Hollywood execs' lobbyist woos GOP

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- The new head of Hollywood's trade association, ex-U.S. Rep. Dan Glickman, D-Kan., said winning Republican support for his industry's agenda won't be easy.

"I've got some bridge building to do," Glickman told Newsweek.

Glickman comes into his own as head of the Motion Picture Association of America at a time when Washington is casting an increasingly weary eye on the entertainment industry.

The antics of shock jocks like Howard Stern, Janet Jackson's so-called Superbowl "wardrobe malfunction" and filmmaker Michael Moore's attempt to influence the 2004 presidential election with "Fahrenheit 9/11," have Republicans on Capitol Hill looking at Hollywood with suspicion.

At the same time, the industry finds its needs lawmakers' help in fighting illegal movie downloads.

Glickman recently brought in ex-Bush campaign aide Stacy Carlson and John Feehery, a longtime aide to U.S. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., to help his association build credibility with Washington's Republicans.