Big Name Backers

We know that celebrity endorsements of political candidates have little effect on election outcomes, but I like to see who-likes-whom anyway. The Nashua Telegraph compiled a list of celebrity backers of various presidential candidates so I don't have to. I shortened it a little more to exclude soap stars:

U.S. SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-N.Y.)
• Bob Vila, former host of PBS’ “This Old House.”
• Goo Goo Dolls, rock band.
• Director Steven Spielberg.
• Singer Barbra Streisand.
• Actress Mary Steenburgen.

FORMER U.S. SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-N.C.)
• Singer/songwriter Bonnie Raitt.
• Singer/songwriter Jackson Browne.

U.S. REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D-Ohio)
• Actor James Cromwell.
• Singer/songwriter Willie Nelson.
• Singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco.
• Actor Sean Penn.
• Screenwriter/director Paul Haggis.
• Actor Hector Elizondo.

U.S. SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-Ill.)
• Daytime talk hostess Oprah Winfrey.
• Gospel stars including Grammy Award winners Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin and Hezekiah Walker.

NEW MEXICO GOV. BILL RICHARDSON
• Industrialist Lee Iacocca.
• Actress/comedian Whoopi Goldberg.
• Actor Tony Plana, a star of ABC’s “Ugly Betty.”
• Legendary Indy car drivers Bobby Unser Sr. and Al Unser Sr.

FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI
• Actor Ron Silver.
• Actor Robert Duvall.

FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE
• Actor Chuck Norris, who appeared with Huckabee in his first TV ad in Iowa.
• Rocker/hunting enthusiast Ted Nugent.
• Wrestler Ric Flair, aka The Nature Boy.

U.S. REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R-Calif.)
• Gen. Chuck Yeager, the first man to break the sound barrier and the legendary test pilot who was one of the key figures in Tom Wolfe’s best seller “The Right Stuff.”

FORMER U.S. SEN. FRED THOMPSON (R-Tenn.)
• Singer John Rich of Big & Rich.

NOTE: Stephen Baldwin* endorsed U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., before he dropped out of the race.

Also, the paper left off Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's endorsement of U.S. Senator John McCain, R-Arizona, and country singer Randy Owen's support of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

*Question: How much is the endorsement of anyone who starred in VH1's Celebrity Fit Camp really worth?