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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Taking names for the new Gulag

Barack Obama (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

If anyone is compiling an enemies list – and you better believe someone is – they could start by listening for those happy over President-elect Barack Obama’s win on Tuesday.

Oprah Winfrey told the BBC, “It feels like there’s a shift in consciousness. … like something really big and bold has happened.”

Spike Lee said, “In this referendum of the American people, there’s been a seismic movement as far as American views on race.”

Madonna led fans in “Express Yourself” at her show in San Diego.

George Clooney took the opportunity to issue a press statement, while will.i.am told CNN’s Anderson Cooper, “I’m just really overwhelmed.”

And not to be left out, Michael Moore said on his blog, “Tears pour out. Tears of joy … hope in a time of deep despair.”

Then there were the parties

Those who chose not to wax eloquent but simplay partay the fact of Barack Obama’s win include Jennifer Aniston, John Mayer, Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen, all of whom partied at Courtney Cox and David Arquette’s Beverly Hills home.

And the Comedy Central Indecision 2008 party in New York, hosted by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, featured the likes of Seann William Scott, Jane Krakowski and Ethan Hawke.

I nominate Chiwetel Ejiofor

Even movieland’s James Bond, Daniel Craig, got into the I Love Barack Obama act. As the “Quantum of Solace” star said Wednesday at the International Film Festival in Rome, “The Obama election is a wake-up call for the whole world. And I think it’s the right moment for a black James Bond.”

As always, fashion tells

Michelle Obama was wearing a striking black and red dress Tuesday night as she celebrated her husband’s win along with their two girls, Malia and Sasha. The dress – the first she wore as the first-lady-to-be – was a Narciso Rodriguez. Husband Barack Obama, meanwhile, wore a dark-navy suit custom-made by Hart Schaffner & Marx.

Paging the president-elect

Barack Obama’s win has fueled online sales of his two books, “Dreams From My Father” and “The Audacity of Hope.” As of Wednesday afternoon, “Dreams,” first published in 1994, was No. 4 on Amazon.com’s sales rank, while 2006’s “Hope” was No. 1.

Meanwhile, back to reality …

Amy Winehouse’s husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, was released Wednesday from a British prison after serving a 27-month sentence for assaulting a pubkeeper in 2006. His people said Fielder-Civil was going straight from his cell to drug rehab.

As for Winehouse, who spent a couple of days last week in the hospital for precautionary tests in connection with a chest infection, she checked back in on Monday.

The birthday bunch

Opera singer Joan Sutherland is 82. Singer Johnny Rivers is 66. Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is 65. Actor Jeremy London (“Party of Five”) is 36. Actor Jason London (“Dazed and Confused”) is 36. Actress Yunjin Kim (“Lost”) is 35. Guitarist Zach Myers of Shinedown is 25.