Matt Damon, one of Barack Obama’s earliest supporters and once one of his most staunch advocates, slammed the President in the new issue of Elle Magazine . “I’ve talked to a lot of people who worked for Obama at the grassroots level. One of them said to me, ‘Never again. I will never be fooled again by a politician,’” Damon tells the magazine . “You know, a one-term president with some balls who actually got stuff done would have been, in the long run of the country, much better.” Referring to the Occupy Wall Street movement, Damon continued: “If the Democrats think that they didn’t have a mandate — people are literally without any focus or leadership, just wandering out into the streets to yell right now because they are so pissed off … Imagine if they had a leader.” That echoes the President’s own words to Diane Sawyer in March of 2010 when he said, “I’d rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president… There’s a tendency in Washington to think that our job description, of elected officials, is to get reelected. That’s not our job description. Our job description is to solve problems and to help people.” The slam follows in the same vein as a number of other criticisms Damon has made of the President and the Democrats, including in March, when he criticized Obama’s education policy. “I really think he misinterpreted his mandate. A friend of mine said to me the other day, I thought it was a great line, ‘I no longer hope for audacity,’” Damon told CNN host Piers Morgan . “He’s doubled down on a lot of things, going back to education… the idea that we’re testing kids and we’re tying teachers salaries to how kids are performing on tests, that kind of mechanized thinking has nothing to do with higher order. We’re training them, not teaching them.” Later that month, he hit Obama on his handling of the economic crisis. “I think he’s rolled over to Wall Street completely. The economy has huge problems. We still have all these banks that are too big to fail. They’re bigger and making more money than ever. Unemployment at 10 percent? It’s terrible,” he told the Independent . Damon also criticized the President’s inability to get transformative things done, saying, “They had a chance that they don’t have any more to stand up for things. They’ve probably squandered that at this point. They’ll probably just make whatever deals they can to try to get elected again.” Currently, Obama and the Democrats are fighting with the House GOP over passing a compromise two month extension of the payroll tax cuts and unemployment benefits, amongst other things; they’ve already removed increased taxes on the wealthy from the deal. Damon’s criticism rings with disappointment after he so publicly lent his support to the then-Senator Obama during the 2008 election. He spent time campaigning for the then-candidate at rallies , promoting him through a MoveOn video contest and attending fundraisers for the man who would become the 44th President . In August, the star ripped a cameraman and reporter from a conservative publication who challenged his stance on education at a Save Our Schools event in Washington, DC. He then moved on to economic policy criticism. “The wealthy are paying less than they paid at any time else, certainly in my lifetime, and probably in the last century,” Damon told a reporter at the same event . “I don’t know what we were paying in the roaring 20′s; it’s criminal that so little is asked of people who are getting so much. I don’t mind paying more. I really don’t mind paying more taxes. I’d rather pay for taxes than cut ‘Reading is Fundamental’ or Head Start or some of these programs that are really helping kids. This is the greatest country in the world; is it really that much worse if you pay 6% more in taxes? Give me a break. Look at what you get for it: you get to be American.” Speaking of the then-protracted negotiations over the debt ceiling, he did show some sympathy for Obama. “I’m so disgusted,” he said. “I mean, no, I don’t know what you do in the face of that kind of intransigence. So, my heart does go out to the President. He is dealing with a lot.” Scarlett Johansson, Damon’s co-star in the upcoming film “We Bought A Zoo,” recently said that she wanted Obama elected to another four year term . The President still enjoys support in Hollywood, having recently attended fundraisers in Los Angeles filled with stars. Obama responded jokingly to Damon’s criticism at his White House Press Correspondents Dinner in late April, saying, “It’s fair to say that when it comes to my presidency, the honeymoon is over … Matt Damon said he [has been] disappointed in my performance. Well Matt, I just saw the ‘Adjustment Bureau,’ so … right back atcha buddy.” Earlier this month, Damon said he found the dig, which referenced his poorly reviewed sci-fi action film that came out last winter, pretty funny . For more, click over to Elle . Visit link: Matt Damon SLAMSs President Obama
Posts Tagged ‘ hollywood ’
Seasonal Eats: Time for Spinach!
Spinach isn’t necessarily a winter green, but in temperate winter areas like southern California, we get to enjoy it now. The spinach above is an heirloom variety that is quite toothy and probably best steamed or sautéed, but we also have sellers at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market who specialize in young leafy varieties that are great for salads. more › Read the original: Seasonal Eats: Time for Spinach!
