Entertainment industry overwhelmingly supports Dems in 2008

Barack Obama goes to Los Angeles tonight for a star-studded campaign fundraiser at the Los Angeles Music Center.

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His friends in Hollywood are likely to pay out big bucks - both to the campaign and to the Democratic Party.

A whopping majority of campaign donors in the entertainment business give to Democrats, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The organization, which publishes OpenSecrets.org, analyzed Federal Election Commission data and found that 76 percent of campaign donations by those employed in the television, music, and movie industries went to Democratic candidates and only 24 percent went to Republicans as of April 28, 2008.

In the entertainment business, the greatest supporters of the Democratic Party are those in the motion picture production and distribution industry, with a hefty 90 percent giving to Democrats and only 10 percent donating to Republicans.

The Center for Responsive Politics reports that the entertainment industry has contributed $4 million to Obama and $3.4 million to Clinton, while McCain received a mere $636,000.

Despite the heated primary contest between Obama and Hillary Clinton, the overwhelming majority of voters in the entertainment business are expected to rally behind Obama.

Expected at tonight’s gala are Samuel L. Jackson, Dennis Quaid, Cindy Crawford, will.i.am, Heidi Klum and boxer Sugar Ray Leonard. Seal will perform.

The top tickets for are priced at more than $30,000, with proceeds being divided between Obama’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

Stars such as Geena Davis, George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck have already given Obama the maximum campaign contribution.

Wilshire and Washington reports that more Hollywood fundraising is to come: Dreamworks partners David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg are planning another campaign event for Obama in the coming months.

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