First Lewinsky. Now Clinton, Cultgate and John Travolta

Has President Clinton made a deal with the Scientology cult in exchange for a more respectable portrayal in an upcoming feature film? Actor John Travolta is playing a fictional alter-ego of Clinton in the new film Primary Colors and reportedly will portray the president very positively. Meanwhile, according to Travolta, Scientologist and celebrity spokesman for the cult, Clinton has agreed to help out Scientology in Germany by naming his national security advisor as Scientology point man.

Primary Colors is due out in March. It is based on a best-selling novel by Joe Klein which depicts a southern governor, who is actually modeled after Clinton. In the book, the governor lies and seduces women, and is running for president. According to George Magazine, the film is much more sympathetic to the Clinton character than the book is. The New York Post quoted Travolta as saying, "You have to be dead not see that the film favors Clinton: More than anything, it promotes what a decent person he is." [2/12/98, Travolta Admits Bill Used Sects Appeal to Woo Him].

George says in its March issue that manipulating Travolta was part of Clinton's efforts to soften his portrayal in the film. Travolta went to Washington to promote Scientology just before Primary Colors began filming, reported George. Travolta told the magazine, "The next day, I met with Clinton. He told me: "Your program sounds great. More than that, I'd really love to help you with your issue over in Germany with Scientology." I was waiting for the seduction that I had heard so much about. I thought, "Well, how could he ever seduce me? And after we talked, I thought, Bingo! He did it. Scientology is the one issue that really matters to me."

Germany considers Scientology an anti-democratic cult that cheats members out of huge amounts of money and harasses critics and ex-members in a Mafia-like manner. For these reasons, Germany refuses to recognize Scientology as a religion. Travolta and other Hollywood Scientologists have petitioned the U.S. government claiming that Scientologists in Germany face religious persecution.

According to George, "[Clinton] went to the extraordinary length of assigning his national security advisor, Sandy Berger, to be the administration's Scientology point man." Berger even briefed Travolta as would a senior senator, George reports.

George Magazine was first to report the incident and its implications. Since then, the story has been brought up in White House press conferences and widely distributed by media. Meet the Press on February 15th questioned national security advisor Sandy Berger on the issue. Tim Russert asked Berger, "Did you or the president hope to influence Mr. Travolta, and make Primary Colors more favorable to the president?" and "But isn't it unusual for the national security advisor to brief an actor from Hollywood?" Berger told Russert, "Uh, it sounds to me, Tim, like you're getting, you're getting uh, developing your own conspiracy theories here."

Today's (2/20/98) Washington Post prints a syndicated column by Mary McGrory on the op-ed page called, "Amid the Monica uproar, a call to arms." In the column McGrory states: "Hollywood pretty much has the run of the Clinton White House, even we have learned lately, the National Security Council. National security adviser Sandy Berger parlayed with actor John Travolta on the matter of the Germans being less beastly to the Church of Scientology, of which John Travolta is a member. The Germans say that Scientology is not a religion but a cult, a position that was long held by our government. Time magazine called Scientology "a hugely profitable global racket that survives by intimidating members and critics in a Mafia-like manner" Embarrassed, overworked White House spinners explain that Clinton is a bear for religious freedom. They are shocked that anyone would think there was any quid pro quo in the equation, even if Travolta plays Clinton in a forthcoming movie, Primary Colors...."

Is this kind of quid-pro-quo something Clinton might engage in? A critic on the Internet newsgroup alt.religion.scientology points out that, "Clinton has done most of his politicking in Arkansas. This is one of several states in the US that is often spoken of as an "I've got a brother-in-law state" - meaning the business of government gets done by secretive friendships, business relationships and kinships to a large extent. It's an "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" type of place. Concisely, it's government-for-sale where Clinton comes from."

Has Clinton assisted Scientology in other matters? Scientology was recently given a billion-dollar tax break and a private religious education deduction by the IRS not extended to other religions. Did the Clinton White House have anything to do with this extraordinary benefit given only to Scientology?

Scientology has been called "the most ruthless, the most classically terroristic, the most litigious and the most lucrative cult the country has ever seen" [Time Magazine, 5/6/91]. Scientology has also been accused of being an anti-Christian group. The cross symbol Scientology uses is actually a crossed-out Christian cross (a cross with an 'X' over it). Should the moral majority and the Christian Coalition be concerned that a cult of this nature is maintaining this type of influence with the president of the United States?

Scientology boasts a number of celebrity members due its strong recruitment of high-visibility figures who will bring credibility and large contributions to the cult. Star Scientologists include not only Travolta, but also his wife Kelly Preston, Tom Cruise, Ann Archer, Lisa Marie Presley, Nicole Kidman, and the voice of Bart Simpson. But never before has one of these celebrities influenced U.S. foreign policy as appears to be happening here.

Despite the large number of Hollywood Scientologists, not all celebrities view Scientology favorably. Actors Jim Carrey and Nicholas Cage have 'prank-called' Scientology's Celebrity Center in Los Angeles. Seinfeld, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Ellen, Grace Under Fire, and Mystery Science Theatre 3000 have all poked fun at Scientology on television, and Howard Stern makes frequent humorous reference to the cult. The Simpsons and Millennium have devoted entire episodes to stories surrounding ominous Scientology-like cults. Music bands Black-47, Tool, and Faith No More make unfavorable references to Scientology in song lyrics. Tennis player Boris Becker threatened to sue Scientology if his name and photo were not removed from its web pages, and racecar driver Mario Andretti had Dianetics logos removed from his car.

For more information on Scientology and celebrities, see: http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/celebrities.htm" For more information on Scientology's IRS deal, see: http://www.factnet.org/headlines/give-away.htm For more information on Scientology and religion, see: http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/dianetics.html

This editorial opinion provided by FACTNet, Inc. FACTNet is a nonprofit Internet archive dedicated to protecting freedom of mind by reducing harms caused by cults and mind control. FACTNet's web page is located at http://www.factnet.org and has received over 750,000 hits since January, 1997.