ASHINGTON - In the age of Governor Jesse ''The Body'' Ventura, it might not seem so farfetched: President Warren Beatty.
A Harvard political analyst, Laura Liswood, chalked it up to Capitol-size Hollywood egos. ''They do start believing their own press releases.''
It was unclear yesterday whether Beatty, the actor who played the dangerously honest senator in ''Bulworth,'' was serious in the New York Times article headlined ''Actor hinting that he'll run for president.'' After the morning newspaper named him a potential candidate, Beatty sounded apologetic on the phone to progressive Washington activist Robert Borosage.
''I'll bet you're surprised to hear you're an adviser to me, since we've never talked,''he told Borosage, codirector of the progressive Campaign for America's Future and a veteran of Jesse Jackson's 1988 presidential bid.
In the article, Beatty falsely named Borosage as one of his political consultants and railed about money corrupting politics.
Beatty did not return press calls.
''I don't think he's in the process of seriously putting together a presidential campaign. ... He knows he has lots of difficulties in being taken seriously,'' said Borosage.
