Two Videos-- One About Romney And One About McKeon

One of Blue America's earliest forays into electoral campaigning besides raising money for progressives came in 2006 when we got together with Tom Maxwell and Ken Mosher from the Squirrel Nut Zippers along with the legendary singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones, storied music producer Andy Paley and talented videographer Mike McIntee to come up with an iconic song we were able to use in over a dozen congressional campaigns, "Have You Had Enough?"

This week, the folks behind TheBuckStopsNow.org approached us about working together on a new version of the song. Considering that there isn't a worse Republican up for reelection who's likely to be defeated, we were only too glad to join in. The result is the video you can watch-- and hopefully spread-- up top. And if you'd like to help us get this 30 second clip up on local cable TV, please consider contributing to our I.E. PAC here.

I thought this might be a good time to take another look at why Rickie Lee and the guys from the Squirrel Nut Zippers decided to record the song in the first place. Let's start with the note Rickie Lee sent me, late summer, 2006:

At this point, it might be easy for someone like me to say 'why bother? He got his two terms (albeit illegally), the damage is done, our economy is wrecked, our ecology is three steps backwards, our domestic policy is "every man for himself," and our foreign policy reads something like "how do you say that in English, buster?" Our standing as a military power is forever tainted, and our flag, as a beacon for freedom if only to ourselves, is tattered and sad.' 

So why kick them out now? Because they can still do a lot of damage. Because they deserve to be expelled. Because they have committed crimes far more grievous than the last guy, with his 80% approval rating, whom they scalded, bewildered and ultimately defeated with a relentless media campaign. I mean, looking back, it wasn't Clinton who was defeated. It was us, the Americans who elected him, who stood up to the bullies. So they impeached him because we, the people, just wouldn't go along with what it is-- the destruction of his character by an out of control media who relished each accusation more than each achievement, and with the use of Newscorp media and all their other cronies, simply assassinated him without a bullet. Where is the media now, when there are REAL criminals in office? 

You can hear the voices of the people on the Internet. Where is one echo in the media? Imagine, if a sweet little song rallied the folks to storm their local newspaper or TV station and say "HEY, how about putting our point of view on now?" Except that there would be no one there, since Clear Channel bought up most of the radio stations and has a clear right wing agenda. How about the newspaper? No, Rupert Murdock, an Australian, seems to own most of the American news organizations. No, whatever fear you have of his regime, it cannot stop you from letting Bush know you that are furious with him and his criminal entourage.

Tom Maxwell and Ken Mosher are best known as musicians and songwriters for the Squirrel Nut Zippers. But they were the original creative impetus behind the whole "Have You Had Enough?" project. Tom, whose good nature and modesty is so endearing:

The goal, obviously, is for this song to get a lot of attention and air play. We want to use the machine to further our political goal of minimizing, if not annihilating, the comprehensive assault on our institutions of government. Although I can admit to a certain parochial thrill at the attention, it’s far more reassuring to be part of a much larger gestalt. Certainly, by working with such powerhouses as Rickie Lee and Howie Klein, I have stayed true to my operating principle of being the weakest link in the musical chain!
 
And so this song is dedicated to you: the politicians whom we support, who have decided it can and must be done better, the bloggers, who helped me articulate my inchoate rage and frustration and thus informed these lyrics, the selfless volunteers "in the trenches," who do the most important but decidedly unglamorous GOTV work, and the all of those "who hunger and thirst for righteousness' sake," who may have resigned themselves to valid, but ultimately illusory, feelings of despair and powerlessness.
 
Our name is legion, and we have had enough.

The other former Squirrel Nut Zipper and half of Maxwell-Mosher, Ken Mosher, like so many of us, is both hoping for a leader to help us change direction and, simultaneously, taking matters into his own hands in the hope of pushing that along.

I honestly thought back in November of 1988, when I worked for MoPIRG and did volunteer work for the now-defeated Michael Dukakis and the Democratic Party, that things couldn't be worse for our country.

Then in 1997, when the Squirrel Nut Zippers played one of the Clinton Inaugural Balls, I thought that things couldn't be better.

Now in 2006, we have truly reached a bottom for this country and our international relations. We need leaders to turn this nation around, and to get there, we need all citizens to come out of the woodwork, activate and demand that we change the direction of the country.

Have YOU had enough?

This week an official Romney campaign bus drove around and around in circles blaring it's horn while President Obama spoke to supporters in Cleveland. No one inside the arena could hear the Romney bus honking madly but it sure added to the noise pollution outside. This weekend the DNC is welcoming Romney and his campaign bus to the road-- and warning potential bystanders-- by releasing this video in the states he's about to visit, showing how Willard has thrown middle-class Americans under the bus.



A reminder, please help us get the McKeon clip on TV up in Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Porter Ranch and teh Antelope Valley by contributing what you can at our Independent Expenditure committee.