Though presidential candidates Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain each taped segments for Wednesday night's "Idol Gives Back" special, all were nixed in the edit, while Hollywood's finest took over to discuss world issues, ultimately running long. "It was Simon Cowell, the Idol judge, who admonished the nation about the health care crisis in the United States, narrating a short, gauzy film that showed him visiting and consoling a low-income family with no insurance. It was Reese Witherspoon who spoke on behalf of the Children's Defense Fund, the organization for whom Mrs. Clinton worked as a young lawyer. It was Brad Pitt who praised the American can-do spirit in rebuilding New Orleans and received a standing ovation," writes Alessandra Stanley in today's New York Times. We should mention also that God's gift to, well, everyone, Miley Cyrus, scored TWO spots on the show, and that even British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was given airtime. The candidates' clips will run on tonight's show, but we figure viewers who follow up a zillion hour AI marathon with a regular installment the following night get what they deserve.

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