Did Democrats turn right?

The party's "family values" still do not include babies in the womb | Gene Edward Veith

The top three contributors to the Democratic Party, according to The Wall Street Journal (Aug. 8, p. 1A), are labor unions, trial lawyers, and the entertainment industry. Hollywood has given some $50 million since President Clinton first ran for office. The Journal cites one Democratic fundraiser who estimates that the national committee gets 20 percent of its funding from Hollywood.

Today, though, some denizens of Hollywood are wondering what they are getting for their money. Just as President Clinton stole some of the conservatives' thunder in endorsing welfare reform and a balanced budget, Vice President Gore is trying to co-opt the Republican issue of "family values."

Buried in the Democratic Platform is the "Responsible Entertainment" plank, which says, "Parents are struggling to pass on the right values in a culture that sometimes seems to practically scream that chaos and cruelty are cool." It goes on to take direct aim at Hollywood: "The entertainment industry must accept more responsibility and exercise more self-restraint."