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Giving Celebrity Its Due
Star-powered awareness of worthy causes is the subject of much debate on Capitol Hill. Whether it's Liz Taylor, dripping in pearls and diamonds, or George Clooney with his carefully manicured stubble, the question always comes down to: Did they make a difference? There certainly are times when lobbyists ask themselves the same question. But over the years, members of the CRD Associates team have had the opportunity to test that proposition on several occasions. For years, nonprofit organizations of all stripes have relied on Hollywood stars, TV personalities, sports figures and captains of industry to capture lawmakers' attention. Our cavalcade of stars ran the gamut of prominent figures:
- David Hyde Pierce - Emmy and Tony award winning actor
- Terrell Owens - the always controversial NFL wide receiver and six-time Pro Bowler
- Maureen Reagan - daughter of Ronald Reagan and a political activist in her own right
- Julianne Moore - Academy Award-winning actress
- Dom DiMaggio - 7-time All Star center fielder for the Boston Red Sox
- Hugh Downs - TV host, producer and author
- Randy Pausch - computer software pioneer and author of the best selling book, The Last Lecture
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Princess
Yasmin Aga Khan |
But, our first foray into the heady world of celebrities began with royalty, when we teamed with Princess Yasmin Aga Khan on visits with key legislators as she described the devastating impact of Alzheimer's disease on her family. Yasmin's mother, Rita Hayworth, died of the disease in 1987. Members of Congress needed no reminding of who she was. Hayworth had played sultry movie roles in the 30s and 40s, but was perhaps best known as the unofficial pin-up for American servicemen during World War II. -- Dom Ruscio Below are more CRD staff encounters that awarded them the opportunity to hob nob with glitterati throughout their professional careers.
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| Elizabeth Taylor |
I came to Washington, DC in the 1980s to work on the Republican staff of the Energy and Commerce Committee on health issues. Celebrity sightings were pretty common in the '80s to the extent that many of the Members of Congress weren't phased by their presence or their advocacy efforts.
Not the case, when I got a call to see if the ranking member of the
House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee would have time to meet with Elizabeth Taylor.
Ms. Taylor was in DC meeting with members to discuss the HIV/AIDS crisis. While all of us were taken by her passion for the issue, her star power overwhelmed the members and staff. And yes, her eyes were an amazing shade of violet! -- Ellen Riker
As the Navy's budget liaison officer to the U.S Congress, you never quite knew where a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) trip might take you, or who you might see. One of most unique encounters occurred on a west coast swing where we found ourselves being joined for dinner by none other than Clint Eastwood. It was my first close encounter with a Hollywood icon, but he didn't disappoint any of the dozen folks at our large table. Charming and witty, he kept us all in stitches throughout the meal and never hinted at being imposed upon, or in a rush to move on even after more than an hour together. He happily obliged our request for individual photos and signed each and every one. Clint's genuine kindness "made my day."-- Karl Van Deusen
Ron White was another unique moment in time. While I've always been a fan of the Blue Collar Comedy Hour, I wasn't sure what to expect from a personal
backstage encounter with this scotch- drinking, cigar-smoking comedian. Without going it into specifics, let's just say there's a reason the disclaimer says his shows involve adult themes. While equally colorful backstage, what impressed me most was how friendly and easygoing he was, and his genuine appreciation of my Naval service. Appropriately, he penned the following keepsake on a piece of paper for my oldest son, "Jon, live wrong...Ron." -- Karl Van Deusen
After withstanding the cold and icy conditions of three inaugurations--Bush, Clinton and Bush II
--we planned to watch the first Obama inauguration from the warm confines of our condo. That is until, Michael J. Fox called Bettilou and asked if we could find the room to house he and his young son, who wanted to experience this historic occasion? Of course, we said yes. We got to spend three days with one of the funniest, most down-to-earth celebrity I've ever met. And, we got two prime seats to the inauguration and a Capitol Police security guard to boot! -- Dom Ruscio
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