Washington, Aug. 19: John McCain’s campaign has asked a Hollywood agent to sprinkle some glitter over his anointment as the Republican nominee.

According to The Times, Jeffrey Barry of the William Morris agency has been engaged to make the Republican convention in Minnesota shine a little brighter.

Barry is said to have signed up “Redneck Woman” singer Gretchen Wilson for an event on September 2. Other names scheduled to appear include John Rich, Cowboy Troy, LeAann Rimes, the Bellamy Brothers and the Charlie Daniels band.

Obama, on the other hand, is seeking to dim the aura of an A-list fan-club that includes many of “Hollywood liberals” so often decried by America’s conservative media.

Oprah Winfrey, the Queen of daytime TV who campaigned actively for Obama during the primaries, will attend the Denver convention but has dismissed reports that she might take the stage with him.

Hollywood actor George Clooney is also expected to be present and will host a lucrative fund-raiser for Obama in Switzerland next month.

Last week, however, the actor was forced to deny reports that they were in regular contact with the candidate through emails and text messages, offering “a million dollars to anyone who could prove” he had been.

Others likely to attend are singers Madonna, Kanye West, Willie Nelson, Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper, Rufus Wainwright and the band, the Black Eyed Peas; actors Scarlett Johansson, Susan Sarandon, Gywneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon; as well as directors Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino.

But Mr Obama’s team hope that such stellar power will not distract from the more grounded image they intend to project next week where his exotic international and inter-racial roots will be re-packaged as a very “American journey” that has enabled him to have a “deep understanding of what American families face”.

When he delivers his speech at the 78,000 seat Invesco sports stadium on the last night of the convention, Obama will stand in the middle of the pitch surrounded by people from diverse American backgrounds whom he has met throughout the campaign. A film has been commissioned, part of which was recorded in wild western setting of Butte, Montana, that is designed to associate Obama with all kinds of “Americana”. (ANI)