[mountaineer]

Kid Rock won't be joining the music industry's anti-war movement. "Why is everybody trying to stop the war? George Bush ain't been saying, 'You all, make s-y records.' Politicians and music don't mix. It's like whisky and wine. [Musicians] ought to stay out of it."

But it doesn't take much nudging to hear the Kid's policy analysis. "We got to kill that mother-[bleeper] Saddam," he says. "Slit his throat. Kill him and the guy in North Korea."

Are some women and children going to die? "Yeah. But is doing the right thing. You got money, you sit around talking about peace. People who don't have money need some help." NY Daily News

[BigWaveBetty]

But the evening's biggest star, other than Bono, was Bill Clinton. The former president was greeted with a thunderous ovation as he took the stage to acknowledge the U2 frontman's achievements as an activist for causes such as the Northern Ireland peace process and international debt relief. Bono "did something I couldn't do," Clinton said, by persuading Republican Sen. Jesse Helms to support debt relief.

Although Bono's efforts have won over many conservative voices, none was audible at this event. The standoff with Iraq was a consistent undercurrent as guests alluded to world suffering and at points expressed dissatisfaction with the nation's leadership.

U2 guitarist The Edge, who joined Bono on a few songs, referred to "President Bush and his regime ... I mean, administration," while mistress of ceremonies Ashley Judd told a joke at Bush's expense. Others suggested, either directly or implicitly, that they would be happier if Clinton were still in the Oval Office.

Bono didn't overtly bash Bush. "We do not want to make a martyr out of Saddam Hussein," he said. But he added: "It's not the '60s. We have complex problems. We need new solutions." Full story

I guess Bono is still miffed he had to travel all over Africa with a boring accountant and prove how the money we so freely give would be used.

We need new solutions? You mean like different than the idiot solutions we were treated to for eight years?