Madonna is living in a political world

Madonna may be living in the U.K., but that doesn’t mean she’s keeping out of U.S. politics. A source says that the performer held a fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark in her Los Angeles home on Sunday night.

“They met and talked issues,” says this source. “She’s very impressed with his intelligence and his vision for America.”

Madonna’s rep didn’t return calls for comment and a spokeswoman for Clark said only that the visit was “not public” and thus there was “no information” on it.

“Hey, don’t underestimate this,” reports another insider. “Madonna is often ahead of the curve.”

And this means Clark has locked up the same gender-smooching, children’s-book author, Kabbalah-preaching vote.

Shot down
Meanwhile, John Kerry has lost at least one celeb vote.

The presidential hopeful — whose candidacy seems taking more than its share of hits lately — reportedly was looking to woo hunters’ votes with a photo-op shooting pheasants, and in the process ended up alienating a high-profile animals’ rights activist.

“As an enthusiastic campaigner for Democrats since long before my years on ‘The Golden Girls’ and ‘Maude,’ I’m shocked that you resorted to shooting animals in a recent campaign publicity stunt in an attempt to attract rural voters,” Rue McClanahan wrote in a letter to Kerry obtained by The Scoop. “I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma and am among the vast majority of Americans who prefer to enjoy the beautiful countryside free of bullets and blood.”

McClanahan was one of the first celeb spokespeople for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, but fired off the letter independently of the critters’ rights group. A source says she’s lining up some of her animal-loving celeb friends to join her cause.

“Hunting is just a form of senseless violence left over from a less enlightened time,” McClanahan finishes her letter. “You’ve lost my vote over this.”

Notes from all over

Gwyneth Paltrow may not be willing to confirm that she’s engaged, but it looks like the “Sylvia” star and her Coldplay sweetie are moving in together. Paltrow and Chris Martin have been house-hunting in the posh Belgravia neighborhood in London, looking at properties in the $3.5 million range. Apparently, the happy couple is interested in a place that isn’t even for sale. “They went to view a house which isn’t even on the market,” according to London’s Evening Standard. “Huge figures were discussed, way over the market price.” . . . Hugh Grant doesn’t appear to have any love actually for his latest romantic comedy. The foppish star was overheard at the London premiere of the Richard Curtis flick telling a friend that both he and co-star Colin Firth thought “Love Actually” was a tad too “schmaltzy” — according to overseas reports. . . .

The general manager of the Manila International Airport and his chief security officer were booted from the airport’s presidential lounge by Mariah Carey for being “peeping toms,” according to the Philippine paper Today. “I am the general manager here, it’s almost my home,” Today quoted the exec as saying, but, it continues to note that “the Carey show organizers pointed out that they paid for the use of the lounge and therefore, they have the right to the privacy that the client wanted.”

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Jeannette Walls delivers the Scoop Monday through Thursday in MSNBC Entertainment.

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