence Day — a national holiday with fireworks, picnics and parades.

For more than six years before coming to Washington, the Johns Hopkins-educated Prince Zeid was Jordan’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, and in 2006 was a candidate for the position of U.N. Secretary-General.

‘Right thing to do’

Not all of Hollywood is supporting the Democratic Party this November.

Among those opening checkbooks for Sen. JohnMcCain’s presidential campaign, according to Federal Election Commission filings, are Wilford Brimley, the mustached actor known for his Quaker Oats commercials and famous line, “It’s the right thing to do.” (Before acting, Mr. Brimley was HowardHughes‘ bodyguard).

Also supporting the Arizona Republican are Dick Van Patten; William Barron Hilton (famous of late for being ParisHilton’s grandfather); and Rip Torn, who played Artie on HBO’s “The Larry Sanders Show.”

Our Hollywood insider says “this is just the beginning. You can look for other big names to hop on board the StraightTalk Express,” referring to Mr. McCain’s campaign bus. Among the notables she says lean right:

Britney Spears, Drew Carey,Bo Derek, Tom Selleck, Shirley Temple Black, Clint Eastwood, Ben Stein, Kim Alexis, Scott Baio, Adam Baldwin, Robert Conrad, Alice Cooper, Shannen Doherty, Robert Duvall, Jamie Farr, Kelsey Grammer, Dean Jones, Jimmy Dean, Shirley Jones, Don King, Heather Locklear, Chuck Norris, Freddie PrinzeJr., Mickey Rooney, Jessica Simpson, Grace Slick, Tony Danza, Kurt Russell, Pat Sajak, Stephen Baldwin, Rick Schroder, Hilary Duff, Cheryl Ladd, Marilyn Manson, Marie Osmond and Bruce Willis.

Lobbying lob

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is calling on Sen. John McCain to fire his campaign manager, Rick Davis and his chief political adviser, Charlie Black, over what he calls “conflicts.”

Mr. Dean pointed out yesterday that it was Mr. Davis last week who sent a memo to McCain campaign staff about a new “conflicts policy” when it comes to outside lobbying, yet the campaign manager reportedly earned almost $3 million lobbying Congress over the past decade.

The DNC head charged that Mr. Black similarly “used his connections with George Bush and Dick Cheney to lobby administration officials for dozens of wealthy clients,” including while riding aboard Mr. McCain’s campaign bus.

Mr. Black has countered that his lobbying days are over, while Mr. Davis said he hasn’t lobbied since 2006.

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