Rick Kaplan, the former ABC News executive who in August left to head CNN’s news operation, in 1995 invited Fidel Castro to join him at dinner with old friend President Clinton.
That’s according to January’s issue of Vanity Fair, which features a nine-page profile of the 6-foot-7 newsman and his larger-than-life exploits.
Castro declined the invite because he didn’t want to embarrass Clinton, the magazine reported, but when Kaplan told Clinton he’d almost brought Castro, the president replied, “You should have,” then reconsidered: “Nah . . . the State Department would have killed me.”
The magazine also reports on Kaplan’s legendary temper and allegations that his friendship with the Clintons may have compromised his news judgment in covering them. Kaplan responds: “I don’t think I’ve ever pulled a story, especially in that area, that anybody particularly thinks I made a wrong call on.”
– Fans of “Laverne and Shirley” might recognize a new cast member on the daytime drama “Bold And Beautiful.” David Lander, who is playing Mike’s brother, Dr. Martin Guthrie, portrayed Squiggy on the late ’70s-early ’80s ABC sitcom.
