Remember Kayne West was on the cover of Time because he criticized Bush after Katrina - and now the Dixie Chicks = so case in point, anyone who bashed our President the liberal MSM glorifies them - but conservatives are just as bad, when the DC first bashed Bush, Hannity was all obsessed with this story, it's all he talked about for weeks - he lost a lot of credibility because of his obsessive behavior "how could they do this". Ignore them - and then they will just look like the pawns they really are for the liberal media.

This is so sad. In the past, I have loved the Chicks' music. They are extremely talented and have a great stage presence. BUT, like many of their friends, they (especially Natalie) seem to have no concept that consumers of entertainment are not buying just the music, they are buying the thoughts and feelings the band engenders. If I get angry everytime I hear a band because they have insulted me and my family, then I will not buy that band's CDs. This is not censorship. It is CHOICE.

The Dixie Chicks have been around for a bunch of years. But they became big when they came out with "Wide Open Spaces." That is a great song, and the video showed the group as cute, young, and friendly. You wanted to be friends with them. So millions of people bought the CD. Had they presented themselves as the angry, strident political analysts they present today, it is extremely unlikely that that CD would have sold 12 million copies. They would have been just one more talented group of musicians who could really play, but were relegated to the sidelines.

What the Chicks and their enablers refuse to understand is that they have every right to say what they want, but no one is required to like them when they do. That is just juvenile.

I was a fan of them initially when they first came on the scene, and today I wouldn't care if they didn't agree with the current administration, but after their overseas bashing incident, I refuse to even consider listening to their music. We can all disgree, but there should be a level of respect given the office, even if you don't like the man, and with that the respect should flow to the man.

Matt,

Their comments in England hurt the band commercially by alienating much of its core audience (see Jo's comment above). Many country stations won't even play their singles any more.

After a hiatus, they are back and not changing their tune (politically) to try and gain back some of its audience. If anything, they are sacrificing some commericial success by speaking their mind about Bush, instead of trying to garner it, as you claim.

Makes good economic cents!!! With 60% of the country sour on W. they are now pandering to the majority!!

Tom Shipley, I agree and disagree with you. Yes they are sacrificing commercial success. But as it's said bad publicity is better than no publicity. So in that way I disagree.

the chicks are entitled to their opinions...& their stage mics.

and I'm entitled to not buy their products.

the free market is a wonderful thing.

Freedom of speech. That means you're free to stick your foot in your mouth and suffer the consequences. It does not mean responsibility-free speech.

Maybe they've learned that. But listening to them on TV, maybe not.

I doubt it, the KOS crowd can't even buya decent amount of KOS's crappy book. This is called looking at polls. Bush's numbers will go back up, theirs never will.

Actually, the rest of the counry is catching up to the Chicks with their disdain and disgust for the criminal antics of this administration.

I like them. And I'm amused at the amount of publicity they get from the Right (talk radio, blogs, etc.). THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT!! If people like Hannety and Limbaugh keep talking about them, they'll laugh all the way to the bank.

They obviously feel that free speech is worth the sacrifice, and are willing to accept the consequences. To be fair, the consequences will be a lot less severe now that Bush and the war in Iraq is so unpopular here. I've listened to their new single, and see nothing offensive about it.

It always kind of pisses me off when musicians think that their political opinions matter... Play music; it's what you arew (supposedly) good at.

I guess the Dixie chicks are in that 73% of America that don't agree with the Decider.

Gosh darn it how dare they be in the majority. Time for you 28%...oh, 27% now to boycott them for sure.

I won't buy or listen to any of their music. I do not spend my dollars to support a group whose actions and comments have harmed America's image around the world. There are too many other good artists and good or better music.

Everyone, even the Dixie Chicks, are entitled to their opinions, but when celebrities do it, they are influencing the thoughts, actions, and opinions of millions, perhaps hundreds of millions of people, both in America and world-wide. They have a far greater obligation and responsibility to consider what they say and do, to whom they say it, and the results of their words and actions.

Besides, there are too many liberals to buy their music, so maybe their anti-Bush, anti-American comments will be good for their business!

