Exclusive! Michael Lohan was set to be one of Donald Trump's "Celebrity" Apprentices

Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice is revealing less promise now that public filming has revealed that "celebrities" like Tito Ortiz, John Cena, Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth and Carol Alt (remember in the old days when Howard Stern* sidekick Fred Norris used to argue that she didn't have the qualifications to be a supermodel?) joining bonafide stars like our pal Gene Simmons, and, well, Gene Simmons.

But the series could have been a lot more edgy and controversial if Trump had his way with the contestant selection. Tabloid Baby can report exclusively that Michael Lohan-- Lindsay's father, born-again minister, drug counselor and soon-to-be reality television star-- was Trump's choice to be one of the Celebrity Apprentices. And Lohan was set to take the gig-- until the NBC lawyers rejected him because of his criminal past and current parole.

When Lohan was knocked out, his born-again buddy (and partner in a proposed celeb rehab center in Southampton) Stephen Baldwin (at right, with Lohan) skateboarded in to take his place.

Trump made headlines when the show was announced by saying he wanted Lindsay Lohan (and Britney Spears and Paris Hilton) on the series. But with Lennox Lewis and girlfriend-abusing Sopranos actor Vincent Pastore rounding out the reported cast (funny that Pastore's criminal past wasn't a factor), it's shocking to see how low the bar was set (even worse that Dancing with The Stars-- and below Celebrity Fat Club), not to mention the weak network star-pulling power of new NBC honcho Ben Silverman.

*Howard is a former radio personality who once had a popular morning show.