The Anti-Bush Vote

[LS]

Amusing ploy to attempt upping her non-existent profile from total oblivion- but really don't think wasting what was probably all of her money on this 'issue' is gonna do much to lift her numbers out of the single digits- considering latest NYS poll numbers show...Kerry- 56%, Bush- 35%, and Nader 2%... ;D

Senate Candidate Seeks Springsteen Boycott
(Edited By Barry A. Jeckell. August 16, 2004, 4:25 PM ET)

Upset with Bruce Springsteen's effort to oust President Bush from the White House, the New York Conservative Party's candidate for the U.S. Senate is launching a "Boycott the Boss" television commercial.

"He thinks making millions with a song-and-dance routine allows him to tell you how to vote," Marilyn O'Grady says in the 30-second spot. "Here's my vote: Boycott the Boss. If you don't buy his politics, don't buy his music."

In a statement, O'Grady said Springsteen "has a right to say what he thinks, but we have an equal right to speak. Now that he's moved onto the political stage to bash my president, it is entirely fair to respond."

Springsteen was among more than 20 prominent musicians who announced a series of anti-Bush fund-raising concerts under the "Vote for Change" banner in 28 cities in October.

Springsteen's "No Surrender" has become an anthem for Democratic candidate John Kerry's presidential campaign.

A spokesperson for O'Grady would not say how much the Long Island's ophthalmologist's campaign was spending on the commercial, in which she says, "I stand with President Bush and it's time to tame the liberal elite."

A spokesperson for Springsteen did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

O'Grady, a conservative Republican, launched her campaign after Republican Gov. George Pataki and the state GOP's leadership handed the party's Senate nomination to Howard Mills, a little-known legislator who supports abortion rights and civil unions for gays. Polls have shown Schumer running far ahead of both O'Grady and Mills.

[Roughneck]

Is it safe to say Pataki's getting a pink slip next time he's up too?

[LS]

Roughneck said:

Is it safe to say Pataki's getting a pink slip next time he's up too?

He was cooked a week after the idiots in this state re-elected him. He went totally MIA until 9/11- and then rode Rudy's coattails for photo-ops, then he totally pissed everybody by highjacking the plans for rebuilding the WTC...and now we're stuck with a that stupid 'Freedom Tower' dunce cap topped monstrosity of a building and a creepy crypt-like memorial...while trying to screw the City out of what measley Homeland Security funding it got, still we have only a partial budget (that was due last April 1st) that doesn't provide for school funding and it extends the clothing sales tax (that was supposed to have expired in June) until next June- AND he vetoed the bill to raise the minimum wage (total political suicide right there).

[Roughneck]

And THIS is the guy they're touting as the hot party to go to for the convention?!?

[Roughneck]

There's hope yet.

[LS]

Vote For Change Tour Finale Set For Miami
(Edited By Jonathan Cohen. August 18, 2004, 11:10 AM ET)

As expected, the upcoming Vote for Change tour will wrap Oct. 10 with a blowout concert at a Miami venue to be announced. The lineup will feature Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, R.E.M., John Fogerty, Dave Matthews Band, Bright Eyes, Dixie Chicks, James Taylor, Ben Harper, Jurassic 5, My Morning Jacket and Death Cab For Cutie.

In addition, a handful of tweaks have been made to the VFC schedule. The Springsteen/R.E.M./Bright Eyes/Fogerty show scheduled for Oct. 3 at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich., has been moved to Detroit's Cobo Hall, while Jack Johnson and Crosby, Stills and Nash will join Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Keb' Mo' for a Sept. 29 show in Phoenix.
Tickets for some VFC shows go on-sale Saturday (Aug. 21). The tour kicks off Oct. 1 in Pennsylvania.

In related news, Pearl Jam has confirmed a VFC warm-up concert with Death Cab For Cutie Sept. 28 at Boston's FleetCenter. "It's been awhile since we've played together and we were all excited about ... playing a special show somewhere before we kick off the Vote for Change tour," guitarist Mike McCready says. "Boston is one of our all-time favorite cities to play so it seemed like the perfect place to do that."

