What? I bet you're saying, "But he's a Hollywood actor! Hence, he could not possibly be ill-informed, given to knee-jerk emotional response to liberal causes, self-absorbed or hypocritical. Plus he's earned a reputation as quite the intellectual. How could he possibly be a...."

I know. I know. But here's the shocking truth:

Superstar Leo DiCaprio tonight stunned the political world when he announced that he is supporting Al Gore for president!

DiCaprio tells TIME MAGAZINE in an issue set to hit racks Monday that he is a strong Al Gore supporter -- and he is on the verge of joining his campaign.

DiCaprio was even going to take the stage during the New Hampshire primary to cheer his man.

"I was going to just stand onstage and look hard core," the star of The Beach and chairman of Earth Day 2000 tells the mag.

Among the main issues motivating DiCaprio to go Gore 2000 -- THE EARTH.

"I shouldn't be eating hamburgers, because the methane gas cows release is the No.1 contributor to the destruction of the ozone layer; and the No. 1 reason they destroy the rainforest is to make grazing ground for cattle. So it's very ironic that I eat beef, being the environmentalist that I am. But then again, if I ordered the tuna sandwich, I would be promoting the fact that they have large tuna nets that capture innocent little dolphins ..."

DiCaprio's film, The Beach -- which finished in a humiliating second place to Scream 3 -- has been met by strong criticism over the damage that its filming did to one of Thailand's most pristine beaches.

According to the Associated Press:

"After obtaining permits from the Forestry Department and paying a $110,000 damage deposit, the filmmakers brought in bulldozers to widen and flatten the beach and strip away native grasses, scrub and other vegetation...

Seizing on the film's high profile, activists who had for years unsuccessfully campaigned against the environmental damage to Thailand's parks joined with local residents in a series of demonstrations.

AP quotes one local Thai official:

"Their campaign is about greed, not reality. There is no beautiful beach anymore. They just want to cash in on the movie, with no concern about environmental impact."

GORE/DICAPRIO 2000

-- George (fu@bar.com), February 13, 2000

Answers

Sorry. Forgot to credit Matt Drudge for the above story.

-- George (fu@bar.com), February 13, 2000.