Daily Caller: Politicians hope Swift puts listeners in giving mood

In one of the early seasons of “Jackass,”Mr. Margera broke his tailbone during a bucket-car ride, which ended with the celebrity getting rushed to the hospital. The star skateboarder also had a major flub when skateboarding down a railway when he hit the pavement face first. During another skateboarding mishap, Mr. Margera made the wrong move and ended up ripping his liver.

Clooney set to unveil politically charged film

As Americans become increasingly fascinated by the budget battle and frustrated with politicians, George Clooney will soon unveil a film that questions the moral compass of Washington’s political swamp.

Mr. Clooney co-wrote, directs and stars in “The Ides of March,” a political drama slated for release this fall. Production originally was to start shortly after President Obama was elected, but Mr. Clooney and his co-writer, Grant Heslov, thought Americans were too elated about the recent election to identify with the film’s characters.

“We were in preproduction on this,” Mr. Clooney told USA Today. “We were really getting close to starting up. But I remember sitting in a restaurant with Grant when Obama won, and we both realized we couldn’t make this movie right now. Everyone was so hopeful and happy. Now, the cynicism has come back around, so it’s time.”

The movie is based on Beau Willimon’s play “Farragut North.” It follows a young Howard Deanesque staffer’s struggle with a political scandal upon entering the realm of politics. The staffer, played by Ryan Gosling, is press secretary to a morally dubious presidential candidate played by Mr. Clooney.

“It’s really about a character who drank the Kool-Aid,” Mr. Heslov said.

Mr. Clooney has long proclaimed his liberal views. In 2006, when the Hollywood playboy released “Good Night, and Good Luck,” his cinematic retelling of Edward R. Murrow’s career, he told Newsweek he loved being labeled “liberal.”

“I’m going to keep saying ‘liberal’ as loud as I can and as often as I can,” Mr. Clooney said.

His latest flick, however, doesn’t favor a particular political party.

“We’re not trying to be polarizing,” Mr. Clooney said. “Republicans hate the beginning of the movie, Democrats hate the end. So, we’re good.”

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