Dan Rather Lends Star Power to Voting Rights Event

From left to right, Shadow Sen. Michael Brown, Dan Rather, Shadow Sen. Paul Strauss, Hayden Panettiere, Shadow Rep. Mike Panetta, and Melissa Fitzgerald.

As promised, Dan Rather stopped by today's voting rights luncheon hosted by D.C.'s shadow delegation in downtown Denver. The veteran journalist shook hands and posed for pictures, and though he didn't make a speech to the crowd, he did answer a reporter's question about D.C. voting rights by explaining that he was very familiar with the issue, having lived in Georgetown for eight years.

"I love the District," Rather said.

The former CBS anchor capped off a series of remarks by Hollywood actors who had gathered there at the invitation of Shadow Senators Paul Strauss and Michael Brown, and Shadow Rep. Mike Panetta. First to speak was Hayden Panettiere of Heroes, who spoke clearly and very briefly about how she felt every American deserves to have representation in Congress. Character actor David Keith spoke mostly about his own cause, an online campaign to stop child predators at www.protect.org, mentioning D.C.'s issue by way of venturing that statehood for the District could only mean more support in Congress for issues like his. The West Wing actor turned out to be Melissa Fitzgerald, who played Carol, assistant to Press Secretary C.J. Cregg on the show. Fitzgerald, who has been active on human rights issues in Uganda, spoke incredulously about D.C.'s voting status, saying it was a human rights issue here in the United States that needed more attention.