Tim Pawlenty Finds A Way To Co-Opt Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin Rally

[madmom]

Here's a great catch by Wonkette's Jim Newell. Apparently, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was so bent on horning in on yesterday's Michele Bachmann/Sarah Palin "Ladies of Fearmongering" rally that he went out, bought the domain name BachmannRally.com and then redirected traffic to his own site.

Poor Tim Pawlenty. There was once a time where it looked like he might be the Republican presidential candidate that presented America with a portfolio of policy ideas and who could bring his conservative principles to the Rachel Maddow show and actually have a genial conversation, like a calm and reasonable adult.

But Michele Bachmann is so hot right now, and being way out on the fringe is the new new thing. So, Pawlenty has to do everything he can to remain relevant, even at the expense of, you know, being Tim Pawlenty.

Anyway, this whole effort is actually a huge search engine failure, because he also should have snapped up PalinRally.com, and, what the hell, TikiBarberGirlfriend.com, too.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/08/tim-pawlenty-finds-a-way_n_530106.html

[dflprincess]

1. Timmy's appearances on Rachel's show were somewhat confusing to those of us in Minnesota

we knew the "reasonable Republican" face he was showing was only a facade and didn't understand how he managed to fool Rachel.

Timmy really has no political philosophy of his own - his only concern is advancing himself. Two years ago he tried to glue himself to McCain. If Eisenhower Republicans suddenly came back into fashion he'd be speaking against the military industrial complex.

[pinboy3niner]

2. I streamed the rally from Michele Bachmann's website . . .

and about fell out of my chair when Pawlenty was played onstage to John Fogerty's "Fortunate Son."

It was "Deja Vu All Over Again" (to use another Fogerty aqnti-war title), as I recalled how some GOP pols initially cheered Springstein's "Born in the USA" as a patriotic song before they were clued in to its lyrics and meaning.

"Fortunate Son" is, of course, an anti-war song, with the first verse (if I recall correctly):

Some folks are born, made to wave the flag,
Ooh, the red, white and blue;
But when the band plays "Hail to the Chief,"
Ooh, they point the cannons at you . . .

Fogerty also happens to be a liberal. I had the pleasure of seeing him, Springstein, R.E.M., and Bright Eyes when they were all campaigning for Kerry in 2004.

I don't think Fogerty has control over his old Credence catalogue. If he did, he'd never permit Pawlenty's use of his work.

[dflprincess]

3. I wonder if Fogerty knows his song was (ab)used this way

and how to contact his reps to make sure they know.

Early in his campaign against Welstone, Normie Coleman took to "singing" quite a bit of "Times They Are a-Chainging". (I saw this on the local news when he accepted the Republican endoresement - it was truly awful). Eventually, Norman stopped this and it could be his masters told him to cool it but the rumor was (and I have nothing to substantiate this) that he had received a cease and desist order from Dylan's lawyers.

At a concert in Minneapols less than a week after Wellstone died, Dylan dedicated the song to Wellstone.

Perhaps Fogarty's lawyers need to contact Timmy (who also once claimed to be a Springstein fan but said he did not appreciate Springstein's politics and pretty much implied he should not be so vocal about them).

[pinboy3niner]

5. CCR's record label owned the rights to their songs

For years after they broke up, Fogerty refused to perform his old Credence stuff--even the songs he wrote--because HE had to pay royalties to the LABEL. It wasn't until 1986, at HBO's "Welcome Home Concert for Vietnam Veterans," that he performed his CCR material again for the first time. He still had to pay royalties, but he said he'd do it anyway for the Vietnam vets. I think I still have my ticket stub from the concert, which was spectacular . . .

[dflprincess]

6. Whoops - I missed the last line of your first post

I just got too excited at the thought of Timmy being told to stop using the song - especially if he might have been publicly shamed (not that Tim knows shame).

That said, I was not aware that Fogerty had been ripped off like this. It really bites.

[karynnj]

8. You can add Chris Christie, who is a die hard Springsteen fan

He wanted him to sing for the celebration of his inauguration, but was turned down. (In 2004, he wrote an op-ed in my local paper (he is from our county) on why it was wrong of Springsteen to "do this to his fans", where "this" was touring for Kerry. He apparently has gone to hundreds of shows - but didn't go to the one for Kerry, because he said that he was afraid he would end up on the Jumbotron. (As if the cameramen would know him - he certainly would not be picked for his looks.)

He actually sang with a fake Springsteen cover band at the inauguration ball - Unfortunately the photo was only in the print version!

Bet he's jealous of Kerry, not only getting Springsteen to perform to help him so many times, but for his words at the rallies, not to mention giving him a guitar after the election and using his famous 1971 words for a song.

[TygrBright]

4. There's a reason he's known as "Timmy the Tool" n/t

[chat_noir]

7. Fox chryon heh

courtesy of BarbinMD at Daily Kos