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Contributing factors

Hollywood, sports celebs not on same donation page

Unlike his former co-host Kathie Lee Gifford, Regis Philbin's campaign contributions favor the Democratic Party. AP

By Mike Fish, CNNSI.com

For 15 years they sat side by side and bantered good-naturedly on the morning TV gabfest known as Live With Regis & Kathie Lee. But on the subject of politics, they were less harmonious, Regis Philbin leaning toward the Democratic Party, Kathie Lee Gifford in the Republican camp.

Philbin, host of the primetime hit Who Wants to be a Millionaire, contributed $1,000 to the presidential campaign of liberal Democrat Bill Bradley, according to a CNNSI.com analysis of federal election records.

Gifford, meanwhile, gave $1,000 each to a couple of Republicans: Elizabeth Dole, early in the presidential primaries, and New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who waged a short-lived U.S. Senate campaign against Hillary Rodham Clinton. Gifford's husband, Frank, the former NFL star/broadcaster, likewise contributed $1,000 to Giuliani, who dropped out after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, and another $1,000 to Republican Rick Lazio, eventual loser in the November election to Clinton.

Stories  • The right stuff NASCAR is conservative in the political arena -- and proud of it. The choice for the stock-car set is the Republican Party. The two have combined to form a strong, beneficial union.  • One of their own When it comes to paving the road to political office, NASCAR knows how to pick winners. When Arizona Senator Jon Kyl was up for re-election he pitted with NASCAR and won.  • Doing business Red tape is a fact of life for NASCAR tycoon Bruton Smith. But that hasn't stopped him from building a $1 billion corporation and becoming the king of clout in motor sports.   • Contributing factors The political bent of NASCAR is clear cut. But elsewhere in the celebrity universe, the money is split for the Republicans and Democrats.  Campaign Contributions  • The NASCAR crowd  • Sports and Entertainment Figures

Co-workers can disagree, right? Even friends. But you don't see that divide in the stock car crowd.

While NASCAR folks strongly favor the GOP, political contributions from other leading sports figures tend to be all over the map. Even the Hollywood crowd may not be quite as consistently liberal as NASCAR is conservative.

Controversial fight promoter Don King, for instance, contributed $1,000 to Bush For President, Inc. King also donated $2,000 to Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi -- a real head-scratcher until you realize Lott's home state is a popular site for professional fights.

Less surprising is that Mrs. Clinton drew financial support from many popular figures besides songwriter/socialite Denise Rich, in the news recently because of a controversial presidential pardon granted her fugitive ex-husband, Mark.

Oscar-winner Michael Douglas and comic actor Chevy Chase made the maximum allowable individual contribution of $2,000. Tennis star Andre Agassi, rap impresario Sean "Puffy'' Combs and Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder were among others giving $1,000 to Mrs. Clinton, though Snyder dug considerably deeper for Republicans: at least $50,000 in general elections, plus a $100,000 contribution to President Bush's inauguration fund.

Campaign Contributions To the Republican Party Celebrities  Amount  Dan Snyder  $46,000  Wayne Huizenga  $12,500  Art Modell  $7,000  Mike Ditka  $2,008  Don Shula  $2,000  Don Fehr  $2,000  August Busch III  $1,750  NASCAR  Amount  Roger Penske  $173,500  Tony George  $20,000  Gary Bahre  $17,500  James Frances  $16,625   Joseph Mattioli  $11,000  Darrell Waltrip  $5,550  Lesa Kennedy  $5,000  William France  $3,500  Mario Andretti  $3,250  Lake Speed  $2,800  Brian France  $2,500  Dale Jarrett  $900  Mike Helton  $600  To the Democratic Party Celebrities  Amount  Michael Douglas  $196,000  Leigh Steinberg  $58,500  Kevin Spacey  $38,000  Sharon Stone  $25,000  Bud Selig  $20,000  David Stern  $12,500  August Busch III  $11,000  Evander Holyfield  $10,000  Tom Hanks  $10,000  Chevy Chase  $7,000  Don Fehr  $3,000  Howard Stern  $1,000  NASCAR  Amount  Rick Hendrick  $10,000  Roger Penske  $250

So who among the rich and famous opened their wallets for Bush and Al Gore in their bids for the presidency?

Gore, as you might expect, drew more of the Hollywood crowd: actors Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks and Sharon Stone, plus sports names like Agassi and Indiana Pacers coach Isiah Thomas. Bush dominated the established athlete, coach and owner types, such as golfer Arnold Palmer, Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and former NFL coach Mike Ditka.

The biggest spenders from the sports crowd are two baseball owners, Carl Lindner of the Cincinnati Reds and Peter Angelos of the Baltimore Orioles. Angelos, who amassed millions by suing asbestos and tobacco companies, has made almost $1.5 million in federal campaign donations since 1996, the vast majority to the Democratic Party.

Lindner, owner of Chiquita Brands International and an insurance tycoon whose fortune tops $1 billion, wrote checks for almost $1.4 to the Republican Party and $1 million to the Democrats during the same period. A Senate committee probing campaign finance abuses questioned whether Lindner's substantial contributions to the Clinton administration were part of an effort to influence U.S. trade policy in Chiquita's favor, but no wrongdoing was found.

Lindner was among several prominent sports figures who anted up $100,000 for the Bush inauguration, including San Diego Chargers owner Alex Spanos (two separate $100,000 donations), former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley, New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson and sports promoter Jerry Perenchio. Also on the list was America Online, parent company to CNNSI.com and three Atlanta-based professional sports franchises.

The Democrats and Gore had their serious financial donors, too. Michael Douglas donated more than $237,000 in the three federal elections since 1996, the bulk going to the Democratic National Committee and political action committees. Other prominent contributors include sports agent Leigh Steinberg ($58,500), actors Kevin Spacey ($38,000) and Sharon Stone ($25,000), and baseball commissioner Bud Selig ($20,000).

But nobody drew money from as many corners of the pop culture scene as that old Knick, former presidential hopeful Bill Bradley.

The Democrat's supporters ranged from Republican team owners Art Modell of the Baltimore Ravens and Jerry Colangelo of the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks to athletes Michael Jordan and John McEnroe to best-selling author John Grisham and actor Chevy Chase

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