Casting call

GUESS who’s been making the political rounds in Hollywood recently?

Not just Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, though she’s made two major fundraising trips to Los Angeles in the last six months. Or Al Gore. (Though he’s a frequent visitor.)

Try Sen. John F. Kerry.

Followed by Howard Dean.

Followed by Sen. John McCain.

And this week, it’s Andrew Cuomo (2016, anyone?), before Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. drops by.

While the political world’s attention has been focused most recently on the travails of I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Karl Rove and the Bush administration -- not to mention a bruising California special election called by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- Los Angeles has been humming along in one of its favorite roles: early-bird talent scout looking over a steady parade of politicians here to court Hollywood’s most influential Democratic fundraisers.

“Los Angeles is like the Iowa caucus of the fundraising scene,” said campaign strategist Bill Carrick. “Even people who say they’re opposed to Hollywood values are out here raising money.”

So three years before a presidential election, and without a single declared major candidate in sight, the West Coast pre-pre-primaries have already begun.

Some politicians arrive quietly, with Secret Service in tow and their schedules kept under wraps by tight-lipped aides. Others come in service of a cause (Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat, appeared at an anti-Proposition 75 rally with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa last month).

On a recent balmy Friday evening, Clinton -- raising money for her 2006 reelection campaign -- mingled with Ted Danson and wife Mary Steenburgen at the Women’s Foundation of California gala benefit in Beverly Hills. Afterward, she headed to Rob Reiner’s Brentwood home, where she stood before a sold-out audience of 150 people, each paying at least $500 to hear the New York Democrat speak in the director’s comfortable screening room.

The next day, she was at a private brunch, with about 75 people, at “American Beauty” producer Bruce Cohen’s ultramodern Lloyd Wright house off Hollywood Boulevard. From there, she headed to Hancock Park for a 1 p.m. lunch, an event co-sponsored by Barbra Streisand, Rhea Perlman and Danny DeVito.

A few days after Clinton headed back to Washington -- with more than $300,000 collected at three fundraisers, on top of the $1 million she raised at a series of fundraisers in May -- there was another gathering of Hollywood bigwigs, this time at the Wilshire Ebell Theater. Some of the same people who had held fundraisers for Clinton had now turned out for the annual Environmental Media Awards, where former Vice President Gore was the guest of honor.

Midway through the festive evening, Lyn Lear and Cindy Horn, the wife of Alan Horn, president of Warner Bros. Entertainment, took the stage. They looked directly at Gore, who was sitting in the front row with his family, and urged him to consider another run for president in 2008. Next, Reiner and his teenage son, one of the young award recipients of the evening, stood before the crowd, also voicing support for the former vice president.

“They said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if Gore ran again?’ and the whole place went wild,” said Lear, wife of entertainment giant Norman Lear.

Amid the praise, the former vice president smiled, and then he privately told some of his supporters that he wasn’t interested. But will he change his mind?

“To the surprise of many, Gore has emerged as a candidate who is passionate and who is not as focus-group driven as Hillary,” said political columnist Arianna Huffington. “There’s a lot of talk about Gore redeeming and transforming himself.” That’s particularly true among hard-core liberals who may find Clinton too moderate.

Gore has been spending a lot of time in Los Angeles working on a documentary on global warming with “Good Will Hunting” producer Lawrence Bender, who says the former vice president seems more relaxed these days. “I’m hoping he runs,” said Bender, who raised $600,000 for Kerry during the last campaign. “I think the only way he’ll do it is if enough people tell him to do it.”

But Bender also met recently with Kerry.

“He’s been touching base with a lot of people, telling them thank you,” said Bender, who also hosted a small dinner party with Democratic National Committee Chairman Dean last month, raising $60,000. Kerry running mate John Edwards “did the same thing a few months ago, and we had a party for about 20 people at the house.”

Then there’s McCain, the Arizona Republican, who appeared on “AirTalk” with Larry Mantle two weeks ago to promote his book “Character Is Destiny: Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult Should Remember.”

McCain also was seen recently dining with Warren Beatty in Beverly Hills, according to one Hollywood source. (The actor, who played an activist role opposing Schwarzenegger’s initiatives in last week’s special election, is coy about whether he’ll support longtime friend McCain for president, noting that he is also close with Gore and Clinton. “They’re all good people,” he says.)

“Both Hillary and McCain are authentic,” said “The Mummy” producer Sean Daniel, whose wife worked in the Clinton White House. “They each come across that way. Politically they are very different, but both capture people’s radar out here about connecting with the audience.”

“There’s a lot of people who are coming out who are running for Senate or Congress in ‘06,” said Bender. In return, Hollywood gets a sneak preview of the nation’s politicians, sometimes long before they become household names. (Lesser-known lawmakers already on the radar include Tennessee Rep. Harold E. Ford Jr. and Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner, both Democrats and recent visitors.)

“It’s not just about raising money; a lot of people out here have an interest and pay attention to national politics,” said Donna Bojarsky, a Hollywood political consultant. “As soon as one presidential campaign is over, the next one starts.”

Granted, none of these politicians has actually announced a run for president in 2008. (And a few have flat out said that they’re not running.) But that hasn’t stopped the speculation.

“There is a lot curiosity about potential ’08 candidates,” said political consultant Chad Griffin. “If Sen. Clinton chooses to run, there would be tremendous support for her here.”

Of course, nothing is certain. If you think it’s hard for an actor to stay on top here, try being a candidate. Take the 2004 election, for example. Many in Hollywood flirted with retired Gen. Wesley Clark -- though passions also surfaced for Dean and Edwards. And it wasn’t until after Kerry had wrapped up the nomination that many in Hollywood decided to get behind him.

The entertainment industry has long been an important source of funds for political campaigns, but it was taken to a new level with the arrival of Bill Clinton, who captivated Hollywood with his pop culture sensibility.

Consider: In 1990, before Clinton ran for the presidency, political contributions from donors in the movie, TV and music industries were $5.8 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that tracks campaign giving. In 1992, the year Clinton won, the number jumped to $13.6 million, with 73% going to Democratic candidates. For the 2002 election cycle, the entertainment donations topped $40 million, ranking seventh out of 80 industries.

Although large-sum donations have been curbed because of the 2002 changes in the campaign finance laws, Hollywood is still giving at a healthy rate. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, more than $5 million in entertainment money has been raised so far for the 2006 election cycle.

And there’s no doubt that there’s still nostalgia in Hollywood for the last Democrat to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

“I had gone to the White House with Steven Spielberg in 1995, and I was immensely impressed with the Clintons,” said Cohen, who raised $75,000 for Clinton’s Senate reelection campaign last month. “They were so charismatic, I became a fan and a supporter.”

But political consultant Ben Austin, who worked in the Clinton White House and attended the fundraiser at Reiner’s house, said that although the former first lady “did fine” at that appearance, he wanted to hear more details about her national agenda.

“I think there are other people who will come to L.A.,” he said, “and do fine as well.”