AAR

"Everyone, even the Dixie Chicks, are entitled to their opinions, but when celebrities do it, they are influencing the thoughts, actions, and opinions of millions"

--- LOL, Funny but thats exactly what you want to do AAR, influence all the millions with your forced views.

Maybe you should become a music artist huh?

FYI, the Dixie Chicks album is #1 on Amazon, and has been for some time. This is most likely because they put out good music, not because of their political opinions.

However, its interesting that many of you say that celebrities should not talk about politics, they don't know anything about it and should focus instead on what their profession. Yet you same people will spend an inordinant amount of time listening to and repeating the 'insights' of such intellectual luminairies as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly. None of them has any training or experience in domestic or foreign policy, economics, or really anything other than broadcasting. Yet you believe the crap that these idiots spout. Why is that?

If everyone were to follow your advice to celebrities, Rush Limbaugh should be talking only about broken, childless marriages and drug addiction.

Sean Hannity should focus only on the joys of being a Republican robot.

And Bill O'Reilly should talk about outrageous egos and persecution complexes.

Gee, I don't even care for C&W music, but I think I'll put a sticky note on the fridge to buy their latest CD for somebody's birthday.
It's too bad more entertainers don't stand up and do a little Bush administration smack down now and again.

"I do not spend my dollars to support a group whose actions and comments have harmed America's image around the world."

I guess the GOP won't be expecting any checks from you this year, AAR!

Haven't you ever seen that episode of South Park?

America needs the protestors so the world thinks that we are antiwar while our leaders and 'red staters' engage in war. This gives a free pass to do whatever we want because around the world, people will just hate the leaders and not the actual people of america (as is current).

It's really a perfect solution.

extramedium,

Wrong assumption. I have already made contributions to local and state Republican, and I will make more before the November elections -- I just don't know to which Republicans or Republican Organizations.

One thing for certain is that I won't make any contributions to the left wing anti-American LibDims!

Yes, I do fault the Republicans for some of the harm that has been done to America's image -- not for their actions, but for their inactions! I fault them for not aggressively attacking the LibDims and allowing them to continue almost unchecked with their 24/7 anti-Bush, anti-war, anti-American, anti-military, anti-everything propaganda. Republicans haven't learned that fighting the LibDims is not a part time job. It must be done aggressively 24/7 just like the never ending and repetitive garbage, rhetoric, and propaganda the LibDims put out 24/7.

No, I do not fault the Republican for the hateful, anti-American propaganda that has REALLY hurt America's image abroad, the image of President Bush and presidents to come, the ability for America to deal effectively with current threats like Iran, and more. No, I fault the LibDims and the liberal main stream media 100% for REAL DAMAGE caused by their irresponsible, abusive, and disgusting "free speech"! The Republicans just should have done more to stop it, or at least try, and to inform and educate Americans about what the LibDims were doing, and harmful effects it was and is having on America -- near term and long term!

The problem I have now is making sure that my contributions go toward getting some strong, outspoken, and aggressive Conservatives elected. I might even support the campaign of a good Conservative opponent to some of the current RINOs, if, they had a good chance of winning in November.

Who knows, I might even support a Democrat... if Zell Miller runs again!

axis,

Do you have a staff of writers? You move from thread to thread and unload more garbage faster than I can switch screens on my browser! I still haven't finished my comment to your last two loads. Maybe I'll just scrap them and see where you are headed next.

I was wondering, are you a college student with a lot of time on your hands? I just heard another report this morning about how really liberal today's colleges have become. I didn't know that was even possible.

I just wish I had the money of someone like Bill Gates. I would spend every dime of it in opposition to the liberal left.

I don't understand why some of the Republican and more conservative entertainers don't get out and make speeches too! You bet, I'll buy more of their CDs!

AAR

AAR,

Must be great to live in your little bubble world where your Republicans can do no wrong, never make a mistake and if anything ever goes wrong, its always the liberals that are responsible.

You should be a comedian in addition to a fiction writer. Your latest tirade of B.S. gave me a good laugh.

axis,

Contrary to what you may believe, I did make a mistake once. A lady even wrote it on her calendar at work as a memorable date (true story!). It happened in February in the early 80's in St. Louis, but I can't recall the actual date. I tried to forget it but the memory of that day does linger... and now you've gone and made me relive that day once again!

