That Bush Bunch

Good grief! The conservatives have managed to uncover another dark, insidious, liberal (subtext: pinko, Commie, flag-hating) plot against their simon-pure agenda (“Can Backing by Bush Hurt a Celebrity?” by Nikki Finke, Oct. 17).

The poor, frightened conservative actors are in thrall to Svengalis who run the studios and who manage them.

As a former struggling actress, I have news for the Bush people. Reagan, Hope and Heston notwithstanding, there are not a lot of conservative actors. Actors on the whole tend to be for a compassionate, inclusive, tolerant government, patriotically devoted to the Bill of Rights . . . in a word, the best of true-blue American liberalism.

There are two very good reasons for this. Most actors have to struggle and scrimp and deal with a lot of discrimination, and if they make it to the top they remember what it was like to be on the outside of the American dream looking in.

More important, part and parcel of being a good actor is the ability to identify, to put oneself in the shoes of the characters portrayed. This causes actors to empathize with those excluded from the pleasure and privileges that our great democratic system provides for most of us.

Yes, their hearts do a lot of bleeding. I believe our dear, compassionate Lord Jesus might well have been described as the original Bleeding Heart.

As for Charlton Heston’s career, we’re talking about a man of modest talent, though an above-average screen presence, who is well past his prime. I’m not aware that the talented (and proudly liberal) Gregory Peck is working more, if as much, as Heston. ‘Nuff said.

P.S. Of course, I know you won’t publish this. You never publish my letters--which I don’t mind if you publish others that share my viewpoint.

CLAUDIA DONALLY

Los Angeles