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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: altair19 who wrote (99301)	2/13/2007 2:01:38 PM
From: SiouxPal	Respond to of 361374

America's Not Ready to Make Nice by John Nichols Published on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 by The Nation Introduced by folk-singing legend Joan Baez as "three brave women," the Dixie Chicks took the stage at the 49th annual Grammy Awards ceremony to sing their no-apologies for dissenting anthem: "Not Ready to Make Nice." Baez, a veteran anti-war campaigner encouraged the crowd to "please listen closely'' to the words of the song the Texas trio penned in response to efforts by conservative politicians and commentators to destroy the group's career after lead singer Natalie Maines told a London crowd on the eve of the invasion of Iraq: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.'' At the time, Maines's words represented a dangerous dissent from the heavily-spun status quo that said that invading and occupying Iraq was a good idea – and that Bush was a capable leader taking his country in a necessary direction. After Maines spoke up in March of 2003, the Dixie Chicks found themselves labeled "traitors." Their music knocked off radio playlists nationwide and their CDs were rubbished at events organized by media outlets that once embraced the band. The trio faced threats not just to their livelihoods but to their lives. Instead of backing down, they responded with a passionate embrace of freedom of speech, and a push back at Bush and his acolytes that culminated in defiant songs such as "Shut Up and Sing" and "Not Ready to Make Nice." The latter tune declared: "I'm not ready to make nice, I'm not ready to back down, I'm still mad as hell…" Maines is not the only one who is mad now. The realization that Bush lied the country into an unwise and unnecessary war – along with the recognition that the war has degenerated into a quagmire of nightmarish proportions – has made mainstream America every bit as embarrassed by Bush as the singer from Texas was four years ago. Polls show that the vast majority of Americans now disapprove of Bush. At the same time, record sales show that the vast majority of Americans approve of the Dixie Chicks. While the Dixie Chicks maintained much of their popularity even as they were being attacked by the right, they are today every bit as "on top" of the music scene as they were before Maines dared to dissent. The album that contains "Not Ready to Make Nice" went to No. 1 on the charts last year, and remains a strong seller. And, on Sunday night, the band that was once shunned by many in the music industry as "dangerous" did not just perform a triumphal rendition of their fight-back song. The Dixie Chicks picked up five Grammies, including awards for best song, best record and album of the year. When the history of the Bush presidency is written, it will be remembered by honest observers that there was always opposition to this president and his war. Despite the White House claims that everyone was behind the president when he sent U.S. troops into Iraq, the fact is that millions of Americans said "no." And some of them did so at great risk to their careers and fortunes. The Grammy Awards offer recognition of that courage – as well as the talent of three remarkably able musicians. They also recognize that the willingness of a few good citizens to exercise their Constitutional rights even in an era of oppressive spin eventually taught the great mass of Americans that it was not merely right but necessary to speak up. As Natalie Maines said Sunday night: "I think people are using their freedom of speech tonight with all these awards." She's got a point. The Grammy Awards are, first and foremost, celebrations of the music. But, this year, they were also celebrations of basic liberties and those who chose to employ them in the face of threats from the frightened little men who told not just the Dixie Chicks but every American who dared dissent to "Shut Up and Sing."

To: altair19 who wrote (99301)	2/13/2007 9:13:06 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 361374

Mitt Romney declares 2008 Presidential bid ____________________________________________________________ By Steven Thomma McClatchy Newspapers Posted on Tue, Feb. 13, 2007 DEARBORN, Mich. - Former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts launched his bid for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination Tuesday with a vow to solve the nation's problems with can-do management skills rarely found in government. "I do not believe Washington can be transformed from within by life-long politicians," Romney said. "There have been too many deals, too many favors, too many entanglements, and too little real world experience managing, guiding and leading." Romney, 59, used the speech to differentiate himself from such likely rivals as Senator John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, both of whom have longer resumes in public office. He did it by reminding voters of his record in the private sector as a venture capitalist and the man who rescued the debt-ridden 2002 Winter Olympics, as well as a governor who fixed a budget mess and expanded health care. "I do not believe Washington can be transformed by someone… who has never run a corner store," he said. Romney repeated his support for the war in Iraq - and for sending more troops. "So long as there's a reasonable prospect of reasonable success, our wisest course is to seek stability in Iraq, with additional troops to secure the civilian population," he said. He also vowed to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, expand health care while controlling costs, and stop illegal immigration. "Homeland security begins with securing our borders," he said to cheers from several hundred supporters inside the Henry Ford museum here. Romney said he staged his announcement in the vast museum to underscore the country's history of innovation, particularly in the auto industry. "If ever there were a time when innovation and transformation were needed in government, it is now," he said. He stood before a Rambler 550 automobile designed when his father chaired the auto company that made it, calling it the first American car designed and marketed for fuel efficiencies. "It transformed the industry," he said. The company, American Motors, later stopped making cars. His father, George Romney, went on to serve as governor of Michigan in the 1960s. The elder Romney was preparing to seek the 1968 Republican presidential nomination when he said that he'd been "brainwashed" by the Pentagon into supporting the Vietnam War, a remark that raised questions about his judgment and helped force him from the race. Mitt Romney also staged his kickoff in Michigan to attach himself to Midwest values rather than the Massachusetts label that's seen by many Republicans as the sign of liberals like Sens. Ted Kennedy and John Kerry. Indeed, Romney's challenge is to convince the party's influential base of Christian conservatives that he shares their goals on such issues as outlawing abortion and gay marriage. He supported abortion rights in earlier Massachusetts's campaigns and said in a 1994 campaign against Kennedy that he would advocate gay rights. Yet he pushed to put a gay-marriage ban on the state ballot and now says he opposes abortion rights. "I believe in the sanctity of human life," he said Tuesday. He also said his presidency would be guided by values including "marriage before children" and "a mother and father in the life of every child." Romney also is working hard to reassure leading Christian evangelicals that his Mormon faith should not be an issue. Many Christian conservatives view Mormonism as a deviant sect from true Christianity.