Gore and Lieberman

* Dick Cheney recently blasted Al Gore and Joseph I. Lieberman “for ‘hypocrisy’ for lashing at Hollywood marketing and then turning around to ‘schmooze’ and take millions in contributions” (Sept. 15). Fine argument, except they took contributions from some of the world’s leading creative artists, including Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg. Gore did not, to my knowledge, take any money from Silver Screen Management Co., which had George W. Bush on its board of directors when it made the terrifyingly gory murder movie “The Hitcher” (Sept. 15). Great movie, by the way, George.

Just because people make their living in the creative arena of Hollywood doesn’t mean that they’re morally bankrupt or bent on destroying society. Last I heard, neither Spielberg nor Streisand was hard at work making slasher movies. I’m a registered Democrat who voted for Republican Rudolph Giuliani for mayor of New York. I cross party lines when I think it’s for the good of the majority. This year Gore and Lieberman have my vote.

BRIAN FOYSTER

Hollywood

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Gore is a real-life Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. First, he portrays the good Dr. Jekyll, who comes out waving a newly released FTC report condemning Hollywood. Later, the Mr. Hyde Gore woos Hollywood donors and distances himself from the report. This is not a new identity crisis for Gore--he has been playing multiple roles for many years in Washington. Which Gore do you believe? I trust neither.

RICHARD POPSON

Carpinteria

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If the entertainment industry markets products laden with sex and violence to get some of my spare cash, they’re assuming I’m a degenerate. Fine. But if politicians of both parties want to gain my vote peddling election-year morality while avoiding far more serious issues, they’re assuming I’m an idiot. That is truly obscene.

DAVID S. MOSKOWITZ

Venice

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Re “Censorship Is Born Again With the Gores,” Commentary, Sept. 17: No, this is not the censorship in which a government agency strikes down a work of art, drama or book. It is not the prohibition of James Joyce’s “Ulysses.” It is asking an industry to censor itself, to make something more of films, airwaves and recordings.

I’m in favor of all that is produced being made available to the public. Those who view it as distasteful may reject it themselves or prevent their children from viewing it. What I see as wrong is an industry being unable to censor itself.

JERRY ARONOW

West Hollywood

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I’m trying to understand the Gore camp’s increasingly complex explanations of how Gore’s mother-in-law’s arthritis prescription costs three times more than his dog’s (Sept. 20), but I just can’t get the math right. I weigh 200 pounds; my dog weighs 50. If we both consume one “dose” of beer, I just might believe, or even understand, Gore’s math and my dog might even like the vice president. Of course, for the same dose, the evil breweries are ripping me off by charging four times as much as they do my dog. That’s something to investigate!

CHUCK DeVORE

Irvine

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Is this political campaign a joke or what? You’ve got subliminal messages, deep kissing and a------ naming. By the way, has anyone noticed that VP candidate Lieberman looks exactly like “Laugh-In’s” Henry Gibson? Well, have you ever seen them together?

DAN ANZEL

Santa Monica