Sideshow: Daytime talk for Anderson Cooper?

The beating heart of CNN news coverage,

Anderson Cooper

, 43, is eyeing a new job hawking infotainment junk. The Hollywood Reporter says Coop, who made his TV debut at 3 when he appeared with mum

Gloria Vanderbilt

on

The Tonight Show

, is close to signing a deal for a daytime TV talk show. Coop, who seems to have a blast when he fills in for

Live With Regis and Kelly

guru

Regis Philbin

, reportedly wants a show covering everything from celebs and pop culture to social issues. He had yet to comment.

I can't imagine having my daily Coop in the morning. Can you?

KISS

hero

Gene Simmons

, who got his political science Ph.D. out of a Cracker Jack box, tells FoxNews.com in an

exclusive!

that next month's midterm elections will bring about a "major change," because "the American public is very, very angry." Gene, who says he voted for

President Obama

, imparted his wisdom at a news confab to launch the toy Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, which features his voice.

President Obama has given the thumbs-up to Jon Stewart. The Comedy Central faux anchor is holding a rally Oct. 30 in Washington for voters who are angry that too many politicos and their followers are, like, so very angry. Obama said he was "amused" by Jon and found it "really important" that moderate voices be heard.

Are they really in love, or is the

frisson

between

Renée Zellweger

and

Bradley Cooper

just a coldly calculated part of the marketing strategy for their new pic,

Case 39

, which opens Friday?

The pair are stumbling over each other with praise. "I can't say enough about her," Brad, 35, tells Entertainment Tonight. "I just love her. I [loved] coming to work. I love acting with her."

Renée, 41, is equally effusive about Brad's skills: He's "a great, great actor. I just got so excited, not believing that I was going to go to work with him." Sure, the pair recently moved in together. But does that prove anything?

Bachelor

alum

Sarah Brice

has put her $20,000 engagement ring up for auction on eBay now that her thing with

Charlie O'Connell

is over, In Touch Weekly says. The opening bid is $5,000.

In Touch says Jennifer Lopez, 41, who reportedly bagged $12 mil to be on American Idol, is locked in a power struggle with Ryan Seacrest. An anon source says J.Lo "is acting like she's a much bigger star than he is." She is, pal.

You don't like your kids playing with

The Man

's repressive, reactionary, antifeminist tool of oppression, the

Barbie

doll? Then go with the latest dollish craze, the

Justin Bieber

action figure! Due at Target and Wal-Mart in time for the holidays, it's part of a line of Bieberian toys.

Espionage insiders say the London, Ontario-born Bieber, 16, is part of Canada's Biebermania plot to rot our culture from the inside.

Seems

Mariah Carey

may have suffered more than we imagined when she stumbled in her high heels and fell on stage Sunday at a show in Singapore. E! News says Carey made her way across Los Angeles International Airport in a wheelchair after her flight home.

"Mariah twisted her ankle in Singapore and should have packed more sensible shoes," her rep tells E! "I'm sending her a pair of flats."

Catherine Zeta-Jones, 41, delivered the welcoming address Wednesday at the Ryder Cup in Wales, telling golfers that hubby Michael Douglas is "holding up very, very well" and is in the last stages of treatment for throat cancer.

"Everyone couldn't be happier with his progress," the Welsh-born actress said. "He's holding up with great strength and dignity."

Pain of a more spirituo-psychic kind plagues child-star-turned-babyish-tabloid-filler Lindsay Lohan, her bro Michael Lohan Jr., 22, tells People in the wake of LiLo's decision to return to rehab.

MLoJr. says LiLo's condition can't improve until her hangers-on are gone. "People she was surrounded by - enablers, leeches, whatever you'd like to call it - made things very difficult," he says. "It's quite strenuous to right your wrongs when the people around you help justify your actions."

Liza Minnelli, 64, postponed an appearance in Portland, Maine, on Wednesday due to an undisclosed illness. The Cabaret star also was to be awarded the key to the city.

Twilight

beauty

Robert Pattinson

has grown what People describes as "a bushy beard." . . . Stars are lining up to pay tribute to Upper Darby-born comic genius

Tina Fey

, who'll be awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The Nov. 9 gala will feature

Betty White

;

Steve Martin

;

Jennifer Hudson

;

Jon Hamm

;

Saturday Night Live

chums

Fred Armisen

,

Jimmy Fallon

, and

Seth Meyers

; and

SNL

creator

Lorne Michaels

. . . . In the season's first Prime Time Execution, Fox has axed con-man drama

Lone Star

after only two episodes. . . . Variety says Tinseltown plans to bring Capt.

Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger

's story to the screen. Sully saved 155 lives last year when he brought US Airways Flight 1549 down in the Hudson River. No due date. . . . New Orleans will host the Essence Music Festival through 2014. Founded in '95, the fest has been in the city every year except '06, when post-Katrina renovations were still under way. . . . A shocking revelation: London's Daily Mail says

Tom Cruise

, who is 5-foot-7, is "widely thought to wear inserts in his shoes" to appear taller when he's out with wife,

Katie Holmes

, who is 5-foot-9. . . . "I invented the word

cougar

,"

Susan Sarandon

, 63, tells Life & Style. "I started that about 30 years ago!" Talk about pride!