Posted on 06/29/2011 11:34:22 AM PDT by MissesBush
Tom Petty has told US presidential candidate Michele Bachmann to stop using one of his songs as part of her campaign, insisting he did not give the rightwing politician permission. Within 24 hours of the televised launch of Bachmann's 2012 campaign, Petty's lawyers reportedly pounced on the press-conference soundtrack, which used the song American Girl as exit music.
"Petty isn't pleased," reported NBC's Kelly O'Donnell, while Rolling Stone confirmed the singer's lawyers had sent the Minnesota congresswoman a cease and desist order. It's not even the first bump of Bachmann's campaign: during her announcement speech, the Tea Party supporter confused the birthplace of actor John Wayne with that of serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
Petty's problem appears to be with Bachmann's politics. In 2008, the singer allowed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton to use American Girl for her unsuccessful presidential bid. But he was much less sympathetic in 2000, when Republican candidate George W Bush was discovered to be playing I Won't Back Down at his rallies. "This use has not been approved," Petty's representatives told the future president. "Any use made by you or your campaign creates, either intentionally or unintentionally, the impression that you and your campaign have been endorsed by Tom Petty, which is not true." Bush , er, backed down.
Politicians have got into lots of trouble using pop songs over the last few years. From Sarah Palin and Heart to Nicolas Sarkozy and MGMT, to David Cameron and Keane, politicians' rallying songs are proving a litigious nightmare. Perhaps they ought to look into using classical music.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Leftists are LOSERS.....I’m totally convinced. Even if the world worships at their feet—which they do. LOSERS in the grand scheme of eternity.
Piss off Mr Petty, your music is in the public. Get over it and keep playing the Casino circut to 200 people a night.
but with all these lefty “musicians” filing lawsuits against Republicans
The usual way these things go is a campaign licenses a song for public performance from the label or whatever entity had the rights just like any other business concern and the twerp singer or songwriter later hears an eeeeeeevil Republican used it and has a public hissy-fit.
I fear it will soon self destruct.Of all the folks running,
I like Bachmann the best,
however there is no Adult Leadership
in the campaign.
As often as this has happened in recent years, only a fool would use a song in a campaign without securing permission prior. This kind of embarrassment is easily avoided.
Petty’s problem appears to be with Bachmann’s politics. In 2008, the singer allowed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton to use American Girl for her unsuccessful presidential bid.
He allowed it into the public domain. Can not take it back.
Damn this is the first time this has ever happened, NOT!!!!!
Regardless, it was an error by a campaign staffer, probably the speech writer. It wasn’t a mistake Bachmann made. The only mistake she made was not excluding the line from the speech to begin with because who really cares if John Wayne is from her hometome?? Doesn’t mean somehow she’s inherited whatever virtues one ascribes to John Wayne. That being said—this was sloppy staff work. Bachmann can’t be blamed for that. I’d fire the person responsible though for screwing up her big day.
You’re the one making the accusation of theft, so the burden of proof falls on you (you twit).
Was it wise to pick a campaign song that includes the lyric?
God it’s so painful when something that’s so close
Is still so far out of reach
And only that? All the time?
.
What he said.
As long as she pays the appropriate mechanical licensing and/or royalty fees to ASCAP and BMI, Petty can do nothing.
I really wasn’t even commenting upon what she said, but rather I was blaming the media for (possibly) being even sloppier than one of Bachmann’s campaign people.
There's no evidence her campaign didn't license the song from the appropriate legal entity. Petty would not have to know, just collect his regular check. He's scoring PR points because she's an eeeeeeevil Republican and he's a grand-standing jerk.
We see this dance every campaign cycle. Bob Dole couldn't use "Soul Man" even as a "Dole Man" parody. W couldn't use "Still the One." McCain had a problem with John Mellencamp over "Our Country."
A GOP campaign licenses song for public performance like any business, outraged "artist" threatens to sue, claims no permission given. Rinse, repeat.
Here's the tactic, repeat a lie often enough people believe it's true. Gacy was born in Chicago, while Bachmann just got John Wayne's city in Iowa wrong, saying Waterloo (where Wayne's parents lived) instead of Winterset (where Wayne was born). Most news outlets are smart enough to make this clear somewhere in the text, but they still portray this as her mistaking the birthplaces of the two people, especially for people who don't read below the first paragraph.
No, there are plenty of other benign, inoffensive forms of music that do not undermine the conservative and more importantly, the Christian message.
But Rock and Roll music has for the most part always been about, or associated with, sexually immoral behavior, pride, rebellion, drugs, drunkeness, socialism, etc..
My point is, that if you are going to put yourself forth as a Christian politician does it make sense to use what is perhpas the most worldly form of music (hip hop might beat rock in that respect) known to man, in your rallies?
The fact that the vast majority of such music was written and recorded by men and women who HATE everything you stand for as a Christian and a Conservative makes the music choice even more puzzling to me.
Don’t get me wrong. I like Bachmann and am not singling her out. Just about all of them do the same thing. But she seems to be the Republican candidate who emphasizes her faith the most (a good thing IMO). Worldly Rock music doesn’t seem to fit her message or image.
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