_________________________________________

'Punk Voter' Slates 'Rock Against Bush' Tour
(Edited By Jonathan Cohen. August 18, 2004, 11:10 AM ET)

Raising the stakes of its commitment to changing the political landscape in America, Punk Voter is launching the Rock Against Bush Tour. Kicking off Sept. 18 in Portland, Ore., the trek will feature such artists as Audioslave/Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, Midtown and Anti-Flag.

"We've laid the groundwork over the last couple years by getting thousands of punks registered to vote," reads a message on PunkVoter.com. "Come join us for some good ol' fashioned punk rock dissent!"
At deadline, Morello was confirmed to appear on about half of the 15 scheduled dates. He is being billed as the Nightwatchman, an acoustic persona unveiled for his singer/songwriter-oriented political-leaning work. His "Union Song" and "House Gone Up in Flames" can be sampled at NightwatchmanMusic.com.

Other bands that will appear on various dates include Strike Anywhere, Epoxies, the AKA's and Mike Park.

A grassroots group founded by NOFX guitarist Fat Mike, Punk Voter is a coalition of artists and record labels aiming to "educate, register and mobilize progressive voters."

To date, the organization has issued a pair of CD/DVD compilations under the "Rock Against Bush" banner through Fat Mike's Fat Wreck Chords label. The first featured music by the likes of Offspring, Less Than Jake, Sum 41 and NOFX, as well as some of the bands on the tour.

Released in April, "Volume 1" topped Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart and has sold 117,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The just-released second volume sold 26,000 copies to debut this week at No. 45 on The Billboard 200. It boasts contributions from Green Day, Bad Religion, Sugarcult, Rancid, Sleater-Kinney, Hot Water Music and No Doubt, among others.

Here are the Rock Against Bush tour dates:

Sept. 18: Portland, Ore. (Roseland Theater)
Sept. 19: Seattle (Showbox)
Sept. 21: San Francisco (Fillmore)
Sept. 22: Los Angeles (Henry Fonda Theatre)
Sept. 23: Tempe, Ariz. (Marquee Theatre)
Sept. 24: Albuquerque, N.M. (Sunshine Theatre)
Sept. 25: Denver (Ogden Theatre)
Sept. 26: Kansas City, Mo. (Beaumont Club)
Sept. 27: Minneapolis (First Avenue)
Sept. 28: Chicago (Metro/Smart Bar)
Sept. 29: Cleveland (Agora Theatre)
Sept. 30: Columbus, Ohio (Newport Music Hall)
Oct. 1: Cincinnati (Bogart's)
Oct. 3: Tampa, Fla. (The Masquerade)
Oct. 9: Pittsburgh (The World)

_________________________________________

...Equal time for the 'non-partisan' pro-Bush camp:

Skaggs Leads Country Voter Initiative
(Edited By Jonathan Cohen. August 17, 2004, 3:20 PM ET)

Ricky Skaggs and Josh Turner are among a group of artists putting their names behind the Your Country Your Vote initiative. Aiming to mobilize country music fans in this U.S. presidential election year, the non-partisan effort was borne out of the "America Will Always Stand" project, a compilation of songs inspired by the Civil War.

"We've come a long way since the Civil War, when brother fought brother. We still have differences and we have a place to voice our opinion: the voting booth," Skaggs says. "It doesn't matter whether you're a Republican, a Democrat or an independent -- your opinion counts. It's your country, your vote!"

The organization's "get out and vote" message will be conveyed through a series of radio and television public service announcements, plus messages delivered by artists from concert stages in the months leading up to the November elections. At deadline, the Your Country Your Vote Web site was not yet live.

The campaign officially launches this afternoon (Aug. 17) with a recording session at Skaggs' studio near Nashville. In addition to Skaggs and Turner, artists slated to take part are Billy Dean, Marty Raybon, the Whites and the Michaels.

Civil War historian/writer/director Ronald F. Maxwell ("Gods & Generals," "Gettysburg") will also be on hand. He conceptualized the "America Will Always Stand" project, which was spearheaded by songwriters Michael Curtis and Michael Pyle.

"What many people forget is that voting is a right, guaranteed by the Constitution, with the purpose of having leaders chosen by the people and for the people of our nation," Maxwell says.

Released in May, "America Will Always Stand" is the first album of original music ever released by TimeLife Music. The set features songs by Randy Travis, Lee Ann Womack, Darryl Worley and Blake Shelton and Skaggs, among others.