Maya Rudolph, BFFS With Dog That Dug Up Human Head In Hollywood Hills
Funnywoman Maya Rudolph stopped by the Conan set Monday night to chat about Oprah, Brangelina and her hit NBC show Up All Night with host Conan O’Brien. But instead of just focusing on “Maya, Maya, Maya,” the comedian spends about three minutes revealing her connection to a grim local news story that’s made international headlines. more › View original post here: Maya Rudolph, BFFS With Dog That Dug Up Human Head In Hollywood Hills
Christian Louboutin Returns to Los Angeles as Oscar Week Approaches
Monsieur Christian Louboutin , the inventor of some of the world’s most coveted shoes — yes, the ones with high heels and the red bottoms — is spending his 20th anniversary in the business at Neiman Marcus on Wilshire in Beverly Hills. See original here: Christian Louboutin Returns to Los Angeles as Oscar Week Approaches
Hammer jokes about arrest
Actor Armie Hammer attends the 14th annual Hollywood Awards Gala at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 25, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California. See the original post: Hammer jokes about arrest
Welcome Nick Frazee, New Patch Advertising Manager
Nicholas Frazee is Patch’s new advertising manager for Beverly Hills, Hollywood, West Hollywood and Westwood-Century City. Frazee recently moved to the Los Angeles area after working as an advertising manager for Patch in Connecticut. He joined Patch in January after working in local television. Frazee has also held sales positions with various companies, ranging from website startups to health care businesses. In his free time, Frazee enjoys hockey, skiing and surfing. You can see him around Beverly Hills, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Westwood and Century City, introducing Patch to businesses and consumers alike. Feel free to say hi, and ask him about your Patch! Here’s a little bit about Frazee: Patch: As an advertising manager, what’s the best part of your job? Nicholas Frazee: Meeting local residents and business owners, and impressing them with Patch. It’s always amazing either to hear the “I love Patch!” response, or see that great “Ah-hah!” look of discovery as I find new users. The best is when I get to say, “Hey, how about your family, where do they live? Let’s find their Patch and see what’s going on!” That might be my favorite. Patch: What’s the best way for people to contact you about advertising on Patch? Frazee : In person is always best. As an ambassador for Patch, I’m always at chamber events and local happenings. However, Patch has kept its people well stocked with technology. I always have my iPhone with me: 310-721-5825; and email is great too: Nick.Frazee@Patch.com. Patch: What do you find special about Patch? Frazee : Patch is more than anything a resource; a tremendous asset for a community to learn more about their news, events and businesses, and to contribute back. It’s a two-way conversation every day and I have been so excited watching it become a part of the fabric of people’s lives. Did you check your Patch today? Patch: What are your personal interests? What are you looking forward to most in your new surroundings? Frazee : My nickname at Patch is “Iceman” since I play hockey and ski. I can’t wait to take some long weekends to Utah! More than anything, I’m pschyed for the surf. This is the closest I’ve lived to the beach, and I’ve already hit up Venice Beach and Malibu. Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook . Continued here: Welcome Nick Frazee, New Patch Advertising Manager
‘Ask a Mortician’ and She’ll Tell You About Space Burials, Where the Famous Go to Die and How to Bake Your Remains into Chocolate Cake
Caitlin Doughty believes her fascination with death started when she was a little girl and she witnessed a girl fatally fall from the balcony of a local mall. She went on to get a degree in mortuary science and start a delightful (no, really!) web series about death. more › Read more: ‘Ask a Mortician’ and She’ll Tell You About Space Burials, Where the Famous Go to Die and How to Bake Your Remains into Chocolate Cake
‘Ask a Mortician’ and She’ll Tell You About Space Burials, Where the Famous Go to Die and How to Bake Your Remains into Chocolate Cake
Caitlin Doughty believes her fascination with death started when she was a little girl and she witnessed a girl fatally fall from the balcony of a local mall. She went on to get a degree in mortuary science and start a delightful (no, really!) web series about death. more › Read more: ‘Ask a Mortician’ and She’ll Tell You About Space Burials, Where the Famous Go to Die and How to Bake Your Remains into Chocolate Cake
Woman Shot & Killed At Hollywood Thai Restaurant
EXCLUSIVE: WME Must Only Pay $20M-$30M In Beverly Hills Building Arbitration
ButA real estate sources tell me that the Hollywood agency isA paying on the low side of what the Beverly HillsA commercial propertyA community expected would be 8-figure damages.A It was WME chief Ari Emanuel who decided to back out of the William Morris Agency’s commitment to lease that big blue 6- story Beverly Hills office buildingA going up at … (more) Continued here: EXCLUSIVE: WME Must Only Pay $20M-$30M In Beverly Hills Building Arbitration