It is nice to see that one-by-one, trickle-by-trickle, non-Lefty Liberals are coming out of the woodwork in Hollywood. This interview with Gary Sinise is a great example and very interesting.
(click on photo for link to full video interview)
He seems to be doing a bit of mental gymnastics so as not be be labeled a “conservative”… but that’s okay. He is doing good things with his program, Operation Iraqi Children. Sinise and Laura Hillenbrand (the writer of Seabiscuit) spearheaded this effort.
Inspired by their conversations with Operation Iraqi Freedom soldiers as well as Sinise’s tour of the region in 2003, Sinise and Hillenbrand founded Operation Iraqi Children, a grass roots program to provide concerned Americans with a means to reach out to Iraqi kids and help support our soldiers’ efforts to assist the Iraqi people.
“I have seen Iraqi kids climbing on our soldiers and hugging them and kissing them,” remembers Sinise, who accompanied Army soldiers to a dilapidated school they were rebuilding. “I have seen their smiling faces and their attempts to say ‘I love you’ in broken English. The folks I saw had hope in their eyes and gratitude in their hearts for what was done for them.”
It is just nice to finally see an ‘A-List’ Hollywood type actually supporting the troops with deeds, regardless of what his politics may or may not be.
Three cheers, Gary Sinise! If only there were more like him in the entertainment industry who actually talked about their nation in a positive light. I guess it helps when you believe it first.
-Bruce (GayPatriot)
He’s on record as a Republican — but you’ve no doubt noticed that for the most part, Hollywood conservatives keep their mouths shut. They’d prefer to keep on working, of course.
I first heard about his band – The Lieutenant Dan Band – being on USO tours last year; it is great that he has been very supportive of the troops!
Bruce, I don’t care what he calls himself, as long as Sinese is involved in such admirable work!
Rightwingprof is probably correct, though. Let folks in Hollywood know that you’re an eeeeevil conservative/Republican – and you could find yourself twiddling your thumbs.
Guess some liberals have very short memories – or are so ignorant that they forget the McCarthy era.
Anyway; kudos to Sinese! If only there were more – many more – like him.
Plus … He’s sooooo cute.
Julie the Jarhead
“You don’t have to be an opera buff to appreciate a beautiful aria.”
One thing about Sinese is he fully supports the troops, and shows it through his actions not just in words.
Or maybe its the fact that they remember it so well. There is a very sound line of reasoning that says that one of the main factors that has caused the “Hollywood Elite” to be so liberal today is because it is a reaction to the massive hunting of Hollywood for commies by conservatives lead by McCarthy during the 50’s. It is a historical fact that Hollywood, while never exactly mainstream, certainly used to be much more conservative than it is today. The reasons it is no longer that way are very complex, but I would be a bit more careful about pointing fingers as you may end up poking your own eye out.
IIRC, Ronald Reagan was instrumental in keeping Communist from controlling the Screen Actor’s Guild – he more or less did the same thing to SAC what George Meany did to the AFL-CIO. Another reason to love Reagan.
McCarthy had nothing to do with Hollywood, ever. Nor did he have anything to do with HUAC (McCarthy was a Senator).
Preventing someone who is talented in their work from doing it because of their political affiliations is offensive. Doesn’t matter whether the bias is against Communists or Conservatives or anything else. Prejudice is prejudice.
Anyone else besides myself enjoy his portrayal of George Wallace? Truly deserved the Emmy…
Regards,
Peter Hughes
“mental gymnastics so as not be be labeled a “conservative””
Tell me, what IS a conservative?
One who breaks the law and constitution? One who outspends LBJ? One who appoints only cronies? One who thinks intelligent design is intelligent? One who bails out businesses? One who undermines the family? One who can’t say “condom?” One who reinstitutes debtor prisons? One who federalizes education? One who doesn’t care about the poor and neglected? The one who wants to conflate religion and state? One who sends the military to war without sufficient armor? One who wars against a non-threatening sovereign power? One who kills 30,000 innocent civilians? One who derides those different from himself (e.g., queers) as second-class citizens, if that? Oh, and the list goes on and on!
Is THIS your definition of “conservative?”
Thank gawd I’m a born-again “liberal.”
What a foolish, rambling, angry rant, Stephen. Meds?
This is my favorite:
One who sends the military to war without sufficient armor?….Thank gawd I’m a born-again “liberal.”
Whose last president REFUSED armor and supplies to the S.F in Mog.
13: Uh..haven’t the various military branches come forward and said they have been undersupplied in many areas, including armor? Makes you wonder what exactly companies like Halliburton are charging for…
#14 – Well Kevin if you are a moonbat, OK, that’s what it makes you wonder.
More reasonable people wonder, instead, what Murtha has been doing (minority chair of the relevant House appropriations committee) all this time, if he is supposedly such a great guy who “supports” the troops so much. Add to that Pelosi, Clinton, etc.
Hye Stephen – With this site – makes you wonder why they insist on kissing Bush’s ass…..does he have to actually murder someone on TV for them to think less of the bumbling fool that he is? They seem to undermine themselves and feel they deserve less rights then others….since that is the “Republican mantra” anyways…..them thar gays are gettin uppity!
When in the history of America has the National Guard received the platinum program?
Do you really want to give them the platinum program to play soldier on the weekends?
And if you want to discuss tolerances required for the ceramics in the vests, we can do that, too, since the hubby is in mfg.
“When in the history of America has the National Guard received the platinum program?
Do you really want to give them the platinum program to play soldier on the weekends?”
No, Sandy, you want to give them good armor to deploy to Iraq – nothing you would ever know about firsthand, since you have a “hubby in mfg.” Doesn’t mean you can’t have a valid opinion on the subject, just that you have to be extra careful with the facts and in your reasoning so that your opinion is in fact valid.
Stephen: Whether you’re talking body armor, humvees, or battleships, there’s always a trade-off. More effective armor means more weight and less mobility. Reasonable people should be able to understand that.
Of course, if you’re bringing up body armor only to score points, in the midst of an absurd recitation of Democratic Underground fantasy “crimes,” you’re probably not a reasonable person. So, get it over with — start screaming “Bush lied, people died” and frothing at the mouth. You know you want to.
As for Sinese, he’s one of the good guys. And his series is one of two good CSI shows (can’t stand CSI: Miami, maybe because of the jerk star [grin]).
Richard G. Combs — January 17, 2006 @ 4:34 pm – January 17, 2006
AFAIC, the only good CSI is the original. The other two have abrasive actors in the lead. Or at least actors playing abrasive characters–I’ve seen Senise in some movies in which he played interesting characters.
Another of Bruckheimer’s shows, Without A Trace, which follows the original CSI on Thursday nights is pretty good, too.
Not at all, when one’s “political affiliations” (doesn’t that sound innocent?) are to commit sedition and treason, as is the case with the CPUSA.
Gary Sinise appears on the Hollywood Republicans list.