You may not want to make too much of that lady's opinion though. She also was absolutely convinced that I de-materialized and rematerialized again on the other side of several concrete walls during a tornado evacuation (another true story!).

I thought I made another mistake, but I was mistaken about that one.

Oh, any spelling, grammar, or logic errors you may find in any of my posts aren't my fault. The computer did those just to make me look bad. I want to get a new one and see if I can stop its little games, but I gave my spare change to the Republicans and may have to give them even more.

Glad you had a good chuckle though. Continue to read my comments -- I'm sure it won't be the last one.

AAR

GFrawg, nice to see you back. You're one of the most coherent and logical (if not the only) lefty posters on this site.

Forget their political talk...the music's just not that good this time around, in my opinion.

Not sure if Mark intentionatly left this part out but here it is:

the Dixie Chicks song "Not Ready To Make Nice" is the no. 1 downloaded song on iTunes.

Excuse me but I happen to think you guys are being very critisizing to the Dixie Chicks I mean when I was a baby thats the group I liked they are my favorite still so PLEASE stop critisizing them the Dixie Chicks are not publicity whores there is my opinion lata
LATA

AAR- So now you admit you oppose free speech when it happens to inconveniently contravert your limited world view. Are you in favor of revoking any other constitutional rights? I've never thought of Conservatives as fascists, but isn't increased centralized government control and limitation of free speech a tenet of fascism?

teenage liberal---I've downloaded "Not Ready to Make Nice" myself, and thought that in addition to being a great song musically, it expressed my own opinions rather well. Maybe the rightwingers should listen so they know what they're talking about for once.

teenage liberal,

Good for you. I think you should buy a dozen of the CDs for your friends too.

AAR

AAR is the biggest fascist on this site, have a look at some of this other posts in recent days, we wants to shut down the courts and congress and give all the power to bush and have all his religious beliefs written into the constitution as law.

So now you admit you oppose free speech when it happens to inconveniently contravert your limited world view. Are you in favor of revoking any other constitutional rights? I've never thought of Conservatives as fascists, but isn't increased centralized government control and limitation of free speech a tenet of fascism?

axis,

Rave on!

Lies, but rant and rave as you please!

Why don't you go back to defending Hitler? You seem to be very good at that!

Yes... read my posts!

AAR

Defending hitler? Not me pal, you are the one wanting to turn america into what he had going pre-WWII, not me.

It is funny that Hitler should come into this conversation. With everything that has been said against the Dixie Chicks for simply saying what they thought, and with everything that Bush has destroyed in the name of God, it is becoming the obvious comparison. Anybody that dares to disaggree with Bush or his lackeys is critized and condemmed. I am ashamed to be a Republican, and will do all I can to make sure the Democrats take over the congress so they can IMPEACH BUSH'S PATHETIC ASS!!!!

So let me see if I have this straight...when a no talent like Toby Keith waves the flag and proclaims his pro-Bush opinions, he is being patriotic....but when the Dixie Chicks exercise their First Amendment freedom of speech to criticize Bush, they are condemned as Un-American traitors and worse...

AAR, go back on your meds....you are a sick pathetic loser who gets self-validation only when you attack someone else who is smarter than yourself.

Right on Suzee!

Susee,

Well, did you ever think that Republicans might be ashamed for anyone like you to "claim" to be a Republican -- it that's what you are. Personally, I think you are a liberal Democrat masquerading as a Republican. In either case, I'm sure the Democrats will be happy for you to join them.

cookiecorp,

Why don't you just get out that big Yellow and White Liberal Flag and march down the streets shouting "down with America"! I'm sure you would consider this an appropriate weekend to express that opinion. I think you would get more attention if you would find a good parade and step in front of some of those veterans who have fought for your right to do that!

With so many other countries in the world, I don't know why you would even want to remain in America. I think France or Canada would be happy to have you. We've got plenty of replacements coming up from the south, so you won't even be missed... and you will be so much happier once you are out of this terrible country... until of course whatever country you go to is attacked or invaded!

AAR