The Hill: Breaux Ponders Move to Hollywood

2/2/2004

From: Jonathan E. Kaplan, 202-628-8529, or Mary Lynn Jones, 703-244-2368, both of The Hill

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 -- Motion Picture Association of America lobbyist Jack Valenti is hoping Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) will succeed him as Hollywood's top man in Washington, Jonathan Kaplan reports in the Feb. 2 edition of The Hill. But Breaux, who is retiring at the end of this year, isn't ready to take the job just yet. As Valenti told The Hill, "One of our executives chatted with Breaux...and said 'I hope you would be interested,' but Breaux gave no indication that he was," Valenti said. "Actually, we have not talked specifics with anybody, not even with Billy Tauzin and the whole thing is at a relatively early stage."

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Breaux ponders move to Hollywood

By Jonathan E. Kaplan

Jack Valenti hopes Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) will succeed him as president and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), one of the top lobbying posts in Washington.

But Breaux isn't ready just yet to sign on as Hollywood's man here.

Valenti, who has headed the MPAA since 1967, told The Hill yesterday that a movie studio executive had met with Breaux on Friday to explore his interest in the seven-figure job after the 82-year-old Valenti steps down.

Valenti scotched reports that Breaux had accepted a MPAA offer. "That's a totally incorrect story," Valenti said. "I wish it were true but it is not."

"One of our executives chatted with Breaux ... and said 'I hope you would be interested,' but Breaux gave no indication that he was," Valenti added. "Actually, we have not talked specifics with anybody, not even with Billy Tauzin and the whole thing is at a relatively early stage."

A well-informed lobbyist added that Breaux had two concerns over taking the job after he leaves the Senate at the end of his term next January. First, Breaux, 60, is worried that the job would entail too much travel since so much of movie revenues are generated abroad. (The U.S. film industry generates more export revenue than any other category except commercial jets.)

The second issue is that Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.) discussed the job with Valenti and other movie executives before the approach to Breaux occurred.

As chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Tauzin, who is also 60, was widely believed to be the first choice for the post. Valenti, sources said, offered Tauzin the job but the congressman turned him down to pursue other offers.

The Washington Post has reported that the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is currently wooing Tauzin.

Ken Johnson, Tauzin's spokesman, denied that PhRMA had made any offer to Tauzin. "You know Billy loves to be loved. Billy never told Jack he was taking a job at PhRMA. Did he lead Jack to believe that he had other offers? He blew that by not trying to deflate Jack" said Johnson. "He did not want to hurt Jack's feelings."

Johnson said Tauzin's recent health problems led him to reject Valenti's offer. Tauzin reportedly said, "'Jack, I don't know how you do it at 82...whomever replaces you, you ought to have two people,'" for the job.

Tauzin has since verified those reports. He said that a severe illness had caused him to reconsider the MPAA job.

Since December, Tauzin had been hospitalized twice for a bleeding ulcer, once after having fainted in a hotel room in New York. On Jan. 2, the day of the Sugar Bowl when his beloved Louisiana State University Tigers played the Oklahoma Sooners (and won 21 to 14), Tauzin was hospitalized again. He was in so much pain he did not watch the game.

Tauzin told the New Orleans Times-Picayune last week that he had nearly died of a bleeding ulcer last month that required a blood transfusion while he was hospitalized at the Bethesda Naval Hospital for a week.

Tauzin's multiple extended job searches have created some ill will among House Republicans. Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and Tauzin huddled at the GOP retreat in Philadelphia last weekend, but Republican aides did not know the gist of the conversation. Sources said that lawmakers were angry that Tauzin was considering stepping down mid-session largely because it sets a bad precedent.

With Tauzin bowing out, the movie moguls have turned to Tauzin's former LSU law school roommate, Breaux.

Breaux's spokeswoman declined to comment on his meeting with the studio executive or his post-Senate plans.

Breaux, best known for his centrist politics and strong tennis game, had announced in December that he would not seek a fourth term. In 1986, having already served 14 years in the House, he succeeded long-serving Sen. Russell Long (D-La.).