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Jay Leno was on the phone earlier this week. The host of NBC's "The Tonight Show" asked how things were going in Detroit and made it clear where he stood on the only issue that matters around here.


"I can't believe they give these sleazeball financial guys a bailout and not people who actually make a product," he said. "It's amazing to me."

Anyone who follows Leno knows he's a devoted car guy. If any celebrity outside of Detroit is going to say something positive about the domestic auto industry, it's him.

"They have great products in the pipeline," said Leno. "The Volt is a terrific concept that will surpass the Prius."

He also rattled off the new Chevy Camaro, Dodge Challenger and Ford F-150 as examples of what Detroit is doing right.

Leno was talking cars because he'll be rubbing shoulders with the Motor City soon. He's performing just across the river on New Year's Eve at the Colosseum stage at Caesars Windsor. Tickets went on sale this week.

The late-night host is one of several entertainers booked for future Caesars Windsor concerts, a list that includes Johnny Mathis tonight and Saturday and Glen Campbell, Dionne Warwick, Jewel and Jeff Foxworthy in January.

New Year's Eve is the big night of the year for partygoers, but it's more like a typical night onstage for Leno, who continues to appear virtually nonstop at clubs and theaters despite his demanding network TV schedule.

"I always work New Year's Eve somewhere. That's the night, isn't it?" said Leno. "If you're a comic and you don't have a good gig New Year's Eve, you're in sad shape."

Leno's regular time slot on NBC will be filled that night by the fifth annual "NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly" special.

The jokes delivered by Leno at Caesars Windsor are bound to cover a cross-section of topics.

"When you do 'The Tonight Show' monologue, you sort of talk about the events of the day," he explained. "When you show up in person, you can talk about events that have a bit more shelf life."

Don't be surprised if there are some mentions of the Detroit Lions, one of Leno's favorite "tough-love jokes," as he describes it.

"I just read today by 2012, there'll be 7 billion people in the world, and it's amazing that Detroit can't find 11 of them to play football," he said. "I mean, you'd think out of those 7 billion, 11 of them could play? No."

And there may be some time devoted to President-elect Barack Obama. Leno isn't among those who think it will be difficult to poke fun at the new administration.

"Clinton and Bush were the golden age of comedy. ... It's fascinating, though, to have a president that can actually talk. You go, oh? You don't go, he made it through! When Bush speaks, you go, he made it through!" he says.

At the end of May, Leno will step down as host of the "The Tonight Show" and NBC late-late host Conan O'Brien will take over on June 1. The long-anticipated move has sustained a steady buzz about what Leno plans to do next.

Leno is less forthcoming about this topic than he is about cars.

Asked to describe his transition strategy, he said, "I actually haven't started any transition yet. I haven't really thought much about it."

OK. Is he a New Year's resolution kind of guy? "No, not really."

Where does he see himself at the end of 2009? What will he be doing? "Oh, I don't know," he answered off-handedly, "probably the same thing I'm doing now somewhere."

And will that include telling Lions jokes? You can bet on it.

"With Bush leaving, you've got to go with what you've got," he said.

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http://www.freep.com/article/2008112...811210357/1038