Here's another issue that's pretty funny with Michele Bachmann: Michele Bachmann used the
Tom Petty song "American Girl" the other day at her campaign event, so to speak. Here's
a little bit of her wrapping up that speech and the song starting up. Tom Petty's not
happy about this at all, Louis.
Bachmann: Together we can, together we will! God bless you, and God bless the United States
of America. Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Waterloo. Thank you, Iowa. Thank you, America.
Together we'll do this. Thank you, everyone.
[Tom Petty's "American Girl" plays]
David: Anyway, so Tom Petty's not happy about that, and reports are that Tom Petty actually
sent out a cease and desist letter to the Bachmann campaign saying don't use my song,
please don't... just don't use my song in any way that's associated with you.
And this actually happened with Tom Petty and George W. Bush, also. Then-Governor Bush
was using "I Won't Back Down" at his rallies, and Tom Petty also said don't... don't use
it. The quote at the time from his publisher, his music publisher, was, "The impression
that you and your campaign have been endorsed by Tom Petty is not true. Please stop using
the song."
To make matters even worse, Bachmann received a comment from RNC Online Communications Director
Liz Mair on Twitter which said, "Isn't that what the kidnapped politician's daughter was
singing in 'Silence of the Lambs'?" referring to the Tom Petty song. And then within minutes,
Mair deleted that Tweet, apparently realizing that that wasn't going to look too good.
And it's really been a tough rollout for Michele Bachmann. You have to feel kind of bad. Maybe
she should get John Quincy Jones to write her a song. That might actually fit. It'll
take into consideration the name confusion and the fact that he's got no songs... she
has no songs to play. And maybe it'll even be by one of the Founding Fathers from Waterloo,
Iowa. That would be perfect.
Louis: What song will she play next, I wonder?
David: I don't know. And this has happened a lot before. Heart actually contacted Sarah
Palin's campaign and said stop using the song "Barracuda".
[Heart's "Barracuda" plays]
Yeah, they weren't... Heart was not having that at all. And then, of course, we have
Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down"...
[Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" plays]
... on the George W. Bush campaign. And then you know, the funniest, to me, is Ronald Reagan
thinking that he was going to use Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA". And this transcends politics,
because I've actually been involved in a college lecture all about "Born in the USA" and how
it has somewhat become this incredible patriotic song, and patriotic in the traditional sense
that assumes pro-war and conservative values and the family and all of that stuff.
[Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" plays]
And Ronald Reagan was actually going to coopt this song, the campaign was coopting it. And
if you actually go in and listen to the lyrics, it is the exact opposite of everything that
Ronald Reagan stood for.
Louis: He's not the only person to use this song on the campaign trail.
David: Absolutely not. And it's just so funny, because not only is the song... not only would
the artist, Bruce Springsteen, never endorse someone like Ronald Reagan, if the followers
of Reagan actually listened to the lyrics of the song, they'd realize, wait a second,
why am I voting for this guy, or why is this guy using this song, because it's absolutely
nothing to do.
Louis: But people just don't pay attention.
David: People don't pay attention. And I know, I'm already getting emails saying but, but,
but, but Bill Clinton was using Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow",
don't you remember that? Yeah, the difference is that Fleetwood Mac supported the Clinton
campaign and actually reunited to play the song at Clinton's first inaugural. So it's
a little bit of a different situation.
The new poll on www.DavidPakman.com, who is the more stunningly incompetent Republican
at this point? I'm including Sarah Palin there, and I'm not saying Republican candidate, I'm
just saying Republican right now. So there's a few choices, including Sarah Palin, Herman
Cain, Michele Bachmann, or maybe you think it's someone else, www.DavidPakman.com.
Let's take a break, Louis. We have so much more to get to, including Rod Blagojevitch,
an incredible new Morality with Motamedi, and Dr. Darrel Ray on atheists and their sex
lives. Back after this.
Announcer: The David Pakman Show at www.DavidPakman.com.
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