__________________________________________

The Dead Get Political
Band Takes A Stand For Kerry
PARKE PUTERBAUGH
Aug 18, 2004

"It's time to get registered, it's time to vote," says Dead guitarist Bob Weir. "If you ever want to vote again, do it now. I'm not telling people who to vote for. I think they can figure it out. But I will say this: If every Deadhead in the state of Florida had voted in the last election, it'd be a very different world right now."
Never known for mixing their music with politics, the Dead -- the abbreviated name for the post-Jerry Garcia incarnation of the Grateful Dead -- have taken up a cause: removing George Bush from office. The group has even been playing "Johnny B. Goode," the Kerry campaign theme song, during shows. According to Weir, the Dead's move into political activism came from a sense of urgency.

"It occurs to me and the rest of the guys that this may be our last meaningful election," Weir says. "If we continue to drift the way we're drifting, the United States will become a democracy in name only. Instead of government of the people, by the people and for the people, we'll have government of the people, by the elite and for the elite, and the people will come secondarily."

[LS]

Roughneck said:

And THIS is the guy they're touting as the hot party to go to for the convention?!?

Yeah...pretty pathetic- huh??
He vetoes the bill to raise the minimum wage...but looks like he's gonna sign the one that would allow people to also bring unfinished bottles of wine home with their restaurant doggie bags...Yes indeedy- these politicians sure have their priorities straight.

Roughneck said:

There's hope yet.

Gee- and I'd just read one the other day that said he was a descendent of Atilla The Hun...and then there's the one that says he's distantly related to...the DuHbya!!

[Mr._Shooter]

Just read that Deal Hudson, the Bush campaign adviser on Catholic issues, resigned due to allegations that he sexually harassed a female student over a decade ago at Fordham, where he had been a philosophy professor. Apparently, Mr. Hudson had been unceremoniously booted out of Fordham when the sexual harassment flap first arose, and now it came back to bite him again.

64 million Catholics in America and Bush had to pick this one?

[snizz]

LS said:

Amusing ploy to attempt upping her non-existent profile from total oblivion- but really don't think wasting what was probably all of her money on this 'issue' is gonna do much to lift her numbers out of the single digits- considering latest NYS poll numbers show...Kerry- 56%, Bush- 35%, and Nader 2%... ;D

O'Grady who? I'm serious! This broad's from LI? So how come I never heard of her? The only other candidate I've heard of is Mills and not much of him. With all the bull going on in this state, especially downstate, this is the best she can come up with to run on? Who is she trying to score points with? If it was Billy Joel there might be some twisted logic to this, but what's Bruce got to do with NY? He's not from here, he doesn't live here and none of the concerts are here.

But it's good to see people finally getting out there and speaking up. See you in Philly. ;D

[snizz]

Mr._Shooter said:

Just read that Deal Hudson, the Bush campaign adviser on Catholic issues, resigned due to allegations that he sexually harassed a female student over a decade ago at Fordham, where he had been a philosophy professor. Apparently, Mr. Hudson had been unceremoniously booted out of Fordham when the sexual harassment flap first arose, and now it came back to bite him again.

64 million Catholics in America and Bush had to pick this one?

I guess they thought they were on safer ground going with a layman than with a priest or nun these days.

[Mr._Shooter]

snizz said:

I guess they thought they were on safer ground going with a layman than with a priest or nun these days.

As a former altar boy and Catholic school graduate (from Grade 1 to college), I've seen an eyeful. ;D

[LS]

snizz said:

O'Grady who? I'm serious! This broad's from LI? So how come I never heard of her? The only other candidate I've heard of is Mills and not much of him. With all the bull going on in this state, especially downstate, this is the best she can come up with to run on? Who is she trying to score points with? If it was Billy Joel there might be some twisted logic to this, but what's Bruce got to do with NY? He's not from here, he doesn't live here and none of the concerts are here.

But it's good to see people finally getting out there and speaking up. See you in Philly. ;D

Not to worry snizz- I'd never heard of her either. Seems she's primarily 'campaigning' in the Albany area...She's got a website- I checked it out...some scary stuff!! Her numbers are in the single digits- somewhere around 8%...and as of June she's only raised $120,000- so it does seem pretty stupid to waste a good chunk of change on something as inconsquential and politically meaningless to NYS as an anti-Bruce ad.

