STEVEN SPIELBERG - SPIELBERG SLAMS HOLLYWOOD FOR FAILING KERRY

Legendary movie maker STEVEN SPIELBERG has hit out at Hollywood for not rallying round for Democrat JOHN KERRY's election campaign last year (NOV04).

The SCHINDLER'S LIST director supported Kerry in his unsuccessful battle for US Presidency against GEORGE W BUSH, but he was outraged that the influential film industry weren't more vociferous in their support of the Democrats in comparison to the backing they gave to charismatic former leader BILL CLINTON in the 1990s.

In an interview on Australian chat show ENOUGH ROPE, he fumed, "I was disappointed that Hollywood didn't do enough for John Kerry's campaign, compared to what Hollywood did for Bill Clinton's campaign.

"The democratic Hollywood base, power base and money base, really didn't come out this year, and I was surprised about that.

"It might have been that Hollywood is very interested in charisma and I do not think that Hollywood felt that John Kerry had the kind of charisma that Bill Clinton had and that they didn't come out in force.

"I thought John Kerry would have been a wonderful world leader and an American president."