"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."
-- Sinclair Lewis
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Debbie Cook and DWT Offer Jackson Browne Tickets
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We didn't make a big fuss about raising money "at the end of the quarter" like everybody else did. You were probably inundated with requests from every politician you ever passed on the street talking about yesterday's midnight deadline. We just tend to not get into the hysteria. Happily, though, more than a few generous donors decided to make their contributions through our Blue America page and our total for the year is over $405,000.
Today's the first day of the new "quarter" and DWT has a gorgeous pair of tickets (4th row, center) for a Jackson Browne concert this Sunday, October 5, at L.A.'s historic and intimate Orpheum Theater. Jackson gave the tickets to, Debbie Cook's campaign when he endorsed her and she passed them along to us so that a progressive donor would get an opportunity to be able to go to the sold out show-- other than by going on eBay and paying $500 to a scalper. Just donate to Debbie's campaign today through our ActBlue page-- any amount-- and your name gets put in a hat and, if luck is with you, you'll win the pair of tickets. If DWT had a Republican PAC we'd just say the pair goes to the highest bidder-- or maybe we'd scalp 'em on eBay ourselves-- but we like this idea more because even people who can only afford to donate $1 get a chance to win the tickets. The contest ends tomorrow at 2pm, PT. One rule: one chance to get into the drawing per screen name.
Debbie is one of Blue America's priority candidates for November, not just because she is running against one of the worst rubber stamp Republican goons in Congress, the execrable Dana Rohrabacher, but because from the first day she gets there she will be the best informed voice on Capitol Hill on progressive public energy policy. Whether you win the Jackson Browne tickets or not, a donation for Debbie Cook is a win for a better vision of our country.
Jackson Browne Suing McCain For Music Theft-- Sammy Hagar Plays GOP Bash And McCain Turns Out To Be An ABBA Fan
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The first time I met Jackson Browne was at a Velvet Underground show on St Marks Place. We were both teenagers. He and his two pals, Tim Buckley and Steve Noonan, came back to my college and stayed for a few months. Jackson even wound up singing a few times with a local band that became the Blue Oyster Cult. More recently I ran into him at a benefit for progressive New York Congressman John Hall. I don't know Hall, who was a musician (in the band Orleans) before becoming a congressman in 2006. I first met him when I heard that Joe Lieberman was pirating his song classic smash "Still the One," using it but not paying any licensing fees. I called Hall to encourage him to sue Lieberman. But Lieberman was still masquerading as a Democrat back then-- although music stealing for political campaigns is a GOP thing, not a Democratic thing; their whacky definition of "free markets" I guess-- and Hall demurred. Today Jackson needed no pushing. And I don't think it was because he wasn't invited to the Republican National Convention.
I was reading a Q&A with entertainer Murray Hill at breakfast today and I noticed that when asked to describe his vision of hell it was entertaining at a Republican convention. Something tells me he isn't likely to be asked. In fact, except for Sammy Hagar (the appropriately nicknamed Red Rocker) and the faux Beach Boys-- actual Beach Boy Brian Wilson wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near the St Paul Hate Fest-- the Republicans only invited (mostly second and third rate) glitzy Nashville country singers.
Sammy's an old friend. He's the first rocker I ever met who was a Republican. And from Marin County! Well, actually he grew up in Fontana which completely explains it. Once he asked me for a "hip" song he could cover. Taking his political disability into consideration, my friend Chris and I gave him a Patti Smith song, "Free Money," which did so well for him that he asked me for another. I gave him a tape of "Wild Youth" by Generation X and he thought Billy was singing "Wild Jews" and... well, thankfully he never covered it. Had he, he might not be gracing the same stage as Joe "Wild Jew" Lieberman in St. Paul next month. I know for a fact they didn't invite Billy Idol.
