She’s Not On Top Yet, But She Spins Like One

Four weeks into her new job as co-anchor of “CBS News Saturday Morning,” former Republican congresswoman Susan Molinari still sounds like a politician - speaking mostly in sound-bites, and spin, spin, spin.

“It’s going great!” she says. “We do look at the show as a work in progress. Every week, we try to find our strengths and build on them.”

Critics say those strengths are few, and the building isn’t happening fast enough. “Amateur hour” is how the Denver Post described the show. USA Today criticized Molinari’s “shrill, hurried delivery,” and her “fan-mag sighs” over Michael Douglas.

Molinari acknowledges that she’s still learning the ropes. “It’s harder than I thought it would be,” she said. “People in TV really do a great job of making this job look easy.”

Loose talk

Architect Frank Gehry, recalling his response to a reporter who asked what he thought when a Los Angeles earthquake turned whole city blocks into something resembling his own tilting, bulging “deconstructionist” buildings: “I told him I was pleased that God finally saw it my way.”

Let’s see … that’s about 2,697 in ‘fly years’

Jeff Goldblum turns 45 today

Maybe he’ll run for office when show is canceled

Russ Mitchell, Susan Molinari’s co-anchor (see lead item), having gotten over his initial “What are they doing?” skepticism, describes his “CBS News Saturday Morning” partner as “a quick study with a great personality.”

And, by the way, Molinari’s not the only one with political experience. Mitchell was student council president at St. Louis’ Steger Junior High School in 1972. “The high point of my tenure was … well, I don’t remember, to be quite honest. It was such an eventful year!”

Does phrase ‘like mother, like daughter’ come to mind?

Martha Stewart’s best Halloween costume ever was the Little Bo Peep outfit her mother made for her when she was 7, Stewart told Entertainment magazine. “She made me beautiful bloomers with white lace and a beautiful corset of black damask.”

Kevin Bacon wasn’t so lucky. “I was dressed in a furry thing (without) any feet on it. And it was raining. I remember my mom said, ‘You can wear boots, we’ll give you a sword, and you’ll be Puss in Boots.”’

Still unsure what you’ll wear trick-or-treating?

Antonio Sabato Jr. never has that problem. Every year he dresses up as the same character: Batman. “Since I was little,” he says, “I always wanted to be Batman, and Halloween gives me a chance to wear (the costume) without getting arrested.” (You’d think it might be getting a little snug after all these years.)

Thank God, he was a country boy, after all

Recently deceased pop singer John Denver had been due a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for 15 years, but apparently he had more important things to do than pose for paparazzi.

Denver’s manager paid the $3,000 fee for a star in 1982.

“He just wasn’t available. We were waiting for him to schedule a date,” said a spokeswoman for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Photos

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by staff writer Michael Guilfoil