Hey...ran across this one- thought you might like it...

"You Let Him Take Advantage of You"
Guy Forsyth & Darden Smith

www.rockzilla.net/test.html

[snizz]

LS said:

Not to worry snizz- I'd never heard of her either. Seems she's primarily 'campaigning' in the Albany area...She's got a website- I checked it out...some scary stuff!! Her numbers are in the single digits- somewhere around 8%...and as of June she's only raised $120,000- so it does seem pretty stupid to waste a good chunk of change on something as inconsquential and politically meaningless to NYS as an anti-Bruce ad.

Hey...ran across this one- thought you might like it...

"You Let Him Take Advantage of You"
Guy Forsyth & Darden Smith

www.rockzilla.net/test.html

I looked, I read, I shuddered. I have to wonder how much she paid for her 15 seconds of fame.

And the blues guys toss their hat in the ring! ;D I do, I do! ;D That's one of the better "anti" songs I've heard, both the lyrics and melody are cleverly subtle and nuanced. Is he putting on an album?

[LS]

snizz said:

I looked, I read, I shuddered. I have to wonder how much she paid for her 15 seconds of fame.

Ain't that the truth!! Was it even 15 seconds??

And the blues guys toss their hat in the ring! ;D I do, I do! ;D That's one of the better "anti" songs I've heard, both the lyrics and melody are cleverly subtle and nuanced. Is he putting on an album?

Yeah Not that I know of...I'm still checkin' around to see if he released it as a single though.

[LS]

Musicians Mobilize For And Against President Bush
By David de Sola
Sunday, August 29, 2004

WASHINGTON-- In a normal year, Bruce Springsteen and Ted Nugent would probably be more worried about record sales.

But in this year's supercharged political environment, musicians will be using their medium as a platform to promote political agendas from the right and the left.

Between now and Election Day, recording artists will be making a mad dash to record stores, concert arenas, and campaign rallies to weigh in on the presidential race.

Springsteen, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, the Dave Matthews Band, the Dixie Chicks, and others have teamed up with anti-Bush group Moveon.org for the "Vote for Change" tour. The profits from the tour will benefit Americans Coming Together (ACT), a voter-registration effort dedicated to defeating President Bush in November and helping to elect progressive candidates to federal, state, and local government positions.

Moveon.org is also sponsoring a compilation album titled "Future Soundtrack of America" featuring material from R.E.M., Blink 182, Tom Waits, and David Byrne.

The Democrats don't have a monopoly on musicians: The GOP can count on Johnny Ramone, Kid Rock, Ted Nugent (a declared independent but Bush backer), Michael W. Smith and a host of country artists, some who will perform this week at the Republican National Convention in New York City.

Nugent, answering by e-mail from an undisclosed location earlier this summer while performing for American troops on a USO tour with country music star Toby Keith, said that "a strong war on terrorism" is a major issue for him.

Nugent also criticizes John Kerry on fiscal issues. "Kerry quotes Mao Tse Tung when he insults hard-working Americans by seeking policy that would 'redistribute wealth,' " he writes.

The anti-Bush musicians have various reasons for opposing the president.

Offspring guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman does not approve of Bush's fiscal policies.

"Massive tax cuts for the richest 5 percent when acquiring huge budget deficits seems completely irresponsible," Wasserman said. "I don't know how giving more money to the people good enough at keeping it is going to help our economy."

Ministry's Al Jourgenson isn't happy about the war in Iraq. "All the money going over there [Iraq] should be spent on something useful, like health care, education, environment, and alternative energy sources, which sort of all tie in together."

Wasserman puts it more bluntly. "Iraq is one of the biggest mistakes and tragedies our country's been involved in."

Both Sides Now

Political activism by musicians is nothing new.

Woody Guthrie protested a variety of causes in the '30s and '40s; he was followed by folk singers such as Pete Seeger and Peter, Paul and Mary, and then rock musicians of many stripes in the '60s, '70s and '80s, agitating against issues ranging from the war in Vietnam to nuclear power to Ronald Reagan's blunt Cold War rhetoric.

And musicians and politicians have been close in the past, from Frank Sinatra and John F. Kennedy to the Allman Brothers and Jimmy Carter.

