Andrew Cuomo collects nearly $600,000 in Hollywood

For many Hollywood Democrats, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is apparently their number two choice for president in 2016, after Hillary Clinton. He was here Thursday night for a fundraiser in the Brentwood backyard of Fox Film chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos and his wife Ann. The money is for his reelection campaign, but he already has more than $33 million in the bank for that. The backyard talk was more about the presidential race, says the Hollywood Reporter's Tina Daunt:

Cuomo addressed the crowd -- which included Jeffrey Katzenberg, MPAA chief Chris Dodd and NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt -- from a podium set up in Gianopulos' backyard. About 150 people -- who paid between $5,000 and $25,000 to attend the event -- stood under heaters as Cuomo boasted about his state's tax credit program for movie and TV production, saying he hopes to lure more filming to New York. He also surprised some members of the audience by "trash talking" Eliot Spitzer, saying his predecessor created a mess at the statehouse.

His straight talk delighted the crowd. "It was like we were listening to Mario," said one insider. "He was great," said Katzenberg, whose political consultant, Andy Spahn, helped organize the event.

Co-hosts include a selection of entertainment industry A-listers. Among them: Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg, Paramount’s Brad Grey, Sony CEO, Michael Lynton, Disney chairman Alan Horn, CBS CEO Les Moonves, NBC Universal’s Jeff Shell and Ron Meyer, Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara and Dodd.

Cuomo also raised a good chunk of change, about $500,000, at a fundraiser out here in 2011.