THERE SEEM TO BE QUITE A FEW GOOD REASONS TO VOTE FOR BILL HEDRICK AND MUSIC MAY BE ONE OF THEM

I've been talking to lots of candidates running for office. I always ask them what their favorite music is. A lot of them seem dumbfounded by the question. They wouldn't be more nonplused if I had asked them their favorite color or what their sign is. Often they tell me their staff will get back to me on that. A common response-- since I interview Democrats usually middle age ones-- is Bob Dylan. What song? Ummm... Yeah.

A few days ago I talked to a candidate in his 20's, an energetic and passionate guy back from the Iraq war and looking to change the world. His name is Jon Powers and earlier this week the New York Times did an excellent story on his brand new candidacy against rubber stamp Republican Tom Reynolds, whose district stretches from the suburbs of Buffalo to the suburbs of Rochester.

Powers is an exceptionally inspiring speaker who has thought through the issues and knows how to frame his points. On Saturday, July 21 (2pm, EST) he'll be doing a Blue America live blogging session and you can learn a lot more about him. For now, though, just let me say that when I asked him what music he liked, he wasn't nonplused, put off, or unprepared. He treated the question as thoughtfully as he treated everything else-- and launched right into how Dave Matthews is his overall favorite but that when he works out he prefers Rage Against the Machine and how the "new" John Mayer-- "the one who's playin' the blues and jammin', not the one who was playing the pop songs"-- is way preferable to the "old" John Mayer. And then there's Phish and U2... I rarely find a candidate who gets that into it, and with such spontaneity and verve. I chalked it up to his youth.

Today my friend Melody e-mailed me about a progressive Democrat running against the corrupt Republican wingnut whose district is closest to my own. The corrupt wingnut is Ken Calvert; the district is CA-44; and the progressive Democrat is Bill Hedrick. Melody pointed me to his website and after seeing that he's got his head screwed on right on the important issues, I also found out that he's around my age and has an admirable background as an educator to offer Congress. And... I don't have to ask him what his favorite song is; he lists a dozen right on his site! His musical taste is all over the map with music from every decade spanning his lifetime. And on the top, presumably his #1?