Anyway, the NY Times says the Democratic Convention looks like it will have the edge over the Repugs' bash. Denver's events cover 16 pages and include shows by Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West, Jennifer Lopez, Willie Nelson, Melissa Etheridge and Jerry Jeff Walker. The Republican entertainment covers 5 pages (double spaced... with wide margins) and features Gretchen Wilson, Cowboy Troy (is that the closet case Attorney General of Alabama?), John Rich and the Charlie Daniels Band.
I don't think McCain is actually a fan of any of the low-brown crap they booked for the convention. His list of his favorite 10 songs includes (in order): "Dancing Queen" ABBA, "Blue Bayou" Roy Orbison, "Take a Chance On Me" ABBA, "If We MakeIt Through December" Merle Haggard, "As Time Goes By" Dooley Wilson, "Good Vibrations" The Beach Boys, "What A Wonderful World" Louis Armstrong, "I've Got You Under My Skin" Frank Sinatra, "Sweet Caroline" Neil Diamond, and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" The Platters. Not a bad list-- and no Andrews Sisters!
Obama's is a little more up to date, as you might expect: "Ready or Not "Fugees, "What's Going On" Marvin Gaye, "I'm On Fire" Bruce Spingsteen, "Gimme Shelter" Rolling Stones, "Sinnerman" Nina Simone, "Touch the Sky" Kanye West, "You'd Be So Easy to Love" Frank Sinatra, "Think" Aretha Franklin, "City of Blinding Lights" U2, and "Yes We Can" will.i.am. I guess he hasn't heard the new songs by Gary Lucas or Joss Stone yet. Randy Newman critiques their selections for Blender.
MOST CELEBRITIES ARE FOR OBAMA OR HILLARY-- BUT TWO SERIOUS ACTIVISTS ARE ON BOARD WITH EDWARDS: BONNIE RAITT AND JACKSON BROWNE
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Last week DWT broke the news that Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt will be teaming up with John Edwards for 5 concerts in Iowa. Today's Des Moines Register made it official. They'll accompany Edwards for two days and play songs at 5 of his campaign stops-- in Davenport, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Grinnell, and Des Moines-- where he plans to discuss how to build a better future for our children.
“John Edwards is a leading voice for change in our country,” said Bonnie. “He's been one of the only strong, effective advocates for ending the war in Iraq and bringing our troops home. And when he talks about creating opportunity, he isn't talking about creating opportunities for corporate CEOs to get ahead, he's talking about making sure regular, hardworking Americans have a fair chance to succeed. He is willing to fight for fairness and equality for all Americans, and for tapping the immense economic and employment opportunities of safe, renewable energy."
“I am proud to support John Edwards,” said Jackson. “We need someone with vision and courage to fix the big problems facing our country. We need to end the war in Iraq and make sure every American has health care. John Edwards knows what it is to have to work hard, and he’ll stand up and fight to make sure everyone in this country has the same chances he’s had.”
If you're in Iowa, here are the details:
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH, 2007 12:00 PM Davenport North High School-- Auditorium 626 West 53rd Street Davenport, Iowa
5:00 PM City High School-- Auditorium 1900 Morningside Drive Iowa City, Iowa
7:30 PM Coe College-- Sinclair Auditorium 1220 1st Avenue NE Cedar Rapids, Iowa
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH, 2007 12:15 PM Grinnell College-- Harris Center Concert Hall Off of 10th Avenue, between East Street and Park Street Grinnell, Iowa
5:45 PM Roosevelt High School-- Auditorium 4419 Center Street Des Moines, Iowa
UPDATE: RIGHT WING CELEBRITIES KEEP THE CLOSET DOOR SHUT ABOUT THEIR SUPPORT FOR REPUBLICANS
Today's Moonie Times has a throw-away piece about how reactionary celebrities like Kevin Costner, anti-Semite Mel Gibson, Kelsey Grammar, well-known Republican beard Bo Derek, Adam Sandler, Teri Hatcher, Joel Surnow, Robert Duvall, and Chuck Norris are mostly afraid to admit that they support the Party of Greed and Bigotry.
