Musical Politics

The Republicans are having trouble getting traction in the music world. A veritable Top 40 list of performers has complained about John McCain's campaign using their songs without permission.

Jackson Browne even filed suit to make McCain stop using "Running on Empty" in television ads that mocked Barack Obama's energy plan. Self-professed left-wing Democrat John Mellencamp was most unhappy that the Arizona senator was using "Our Country" and "Pink Houses" on the campaign trail, even though he had allowed John Edwards to use them earlier. New York Rep. John Hall, a Democrat and co-founder of the '70s group Orleans, demanded McCain quit using the group's big hit, "Still the One."

Van Halen ("Right Now") and the Foo Fighters ("My Hero") also asked that their songs be pulled from the McCain playlist and Heart sent a cease-and-desist notice because Sarah "The Barracuda" Palin was using their "Barracuda" without permission.

On the other side of the aisle, Sam Moore of Sam and Dave wanted Barack Obama's campaign to quit using "Hold On" and Hank Williams Jr. played recently at a Palin appearance in Virginia.

While Obama has been endorsed by Slash, former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul will have Jimmie Vaughan by his side if a guitar duel breaks out. The formerly Fabulous Thunderbird was the host and entertainment at the Rally for the Republic gathering that the libertarian-leaning Republican congressman put together in Austin in September.

Maybe what we need is a president who performs his own songs. Or maybe not. Ted Nugent has a new book, "Ted, White and Blue," in which he outlines how thing would be in a Cat Scratch Administration:

• Seize gas and oil from Mexico and the Middle East as payment for their debts
• Ship able-bodied Americans who refuse to work to Cuba, Mexico, England and France.
• Refuse to fund health-care for smokers, drug users and obese people who continue to eat fatty foods
• The death penalty for first-time meth, crack, heroin and opium dealers

(Let the record show that Nugent, once known as the Motor City Madman, is now the second most famous resident of Crawford, Texas.)

Enough of this foolishness. I'm going to listen to Lowell George and Little Feat do "Apolitical Blues."