Morning Briefing:
GOP trying to muzzle Rosie? Over at her blog Deadline Hollywood, Nikki Finke reports that the Republican National Committee's (maddeningly unreadable) Web site is out for Rosie O'Donnell's blood, perhaps signaling the beginning of some kind of campaign against the new "View" co-host. Under a headline "Dems' 'Rosie' view on the war on terror. Cut-and-run Defeatocrats across the country take their cues from Hollywood friends and advisors," the site lists O'Donnell's recent antiwar quotes from the show, followed by a list of her 2006 campaign contributions. "Clearly," writes Finke, "the GOP's intent is to get ABC to fire newcomer-to-the-network, O'Donnell, or, barring that, muzzle her." (Deadline Hollywood Daily)
Second autopsy for Anna Nicole's son: Another autopsy in the mysterious death of Anna Nicole Smith's son, Daniel, has failed to reveal a clear cause of death. After Bahamian doctors were unable to declare a definitive reason for the 20-year-old's sudden collapse last week, the family asked for celebrity forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht, famous for his inquiries into John F. Kennedy's assassination and Elvis Presley's death, to investigate. "I don't find anything that would cause me to believe there is something in terms of some traumatic injury that was inflicted, or somebody having done something to him in some cryptic manner that could not be observed," Wecht told reporters on Sunday. (Associated Press)
Another S.P. Spears: Britney Spears and Kevin Federline have settled on a name for their newborn son -- despite rumors that they'd be going with Jailynn, a mix of Spears' parents' names, they've settled on Sutton Pierce, not to be confused with the name of their 1-year-old son, Sean Preston. (People, Lowdown)
Also:
Lindsay Lohan was taken to the hospital on Friday in New York after falling and breaking her wrist at a Fashion Week party. Her rep says there's an "investigation pending" into the accident, claiming that the hosts may have been negligent in taking care of the slick and potentially dangerous surface on which Lohan slipped. (TMZ) ... Reality TV bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman was released on $300,000 bail on Friday after being arrested in connection with kidnapping charges related to his high-profile 2003 capture of Max Factor cosmetics heir Andrew Luster in Mexico. (People) ... It was another slow weekend at the box office -- the Rock's "Gridiron Gang" took the top place with $15 million, and Brian De Palma's "The Black Dahlia," despite featuring Josh Hartnett and Scarlett Johansson, made the No. 2 spot with just $10.4 million. (Associated Press) ... HBO has renewed "The Wire" for a fifth season, despite weak numbers for the Season 4 premiere last Sunday -- it attracted only 1.5 million viewers. (Post Chronicle) ... The $3.5 million makeover of the "Today" show" set -- unveiled last week with the arrival of Meredith Vieira -- hasn't gone over too well with Vieira and co-host Matt Lauer. "They're fuming that it's too big," a source tells Page Six. "It just swallows them up, and it looks something like a hospital wing. Both Meredith and Matt Lauer have complained about it, so there are going to be changes." (Page Six)
Money Quote:
Alec Baldwin, trying to defend buddy Charlie Sheen from Denise Richards' accusations that he likes barely legal porn: "Charlie Sheen may be one of the great horndogs of his generation, but he is not a pedophile." (GQ via Page Six)
Turn On:
Monday night marks the debut of Aaron Sorkin's new show, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (NBC, 10 p.m. EDT), and there are season premieres galore: "Deal or No Deal" (NBC, 9 p.m. EDT), "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS, 8:30 p.m. EDT), "Two and a Half Men" (CBS, 9 p.m. EDT), "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (CBS, 9:30 p.m. EDT) and "CSI: Miami" (CBS, 10 p.m. EDT). On HBO, Barry Goldwater's granddaughter looks back at the 1964 presidential election in the documentary "Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater" (HBO, 9 p.m. EDT).
On the Talk Shows:
Larry King (CNN, 9 p.m. EDT): Rachael Ray
Charlie Rose (PBS, check local listings): Newsweek editor Jon Meacham
David Letterman (CBS, 11:30 p.m. EDT): Dr. Phil McGraw, ventriloquist Willie Tyler and Lester, "Survivor" castoff Sekou Bunch
Jay Leno (NBC, 11:35 p.m. EDT): Jason Lee, Elton John
Conan O'Brien (NBC, 12:35 a.m. EDT): Gisele Bundchen, Madeleine Peyroux
Craig Ferguson (CBS, 12:35 a.m. EDT): Edward Norton, Ethan Suplee, LeToya
Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, 12:05 a.m. EDT): Tyra Banks, Jason Statham, Papa Roach (repeat)
Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 11 p.m. EDT): former President Bill Clinton
Stephen Colbert (Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m. EDT): Will Power
-- Scott Lamb
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