Hollywood With A Twang For GOP

It's not exactly Hollywood, but Branson, Mo., is becoming as valuable to Republican fundraisers as Tinseltown is to Democrats. With the 2008 presidential race underway, the Ozark entertainment mecca has seen a spike in donations to Republican contenders from big shots like crooner Andy Williams, who gave to Sen. John McCain, to Japanese fiddle star Shoji Tabuchi, a donor to the Republican Party.

And apparently the word is getting out. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has hosted a fundraiser there, and newbie Fred Thompson is planning a visit.

By Paul Bedard