Finding Leo

     Hollywood all-stars descended upon DC this weekend as the film “J. Edgar” began shooting on location. The movie, set to hit theaters in 2012, stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer, and Dermott Mulroney and is directed by Clint Eastwood. On Friday night, filming took place in the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress and continued throughout downtown DC on Saturday and Sunday.

     The film depicts the notorious career and controversial personal life of J. Edgar Hoover, the most infamous law enforcement official in our nation’s history. While attending The George Washington University Law School, Hoover worked as a messenger at the Library of Congress. Thereafter, he quickly rose through the ranks of the Justice Department. Hoover was appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation (the predecessor of the FBI) in 1924, founded the FBI in 1935, and continued to serve as its director until his death in 1972. During his reign, the FBI grew into a highly equipped and professionalized investigative body that played an integral role in fighting off organized crime and developing counterintelligence tactics against the threat of Nazi and Communist espionage.

     But, Hoover was never far from controversy, both professionally and personally. Critics often charged him with abusing authority and using his power to harass and blackmail public figures, including Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Joseph McCarthy, Frank Sinatra, Ernest Hemingway, John Lennon, and Lucille Ball among others (find a summary of some of Hoover’s confidential files here). Rumors also surfaced that Hoover had a sexual relationship with his number two man at the FBI, Clyde Tolson (played by Armie Hammer).

     What’s the FBI up to these days? Apparently making some adjustments to Constitutional Law. The full story .

Upcoming Events

“Libya: The Road Map to Freedom”

An address by The Honorable Ali Aujali, Ambassador of Libya to the United States

with Opening Remarks by Mr. Fadel Lamen, President of the American-Libyan Council
Hosted by The International Affairs Society, Al Waref Institute for Humanitarian Studies, and The American-Libyan Council
Monday, March 28th, 2011, 6:30pm
Registration opens at 5:30pm
Guests must be seated by 6:20pm

The Media and Public Affairs Building
Jack Morton Auditorium
805 21st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20052
Reception to follow
Please register your attendance at: http://libya-at-gw.eventbrite.com/

**Please note that registration is limited and seats will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis.**

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The Aspen Institute and The National Cathedral present:
"Values and Diplomacy; A Conversation with Former Secretaries of State."
The program will feature former Secretaries of State Madeleine K. Albright, Colin L. Powell, and James A. Baker, III, in conversation with Walter Isaacson.

Thursday, April 7, 2011, 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Main Nave of the National Cathedral.
Adult tickets will be available for $10, and student tickets for $5.
Tickets are available online at http://www.nationalcathedral.org/ or at (202) 537-2228.

What's the Situation?

     On Friday night, Jersey Shore’s Mike “The Situation” hosted a party at Shadow Room (23rd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue). He did not comment on the situation in Libya or New Jersey’s dire budget crisis.  Perhaps he should consider changing his name if he don't know what up.

Well Hello Lance

     Last Thursday, 7-time Tour de France champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong visited the White House to make a push for cancer research funding. As Congress attempts to compromise on a budget and narrow a projected $1.65 trillion deficit, medical research funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which traditionally receives bipartisan support, may be vulnerable. While NIH’s $31 billion budget constitutes only about 0.08% of the entire federal budget, Republicans are proposing over $1 billion in cuts. President Obama proposes a small increase in funding.

     NIH, one of the world’s largest medical research institutions, funds research and programs that help battle some of the country’s deadliest diseases, from heart disease to cancer. In 2007, the number of cancer deaths in the U.S. declined for the first time ever, which is in part attributed to the work of NIH.

     After leaving the White House, Armstrong tweeted, “Great mtg w/ partners talking about global health and hoping to help save lives around the world.”  Earlier in the day he gave a speech at the National Press Club.

The Re-Launch of Hollywood Politico!

Hollywood Politico aims to bring you celebrity and political happenings around DC.  It is designed to entertain and educate.  Hope you enjoy it.  For input or stories, please contact hollywoodpolitico@gmail.com.

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