One of Barack Obama's staunchest supporters and prized campaigners and film biographers from the motion picture and television business has just been accused of union busting, according to a complaint filed Thursday with the National Labor Relations Board. Before the exposé, writer/actor/director/producer Tyler Perry invited the presidential candidate to the grand opening of his entertainment studio on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, this coming Saturday night. But if Obama attends he will be met by picket lines thrown up by the Writers Guild of America with support from other unions including the Teamsters, even though the latter union has officially endorsed the Democrat. "This is just the first step. We've got a lot more planned," a WGA insider told me last night, indicating that the Perry picketing may widen to Time Warner's TBS and Warner Bros which broadcasts his hugely popular House Of Payne sitcom, and an upcoming TV spinoff of one of Perry's movie's Meet The Browns.
Perry is much more than just another Barack Obama supporter. He is a donor of the maximum $4,600 to the campaign. (In fact, he donated $6,900 but then took back $2,300 when it exceeded the limit.) He also has announced plans to make an Obama film. Perry told the press he is already writing, and plans to direct and produce as soon as late this year, a love story inspired by the relationship between Obama and his wife Michelle. (Perry has said he dreams of casting Denzel Washington and Angela Bassett in the lead roles.) It's not known if the Obamas are cooperating with the film, but the idea occurred to Perry after he heard their story when he had dinner with the couple as well as from his close pal, Oprah Winfrey, who is Obama's biggest showbiz supporter. (Perry this summer traveled with Oprah to Italy. And it was Oprah who recently convinced Perry to write his autobioraphy. In fact Perry credits his entire writing career to the inspiration he received watching the Oprah Winfrey Show.) Perry told reporters about the Obamas, "They just inspired this amazing story. It’s a love story with a little political twist... It’s called For the Love of You and it’s about his love for his woman. It’s going to be amazing."
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