< Back to front page Text size – +

Beam on politics: Star treatment

E-mail|Link|Comments () November 16, 2009 11:42 AM

By Alex Beam, Globe Staff

Last week, Scott Evans endorsed US Representative Mike Capuano for the US Senate.

Alex Beam

Who is Scott Evans, you ask? He is a young actor who plays a closeted gay cop on the ABC soap opera "One Life to Live." He is also Mike Capuano's nephew. At the same event, when the better-known Kitty Dukakis also endorsed Capuano, Scott's brother Chris threw his support behind his uncle. Who he? Chris Evans played Johnny Torch in the Fantastic Four movies, and an unnamed "Harvard hottie" in "The Nanny Diaries." Now you know.

Some actual celebrities, political and otherwise, have endorsed candidates in the race for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat. New York mayor and Medford's own Michael Bloomberg came out for Alan Khazei. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and most of the Bay State's congressional delegation are with Capuano. (Niki Tsongas stuck with the sisterhood; she's backing Attorney General Martha Coakley). Local pols and unions galore have thrown their weight behind either Coakley or Capuano, hoping to back a winner.

At the same time, a motley crew of under-the-radar B-listers, nobodies, celebrity hounds and rank opportunists are pledging their troth to one of the four candidates. Why? Because each campaign is expecting a very close election with minimal turnout. If a bunch of gasfitters, or, say, Livingston Taylor, want to endorse your candidate, fine. Maybe they'll bring a dozen supporters with them.

Livingston is with Martha Coakley, by the way. Brother James remains uncommitted. Livingston is to James as Max Kennedy -- nominal writer and frustrated office-seeker -- is to his better-known relative Joe Kennedy II. Max came out early for Khazei. The family's A-listers, Vicki Kennedy, Joe, and Rhode Island congressman Patrick, remain uncommitted.

Khazei, co-founder of the City Year service program, has assembled the most eclectic endorsement list to date. Following Max Kennedy came former Colorado senator Gary Hart, whose active career in politics ended two decades ago with a resounding sex scandal. Red Sox general manger Theo Epstein hosted an event for Alan, but last week Khazei showed his trump cards: First J.J. Abrams, creator of such hit TV shows as "Felicity" and "Lost," released a video praising Khazei. Then former Harvard government concentrator and bona fide movie star ("Leaving Las Vegas;" "Cocktail") Elisabeth Shue cut a tape at a party in Los Angeles, praising Khazei's "incredibly big brain," among other qualities.

Her film star brother Andrew Shue will be hosting a Khazei fund-raiser later this month.

The glitterati for the nutty-professor-like Khazei? Who knew?

Steve Pagliuca's website claims that Pags "is winning the endorsements of thousands of Democrats across the state." But when I asked the campaign to identify any prominent endorsers, a spokesman replied that "endorsements are not a focus of our campaign." Which isn't to say that people don't want to be seen with Pagliuca. Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin is headlining a Pagliuca event this coming Sunday at Faneuil Hall. Doris likes the gajillionaires. In 1998, she taped an ad for corporate titan Al Checchi, who ran unsuccessfully for the California governorship.

Boston Celtics headliners like Ray Allen, Doc Rivers, and Paul Pierce have also appeared at Pagliuca events. Pagliuca is a co-owner of the Celtics, and thus their boss. If Steve paid me a few million dollars a year, I'd support him too. Heck, I'd support him for a few hundred thousand dollars a year. I'm a cheap date.

Alex Beam is a Globe columnist. His e-dress is beam@globe.com To read his previous political columns, click here.