While Democrats enjoy very public support from Hollywood's top actors and musicians, who often hold lavish events for their favorite candidates, Republican supporters in Hollywood try hard to keep their political views quiet.
"They learn very quickly, if they know what's good for them, to donate to the Democratic Party," said Andrew Breitbart, co-author of "Hollywood, Interrupted" [and an outspoken right-wing loon himself]. "If they were to donate to the Republican Party, they would be exposed to career-ending ridicule, period."
Absolutely right; just look what happened to poor Mel Gibson-- all he did was scream neo-nazi epithets about Jews at a police officer arresting him for drunk driving and... he was ridiculed for almost 3 days. The injustice poor far right Republicans have to face in liberal towns like Hollywood; it's a wonder they don't all sell their mansions in Beverly Hills and Malibu and move to a nice suburb in Mississippi. Neither of the two biggest Republican celebrities, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, was mentioned in the story. Apparently even the Moonies have some standards.
BONNIE RAITT AND JACKSON BROWNE CONCERT FOR JOHN EDWARDS IN IOWA?
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A few years ago I introduced Howard Dean to the Flying Other Brothers and they schlepped around in the Iowa snow playing concerts at 8 Dean rallies. As it turned out in those caucuses, the Republicans got their way and Insider Democrats got their man (an overly cautious Insider who forgot how to fight back at least a decade before)-- and American and the world wound up with four more years of you know what.
Almost everyone I know is planning on voting for John Edwards in the Democratic primary, myself included. But almost everyone I know is also resigned to Hillary winning both the Democratic nomination and the presidency. John Edwards isn't-- and "almost" includes neither Bonnie Raitt nor Jackson Browne, two tireless campaigners for progressive values and the American way. A few weeks ago Jackson did a concert on behalf of Rep. John Hall. Today we've learned that Jackson, Bonnie and perhaps another well-known actvist/singer will be doing a big concert in Iowa for Edwards' campaign.
Yes, that's Jackson (along with Bryan Adams, Bruce Hornsby and Kim Wilson) backing her up doing my favorite Bonnie Raitt song:
PRAYER FOR PEACE WITH JACKSON BROWNE, DAVID CROSBY, GRAHAM NASH AND JOHN HALL
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I want to start the day off with a little music and a lot of inspiration. Blue America-endorsed Congressman John Hall's re-election campaign sent me this clip just now. It was shot last night at Washington's National Cathedral-- Prayer For Peace. Yesterday Crooks & Liars had the heads-up about the event.
John Hall, Jackson Browne, John Amato, Lucas Gardner & your host
So I just got back from the meeting I alluded to below. It was John from Crooks & Liars, Lucas from The Battle School, myself and Congressman John Hall. Music by Jackson Browne. Yeah, it was a benefit concert for John's campaign but he asked us to get their a half an hour early for a meeting so he could explain why he voted against the newspaper ad (not against MoveOn).
It was all that Betray Us headline that caused the problem, not the body of the ad, which he thinks was accurate. John is serious about ending the war and serious about supporting the military. As a congressman he represents West Point and Petraeus' hometown as well. He's on the Veterans' Affairs Committee and one of his biggest concerns in Congress has been the unbelievable and catastrophic increase in severe brain injuries from the war. He said that if Bush's war were to stop today, the American taxpayers would have a trillion dollar bill just in caring for the wounded soldiers from this war so far. And it's not stopping today. Which is why that whole MoveOn fiasco was such a drag for so many of us. It drove a wedge, like the Republicans had hoped it would.
John and I explained as best we could why it was a betrayal for so many Democrats to follow Emanuel and Hoyer and vote against the ad. He had already read the comments at Kos and was more than aware of why progressives and anti-war activists were angry. John is offering an identically-worded bill tomorrow that condemns Limbaugh for the outrageous statements he said about "phony soldiers."
After our talk the fun started. There was good food; John made a nice speech; I got to reminisce with Jackson about how we met when we were teenagers. I had booked a concert at my school with the Jefferson Airplane and a little known band from Seattle called the Daily Flash and Jackson and his two pals, Tim Buckley and Steve Noonan came. After there was a party at my house and many of us had something Owsley gave us. I was shocked Jackson remembered! It was my first real trip.