But this year's alliances seem particularly illustrative of the blue state/red state breakdown.

The Democratic convention featured performances from singer-songwriter Carole King, hip-hop funksters the Black Eyed Peas, heartland rocker John Mellencamp and soul queen Patti LaBelle.

Republicans will have contemporary Christian artist Michael W. Smith, operatic former New York police officer Daniel Rodriguez, country stalwarts Brooks & Dunn and reflective singer-songwriter Dana Glover.

That doesn't mean that rock and politics don't sometimes make strange bedfellows.

Earlier this year, Kid Rock earned the ire of Sen. Zell Miller, D-Georgia, for cutting a hole through an American flag to wear as a shirt during his Super Bowl performance.

"[T]he thing that yanked my chain the hardest was seeing that ignoramus with his pointed head stuck up through a hole he had cut in the flag of the United States of America, screaming about having 'a bottle of scotch and watching lots of crotch.' Think about that," said Miller in February. He added that the musician should be "tarred and feathered and ridden out of this country on a rail."

Now Miller is scheduled to give Bush's nominating speech at the convention, and Kid Rock is scheduled to perform at a convention-related event in New York during the week.

And though his band, the Ramones, are considered anti-establishment heroes and once recorded a Ronald Reagan slam called "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg," Johnny Ramone is a lifelong Republican who supports the NRA and George W. Bush, the Washington Times reports. When the Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, he took the podium and said, "God bless President Bush, and God bless America."

Urging The Vote

The conventional wisdom is that musicians -- and the entertainment industry in general -- are a liberal stronghold. Statistics compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, which keeps track of financial contributions in the American political process, show that in the 2004 cycle, 82 percent of contributions from the music industry worth a total of more than $1.1 million went to the Democratic Party, compared to approximately $248,000 for the GOP.

That should come as no surprise given the socially liberal lifestyles musicians are known for, as well as the fact that the nexuses of the music industry in the United States are located in California and New York, two solidly Democrat states.

Still, musicians on both sides of the partisan fence agree on the importance of voter registration. The anti-Bush musicians are focusing their efforts on their young fan base, which historically has a low turnout rate.

Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett, reflecting on his own experiences, says, "I think it's important to get the message out as much as you can to young people, to get them involved in the political process and make sure they're not complacent. ... We need to get the message out to kids that they can really swing this thing if they all got out and voted."

His bandmate Dave Grohl performed at a Kerry fund-raiser in Hollywood earlier in the summer, and more recently has appeared at a few stops on the campaign trail.

Jourgenson -- who engaged in a public relations war of words with Urban Outfitters over their controversial "Voting is for Old People" T-shirt -- will team up with an anti-Bush political organization, Punk Voter, to register 100,000 new voters with a bit of a personal touch on Ministry's upcoming tour. "I'll be at the Punk Voter booth before the show to get that [18- to 25-year-old] voter demographic off their ass."

Nugent said he will do his part to rally the Bush faithful by promoting voter registration, as well as performing at fund-raisers and making media appearances on the president's behalf.

Country music star Ricky Skaggs has also decided to enter the election year fray. In collaboration with his fellow country musicians Marty Raybon, Josh Turner and others, Skaggs is helping with a non-partisan voter registration initiative called "Your Country, Your Vote."

Skaggs elaborates on the initiative's message: "We try to say, 'look, your vote does count.' If everybody felt that way nobody would get elected."

Skaggs, a supporter of President Bush, has contributed "very nominal" sums of money to the Republican National Committee, and has performed at two Bush campaign events so far this year. But he puts the emphasis on getting out the vote in general.

"Obviously if I'm at a Bush rally, I'm going to encourage people to vote for President Bush, but at my own concerts I'm trying to get people just to vote," he said.

Still, he takes issue with Bush critics. "The left seems to be Bush-bashers from the stage, in the media, through movies, on the Internet. There seems to be a movement of getting President Bush out of the White House at all costs."

Neither side will give an inch.

"Our American government has strayed too far from American values," Springsteen wrote in a New York Times column. "It is time to move forward. The country we carry in our hearts is waiting."

Nugent, not surprisingly, doesn't agree. President Bush, he writes, "[is] a good man and the right man for the job."