Reply #43: Read this:

[NYCGirl]

But even longer than Goldberg's been perfecting his famed nose for hits, he has sharpened his political instincts, which started as a set of values instilled by his progressive-minded parents while they reared him and his brother and sister in Westchester County, N.Y. He was active in the antiwar movement in the 1960s and 1970s and co-produced the "No Nukes" concert and documentary. In more recent years, Goldberg's political passions have revolved mostly around civil liberties issues: He chaired the American Civil Liberties Foundation of Southern California for eight years. Since then he has been most visible going toe-to-toe with such lightning rods as William Bennett, Lynne Cheney, Tipper Gore and Joe Lieberman as they encouraged the entertainment industry to clean up its act. That was Goldberg on television two years ago, testifying at congressional hearings, discussing Eminem and "Erin Brockovich" with interlocutors including Sens. John McCain and Sam Brownback.

But more than a C-SPAN star, Goldberg over the years has become a prominent éminence grise in Democratic circles, serving as an ad hoc adviser to candidates and putting politicians together with celebrities -- and, perhaps more important, celebrities' money -- to create the invaluable synergy in which the pol gets some glamour and the star gets intellectual bona fides. But Goldberg, a Berkeley dropout, brought value added to the transaction. "He was a great help to me and a real friend and ambassador in the entertainment world," says former senator Gary Hart from his law office in Denver. "I always found him to be a very interesting mix of a seasoned entertainment executive and someone who understood and thought a lot about public policy and government. He has a great mind. He's just a fountain of ideas."

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0826-01.htm

(I love what he says about Lieberman here):

Goldberg also excoriates the two candidates, whom he met frequently on the campaign trail, for alienating young people by demonizing the video games, rap music and movies they love. His strongest language is reserved for current presidential candidate Lieberman. "Not only is he one of the most conservative Democrats with a national profile," Goldberg writes, "but his self-righteousness about religion and venom toward popular culture would make him a serious threat to a free and intellectually diverse American society if he were to gain more power." (Through a spokesman, Lieberman said that he hasn't read Goldberg's book but doesn't "feel it necessary to respond to the political analysis of a record producer. Suffice it to say he should not give up his day job.")