Anyway, Jackson started playing mostly socially relevant songs, like Lives in the Balance and anti-war songs and he was smokin'! There were like 4--50 people in a really intimate and ideal setting and his voice was incredible. And then John Hall grabbed a guitar and started playing with him. At one point Jackson asked him to leave the stage because he played a song that he thought could get John in trouble with Nancy. It's called "Drums of War" and the line "Why is impeachment not on the table?" brought down the house. I noticed John was applauding as loudly as enthusiastically as everyone else. The song hasn't been properly recorded but Jackson said it would be ok to use this funky early version someone shot live. (Oh yeah and he did stuff like "Doctor My Eyes" and "Running on Empty" and I called friends up from my old college days as well as Jane and held my cell phone up to the speakers.)
"Roll out the drums of war Roll up the cover of the killing floor Roll out the drums of war and let's speak of things worht fighting for Roll out the drums of war
Time comes when everything you ever thought you knew comes crashing down and flames rise up in front of you
Roll out the drums of war Roll back the freedoms that we struggled for What were those freedoms for? Huh, let's not talk about it anymore Roll out the drums of war Roll out the drums of war
Whatever you believe the necessary course to be depends on who you trust to identify the enemy Who beats the drums for war even before the peace is lost? Who are the profits for and who are they who bear the cost when a country takes a whole world to war?
Who gives the orders orders to torture? Who gets the no bid contracts of the future? Who lies then bombs and calls it an error? Who makes a fortune from fighting terror? Who is the enemy trying to crush us? Who is the enemy of truth and justice? Who is the enemy of peace and freedom? Where are the courts, now when we need them? Why is impeachment not on the table? We better stop them while we are able
Roll out the drums of war Roll out the drums of war If you know what your freedom's for Roll out the drums of war
Whatever you believe the necessary course to be depends on who you trust to identify the enemy Who took this country to war long before the peace was lost? Who are the profits for and who are they who bear the cost when a country takes the low road?"
UPDATE: A JOHN HALL QUOTE I ALMOST FORGOT
"I don't have Exxon and Mobile, I have Jackson and Bonnie (Raitt)."
BE BACK SOON-- GOIN' TO MEET WITH CONGRESSMAN HALL
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photo by Mark Cuff
John Amato (C&L), one of the other Blue America bloggers, and I are off now to meet with John Hall(NY-19), one of the victorious candidates we endorsed in 2006. John has been an exemplary congressman, sticking to his guns on the tough issues. His voting record is excellent when it comes to sticking with progressive values and principles, especially for someone in a Republican-leaning district with a tough re-election race. I guess he wants to explain to us why he voted against the MoveOn ad, which pissed us both off. And he probably also wants to explain his plan to prohibit the Bush Regime from sending any more mercenaries into Iraq, which sounds like a good idea to me. I'll report back in a couple hours.
AH... NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY JACKSON BROWNE AND REP STEVE COHEN HAVE A MUTUAL ADMIRATION CLUB
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Saturday at 2PM (EST) Blue America welcomes freshman congressman Steve Cohen for a chat at Firedoglake. We were especially impressed by Steve because unlike some Democrats who campaigned against Bush's Iraq war and then were satisfied just voting for the nonbinding symbolic resolution, he is outspoken in really trying to stop the escalation and end the war. Congressman Cohen is already co-sponsoring 4 bills and 2 resolutions-- all binding ones that would do just that. Obviously a congressman from Memphis, Tennessee is going to be a big music fan. We asked Steve to suggest a song he'd like to suggest people listen to. He had a whole list but finally picked "Lives in the Balance" by Jackson Browne who did a campaign fundraiser for him last year. Please consider contributing to Steve's re-election fund. It's way better if he gets his funds from grassroots Democrats than from corporations looking for a quid pro quo, don't you think?
