For Once, an Honest Celeb

Celebrities are mostly left-wingers. The statement is boringly obvious to any mildly intelligent person. But we still have to say it because the celebrities themselves don’t seem to know it. Indeed, the high-profile personalities of our entertainment industry seem to think of themselves as possessors of wisdom and truth rather than as adherents of any distinct political outlook.

This thought occurred to us when we read the late-night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks to the New York Times on October 17. In September, Kimmel used his nightly monologues to censure Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) for introducing legislation that would substantially change the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The eponymous star of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! had already exhibited some interest in the subject of medical care in May, when he tearfully denounced Republican attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare. Kimmel argued that newborns like his son Billy, who had a heart condition, could be denied health insurance if Congress repealed the ACA’s guarantees.

When Kimmel returned to the topic in September, reporters at the Daily Beastquoted anonymous sources claiming that he had been in touch with, among others, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the Senate minority leader. That led commentators on Fox News and elsewhere to ridicule the late night star for regurgitating Democratic talking points.

The Times’s Dave Itzkoff asked Kimmel if in fact he conferred with the Democratic leader before his monologues on the Graham-Cassidy bill. His answer?

I did, but I will say I talked to Chuck Schumer three times for, probably, a total of less than eight minutes. As I’ve said, I didn’t know anything about health care and I wanted to educate myself beforehand. I reached out to a lot of people so I could get my facts straight and find out what the arguments would be. This notion that they were pulling my strings is one created by right-wing media outlets. It’s just a way of putting a pin in something that scares them. I don’t know why the idea of making sure every American is taken care of should scare a politician. It certainly doesn’t scare the average guy who’s got a job that he doesn’t like and is afraid to quit it because he’s got a pre-existing condition and he may well not get another good job with insurance.