The Golden Globes – Last chance to Bush bash

This Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremonies (8 p.m. EST) will give Hollywood one last award venue to bash the Bush administration.

Is there any doubt some winners will jump at the chance to savage the president while he’s still in office?

Last year’s Oscar ceremony proved to be a fairly muted affair, politically speaking. Lefty Michael Moore never even made it to the stage.

But with President George W. Bush set to leave the White House shortly, and celebrities empowered by the results of their near-uniform support for President-elect Barack Obama, anything could go this weekend.

It doesn’t hurt that the ceremony is famous for letting revelers booze it up during the broadcast.

Richard Gere and Queen Latifah set the stage this week with their award show comments. Gere delivered a rant against the current administration at the Critics’ Choice Awards. The hip hop Queen turned actress used her platform at the People’s Choice Awards to rally support for The One.

Yes, we can get enough of the new president’s sloganeering. Let’s wish him well in office and hope he lives up to a fraction of the hype.

Award shows are the perfect venue for actors to speak their minds. Their thoughts are broadcast to millions and no one can question what they say – although entertainment journalists rarely hold actors accountable for their diatribes. And the assembled crowd is almost uniformly on their side.

That doesn’t mean award shows and political speeches don’t mix. Should Sean Penn win the Best Actor Oscar for “Milk” come Feb. 22, it would certainly be appropriate to toast the late Harvey Milk – even if some think Penn has some explaining to do regarding his support for dictators who treat gays like second-class citizens – or much worse.