Free Republic

Oh, it’s fun to pick on celebrities who don’t know much about the issues on which they’re asked to pontificate — and at least James Taylor has the honesty to preface his answer to The Daily Caller’s Nicholas Ballasy with an admission of ignorance. In fact, he does so twice, when Nicholas asks him about Obama’s continuation of George Bush’s drone policy and on the “executive orders” Obama promised on gun control (actually executive actions, most or all of which don’t require actual EOs). At some point, it’s easy to feel a little sympathy for Taylor, who must be thinking...

R'n'B-pop diva Beyonce Knowles, "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson and Grammy Award-winning artist James Taylor are just some of the artists tapped by re-elected U.S. president Barack Obama to perform the country's most patriotic songs during his upcoming inauguration ceremony on January 21. Beyonce is chosen to deliver the U.S. national anthem "The Star Spangled Banner", Kelly is selected to sing "My Country 'Tis of Thee" and James is invited again to perform "America the Beautiful".

James Taylor said he “really suffered” under eight years of “Cheney/Bush,” while speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Friday about election reform. “It was sort of natural, being so politically active over the years, that I would get involved in the campaign of 2008,” Taylor said. “I really—I was hugely motivated also by eight years of Cheney/Bush, and I say it in that order on purpose.” “Those were—it was a tough time for me,” he said. “I really suffered.” …

When the White House announced the federal government would loan $465 million to Tesla, a California start-up company with plans to develop an all-electric sedan, President Obama called it an "historic opportunity to ensure that the next generation of fuel-efficient cars and trucks are made in America." The loan also represented a lucrative opportunity for Steve Westly, a major investor in the car company who had raised more than $500,000 for the president's campaign. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy lent more than half a billion dollars to companies backed by Westly's California venture capital firm. In 2010, the...

The legendary folk singer yesterday came running to the rescue of a California woman forced by Port Authority cops to hand over her iPod to a cabby after the taxi's credit-card reader declined her card. Taylor promised to send Natalie Lenhart a brand new music player filled with his songs, as well as a personal note.

Musicians Ozzy Osbourne, Stevie Nicks, Ted Nugent, Steve Winwood, Robert Plant, Kenny Loggins, Glenn Frey, Alice Cooper, Tony Iommi, Chris Squire, James Taylor, Todd Rundgren, Jackson Browne, Olivia Newton-John, Donna Summer, John Bonham (R.I.P.) & Rick James (R.I.P.)

<p>Winter, spring, summer or fall, All you've got to do is call. Lord, I'll be there, yes I will. You've got a friend. - James Taylor, 'You've Got a Friend'</p> <p>Was it an interview, or a benefit concert - 'Dem-Aid'? Matt Lauer and Tim Russert got a one-day headstart this morning on the Today show's traditional Friday music-on-the-mall. In the course of their conversation, Matt and Time went karaoke on us, the duo belting out a heartfelt rendition of 'You've Got a Friend' to their buddies in the Democratic party.</p>

ON THE WEEK before Christmas, I was excited to take my family to go to our great Verizon Wireless Arena to see James Taylor in concert. I paid a little extra for closer seats. Like any big entertainment venue these days, it is not cheap, but I was happy thinking this would be a fun and memorable family moment. Old James T. is quite a musical talent. He has a long list of hits that folks from 10 to 90 years old can enjoy, songs ranging from "Sweet Baby James" to "Fire and Rain." The Verizon had a great crowd...

We received this in our e-mail pile without any indication of who wrote it. It was so good, we decided to post it anyway. To Michael Moore: Sit down and shut up. Your fifteen minutes are up. And do something about your hair. Looks can be deceiving, but not in your case... To Jimmy Carter: Big mistake to sit down next to Michael Moore at the convention. Spend more time with drywall and the glue gun. Or start lusting in your heart again. To Tom Daschle: If you lean too far to the left, voters will tend to lean right...

I don't want to completely stick my neck out on this, because when you hope something is true, it clouds your judgemenet (as Dan Rather has found out!)But it appears to me that tickets are available at all the gigs for the "swing states" pro-Kerry/anti-Bush tour. Curiously, New York and New York have not been added to this "swing states" tour. Odd. Now, this is not 1980, but it seems even the Springsteen shows still have tickets available. A bad sign for the left?

As part of an effort to inspire people to vote for change this November, the coalition of artists who are participating in this Fall’s 36 city, 12 state Vote For Change tour will come together for a grand finale performance in Washington, DC on October 11 at the MCI Center. This, as with all Vote For Change shows, is presented by MoveOn PAC to benefit America Coming Together (ACT). (I edited out the stuff on where to buy tickets and the phone number to call, in keeping with FR rules against selling stuff from the site...click on the link to...

... The most talked about Democratic fund-raiser before the convention was at Radio City Music Hall, featuring Whoopi Goldberg, the comedian and former Slim-Fast pitch person. ... Linda Ronstadt stopped an innocent gig in Vegas to make a demented pitch for "Fahrenheit 9/11." Hollywood's become a town of Demophiliacs. ... Hyper-politicized Hollywood is the new bed Bill Clinton made for the Democrats, and now the party is going to have to lie in it.... Mr. Kerry has raised $47.5 million in California. Al Gore raised only $5 million. Isn't it becoming harder by the day to take the Democrats seriously...

Democrat Kerry to mine California gold SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — When John Kerry kicks off his multistate fund-raising tour in California next week, stars including Ben Affleck and Leonardo DiCaprio will add a celebrity buzz to a crowd already passionately committed to ousting President Bush in November. Home to some of the Democratic Party's deepest pockets, California has always been a mother lode for candidates pursuing national office. This time, though, the anybody-but-Bush intensity among Democrats has motivated activists to seek money like never before. "I've never seen a time when Democrats and many independents are more galvanized and interested...