WISHING UPON A STAR GOP MAKES NICE WITH A HANDFUL OF CONSERVATIVE ACTORS.

Byline: Steve Young Local View

ANYONE remember the vocal left-wing celebrities of earlier this year? Sarandon, Robbins, Penn, Reiner, Streisand, Sheen, Garofalo.

It was 24/7 ``anti-war'' this, and ``right-wing conspiracy'' that.

Dutifully obligated to its core audience, talk radio screamed 25/8 about the ``Hollywood elite,'' and``what-right-do-these-zillion-dollar-big-mouths-have-to-speak-out?''

Believe it or not, that was only a half a year ago, only six short months after President George W. Bush stood triumphantly, and Air Force pilotly, in front of the ``Mission Accomplished'' backdrop on the USS Photo Op.

Today the Hollywood elite has a new face, and that new face has a perfect right to speak its mind or run for governor of the world's fifth-largest economy, whichever comes first.

Or so says the same talk-radio heads who condemned the other Hollywood elite.

Now other celebrities are welcomed and coddled guests on talk radio, allowed to spill their guts and campaign sound bites with nary a Sean Hannity interruption nor Larry Elderized turn-down of the guest's mike volume.

What has toned down the shrillness of the debate?

Well, for one, there is almost no debate, at least as far as the AM Lords of Loud are concerned. They now have their own Hollywood elite. Besides Schwarzenegger, Dennis Miller, Mel Gibson, Rob Lowe, Ben Stein, Bo Derek, Drew Carey and Kelsey Grammer have become the darlings of conservative talk.

Dennis Miller has gone so far as to take his acerbic, polysyllabic rants across the aisle, replacing Brit Hume as Fox's resident funny guy.

But what's even more startling than talk radio's warming up to Hollywood, is ``old'' Hollywood's silence during the attempted recall of Gov. Gray Davis, except for author-comedian Al Franken's continued presence, which must be discounted as Bill O'Reilly and Fox have seen fit to promote his every word.

But what about the others?

Did Garofalo and friends lose their voices under the constant barrage of conservative vitriol?

Did the baseball Hall of Fame lockout dull Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon's political bite?

Is Rob Reiner too weak from regaining his old svelte Meathead figure?

Sheen too busy dealing with John Goodman taking over his presidency?

Is Streisand tired of talking?

Is Mike Farrell too busy with a ``M*A*S*H'' reunion?

Maybe they have chosen to not spend valuable time and risk Clear Channel-inspired boycotts mocking something that mocks itself? Perhaps the Recall Circus has been too easy a mark for these Rodeo Drive politicos.

Nah. Ever watch a Jay Leno monologue? When has Hollywood refused to jump on the obvious?

The Left Coast sound of silence remains a political enigma rolled up in a polemic conundrum. But the more baffling question remains: Why does the conservative world that has so disdained Hollywood support the election of the Arnolds, Eastwoods, Bonos and Gopher from the ``Love Boat,'' yet rails against any celeb's right to wax left?

Why are the pals of the religious right so fast to excuse Arnold's stealth campaign, the Oui magazine interview, pro-choice stance and his Mapplethorpe modeling career, yet climb all over Madonna for her Arnold-like behavior?

Be it far from this objective observer to place the blame on partisanship. Talk radio can never be accused of showing favoritism. Not if you don't want Bill O'Reilly to make you the boycott du jour. Their sole interest is in spreading the truth. Ask Rush Limbaugh.

The right's seeming reversal in attitude remains as much a mystery as the left's verbal restraint.

So it is that I am forced to conclude that the change of mood in (and on) the air is not one of diffidence or lack of conviction, but one of coming together; of starting to understand that both sides have a right to speak their minds without threat of deafening condemnation; that once again, we are one nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all celebrities are created equal.

God bless America. God bless the recall.

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Photo:

Arnold Schwarzenegger supporters wait to question him during a taping of Sean Hannity's radio show in Los Angeles.

Chris Pizzello/Associated Press