Martha & the Republicans

San Francisco Examiner
Publication date: 08/20/2002

(P.J.'s on vacation. Martha Smilgis and Elizabeth Armstrong are on duty.)

A FEW DAYS AFTER the Justice Department sacked Martha Stewart's broker's office for info on the ImClone stock sale, a confidant of Stewart's was quoted in the New York Post as saying: "Martha really believes it is the Republicans who are behind this. ... They are chasing her for purely political reasons."

According to the pal, Martha thinks she's the target of a Republican witch hunt that is now digging into her private e-mails and even tracking whom she's dated. Her rationale: Last year, she contributed $125,000 in soft money to Democratic coffers. Logic would dictate that the doyenne of domesticity, rolling all those cheese balls, was a Republican. And then, taking her company public to the tune of a billion bucks, oh well ... Expectedly, congressional investigators denied any political motivation. If Martha's so upset, why doesn't she go public? Call a press conference? Who better can use the media to her advantage?

Philip Morris, make note of your new poster child: Fran Lebowitz. On NPR recently, the humorist knocked S.F.'s "no smoking in public places" as being undemocratic. In the raspy voice of a charcoal-throated smoker, Lebowitz denounced Mayor Bloomberg's anti-smoking proposal for NYC. "Mayor Bloomberg is acting like my father," she croaked. "If he is my father, I hope I am in the will."

After Sen. Paul Wellstone's fund-raiser last week, Robert Redford chose Tommy Toy's, his old hangout, to host a dinner party for a female companion, Billi and close friend, state Sen. John Burton. Burton's secretary, Melanie Blum, and Redford's assistant, Joyce Deep, participated along with George Gund (majority owner of the San Jose Sharks and chairman of the board of S.F.'s International Film Festival). For more than two hours, the convivial crowd feasted on lobster, lamb and minced squab while polishing off five bottles of Grgich Hills chardonnay and Jordan cabernet sauvignon. Conversation moved from politics to film -- no surprise since S.F.- and NYC-based museum supporter Gund is on the board of trustees at Redford's Sundance Institute.

On the subject of movies, Sofia Coppola starts directing "Lost in Translation," starring Bill Murray, Giovanni Ribisi and Scarlett Johansson. Shooting in Japan, Murray is an over-the-hill TV star who partners with Johansson ("The Horse Whisperer"). Sofia's raising the bar after her directorial debut with the acclaimed "Virgin Suicides." ... Boffo "XXX" has turned Vin Diesel and Asia Argento into brand names (think wine fuel and exotic cheese). ... Did you know that Asia has an eye tattooed on her shoulder blade? An angel on her belly? The name Anna on her flank? Anna is the name of her deceased sister and baby daughter. ...

The House of Prime Rib is celeb city: Chuck Norris and his wife popped in to celebrate their giving birth to twins. Armando Rios, the former S.F. Giant now with the Pittsburgh Pirates, table-hopped while Chief of Police Earl Sanders chowed down with Alex Fagan and the troops. When Da Mayor walked in and saw the brass, he exclaimed: "My God, this has got to be the safest place in town!"

Aces and Piffle: The Slanted Door tells us that despite the success of their Embarcadero location (two weeks to nail down a reservation), the restaurant will be back in their refurbed Valencia Street digs in a year. "We are the Mission," they say to the Pac Hts crowd. They'll just have to put up with the inconvenience. ... The former Zodiac Bar at 14th and Castro has transformed into Amber with a '70s dÈcor of burnt orange. ... It's still the only straight bar in the Castro. ...

More sightings: Andy Garcia dined at Scoma's. ... Sammy Sosa, Joe Montana, Robert Goulet and Cheryl Jennings (ABC reporter) dropped into Postrio over the last week. ... Robert Evans, 72, bedded at the Four Seasons while promoting his movie, "The Kid Stays in the Picture." Historical note: Evans pushed Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" (to drugs) campaign, a perfect candidate after saying yes for many years. ... Latina Victoria Recano, local anchor for Tech TV news and freelancer for KNTV, has left The City to become East Coast correspondent for "Inside Edition." ... "Today" weatherman Al Roker was shocked to see Ted Koppel wearing a T-shirt during an "Access Hollywood" interview: "It's like seeing your grandmother wearing a thong ... something you just don't want to see."

The Junior Paper, attempting to beef up circulation (and ads) for its Sunday Magazine, has added "The Circuit." ... The S.F. socialite spread looks shockingly familiar. Why, it's a knockoff of our Anne Lawrence's "See and Be Scene."... Hey, imitation is always flattery.