DO-GOODERS BY DAY, PANDERERS BY NIGHT

Hollywood has become a political target in this season of heated campaigns, especially for those seeking temporary residency in the White House. And there is good reason to focus a critical eye on the producers of certain movies, videos and games that target American youngsters in a way that is far more sinister than the marketing strategies of Big Tobacco.

Too much of what comes out of Hollywood is filled with violence, sex and drugs, sending a message that is inappropriate for young minds. Under pressure from Republicans and Democrats alike, some studio executives have agreed that there is a problem and have even offered some rather weak ideas for dealing with the situation. For most in the movie industry, a self-help plan is far more preferable than government interference.

Among the most vocal critics have been the top Democratic campaign team of Al Gore and Joe Lieberman, who decry the influence Hollywood is exerting on young minds and who call for stiff reforms within the entertainment industry.

Curiously, however, the same Gore-Lieberman duo hobnobs with stars and star makers who contribute generously to the Democratic presidential ticket. And the two Democrats who want to be president and vice president privately tell the Hollywood folks not to worry, a Gore-Lieberman administration would never try to exert government influence over artistic expression.

So there you have another demonstration of how little is likely to change if the Democrats continue to occupy the White House after the November election.

Gore has repeatedly told America he is his own man and shouldn't be judged by the indiscretions of Bill Clinton. And that's a fair plea if the man making it can demonstrate that he isn't from the same mold. But every time Gore blasts Hollywood by day and stuffs his pockets with Hollywood's money by night, he sends another signal that he has been an apt pupil of the most conniving, dishonorable president in modern history.

What makes Gore's deception even more deplorable is that he has dragged Joe Lieberman into the muck. Until he was tapped to be Gore's running mate, Lieberman was among those U.S. senators who commanded respect as an honorable man from his peers on both sides of the aisle. Clearly, that facade has been shattered by his schizophrenic performance as a candidate for the No 2 office in the land.