Never too early for Republicans to think about Iowa caucuses in the year 2000 and here, compliments of the Iowa Political Hotline, are the top three finishers in a presidential poll recently conducted for Lamar Alexander: Colin Powell (18 percent), Dan Quayle (17 percent) and Jack Kemp (14 percent). Several surprises (to us, at least):
– George Bush got 9 percent, almost double Steve Forbes’ total–and Forbes is likely to again be active.
– Alexander, in fourth (12 percent), nosed out Pat Buchanan while U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson was a distant ninth.
Airwaves: We hear Mayor Richard Daley’s spokesman, Jim Williams, may be headed to ABC as a network news correspondent.
Edgar watch: Don’t read anything extra into Gov. Jim Edgar’s Governor’s Club dinner next month–it’s been scheduled for a while, and we’re assured it has no bearing on the Guv’s intentions to run for another term.
Speaking of Edgar: We understand there was a lot of interest in this plum appointment: executive director of the Illinois Arts Council, a post that was vacated when Lori Montana left to become Illinois’ lottery honcho. The new Arts Council exec title now belongs to Kassie Davis, who headed up Marshall Field’s public affairs office.
More pol watching: Look for First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to come here late next month for a small, private funder. . . .U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, in a follow-up to his Chicago meet with Vytautas Landsbergis, has scheduled a session for the Lithuanian political leader with U.S. House Dem leader Richard Gephardt.
The jury box: The laborious jury selection process in the Oklahoma City bombing trial continued Thursday in the Denver courtroom of Judge Richard Matsch with the usual variety of religions (Lutherans, Catholics, etc.) in the mix. Then there was this eyebrow-raiser–a Wiccan. “In 20 years of covering the courts and jury selections, I’ve seen just about every religion but this one,” said one seasoned reporter covering the case.
More lawyers: You can expect Northwestern University to continue providing its share of top lawyers to courtrooms. The school just won the National Trial Competition in Houston. It’s the second time NU’s won this national title, so we figure it’s just a matter of time before Wildcat football coach Gary Barnett calls law school dean David Van Zandt for tips.
New testament: The late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin’s support for the Chicago Legal Clinic (he was its first speaker at the group’s awards dinner in ’84) will live on in a new honor that the CLC has established, the Cardinal Bernardin Award. Its first recipient will be announced at the CLC’s awards event in May.
Passages: Friday birthdays: Oleg Cassini, 84; Joel Grey, 65; Ethel Kennedy, 69; Louise Lasser, 58. Saturday birthdays: David Cassidy, 47; Tom Clancy, 50; Claire Danes, 18; Andy Garcia, 41; Vince Gill, 40; Herbie Hancock, 57; David Letterman, 50; Ann Miller, 78; Ed O’Neill, 51; Scott Turow, 48; Jane Withers, 71.
Reel life: The word from Hollywood has Illinois native and “Swingers” star Vince Vaughn talking about starring in another buddy movie. It’s titled “Force Majeure” and is about friends facing tough decisions when one is held in Malaysia on drug charges. Before that, Vaughn will film “A Cool Dry Place” with Anne Heche. . . . If all goes as planned, Cuba “I love you” Gooding Jr. could play the late soul singer Otis Redding in “Blaze of Glory.” . . . Madonna may have wanted to play Frida Kahlo, but it looks like she’ll instead star as photographer Tina Modotti (a Frida pal) for a Mick Jagger produced film, while actress Salma Hayek (“Fools Rush In”) has captured the starring role in Trimark Pictures’ big screen story of the Mexican artist.
EAVESDROPPING
“If politics was a TV show it would have a zero Nielsen rating.”
Christopher Cuomo, lawyer son of ex-N.Y. Gov. Mario and brother of Andrew, in W mag.
