Guitar Riffs and, um, Ballistic Missile Defense

Wa Po ^ | 08 jan 04 | Lloyd Baxter

[white trash redneck]

Not only is Jeff "Skunk" Baxter a ponytailed former guitarist for Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers, he's also an expert on missile defense who advises the Pentagon and enjoys what he calls "high-level security access."

"I wrote a paper a long time ago and gave it to a friend, Dana Rohrabacher," the Republican House member from California, Baxter told us. "The next thing I know, I'm advising members of Congress and the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization at the Pentagon."

[snip]

"It's a changing world, and a lot of people haven't caught up to it yet. Somebody has to take the initiative," Baxter said, arguing that President Bush is right to develop an ambitious missile defense system.

[white trash redneck]

Interesting item about rock 'n' roller who has become a national security expert.

Number one, it's nice to learn the name of yet one more of the few in the entertainment industry who aren't terrorist-enabling lefties. It's also interesting how he managed to fall into this position with no prior training or "pedigree," based only upon his ideas (yeah, and also his acquaintance with dana Rohrabacher.

Seems to me that there are a lot of other unheralded, untrained individuals, here on FR as well as elsewhere on the net (Steven DenBeste comes immediately to mind) who have a lot of excellent ideas about domestic and international public policy.

Keep up the good work folks!

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[Born Conservative]

Tony Snow interviewed Skunk on his Sunday afternoon segment on FNC several months ago. Skunk actually seemed to know what he was talking about and came across as being intelligent. I agree; it's nice to see an entertainer with brains, and not just another lefty who spews the same old leftist drivel...

[The Good Doctor]

He also happens to be an incredible guitarist.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Ultimate Spinach bump!

[cruiserman]

Got a better link? I'm lazy.

[leadpencil1]

He also happens to be an incredible guitarist.

That is an understatement!

[leadpencil1]

National Security career change ping

[Izzy Dunne]

Ultimate Spinach bump!

Ooooh! Somebody ELSE who's heard of them!
That makes FIVE!

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Hey, I've got the LP that Skunk is on! As a student of garage/psych music, I can truthfully say that Ultimate Spinach really bites. Shunk plays pretty, though.

[Kevin Curry]

You've got to get the Steely Dan CDs if you really want to enjoy the Skunk, e.g., Countdown to Ecstasy and Pretzel Logic.

[RightWingAtheist]

Didn't the guitarist for Iron Butterfly also become a rocket scientist? I seem remember reading that in a news article which also said he had mysteriously disappeared.

[Kay Syrah]

Hey, not only heard of them, but heard them in concert back in the 60's. They were actually opening for another band which was forgettable ( and which I have indeed forgotten). Well, well.

[LurkedLongEnough]

National Security career change ping

I hope he's not mixing up pentatonic with Pentagonic.

[leadpencil1]

Now I see it. Ha!

[bd476]

"It's also interesting how he managed to fall into this position with no prior training or "pedigree," based only upon his ideas (yeah, and also his acquaintance with dana Rohrabacher."

Jeff Baxter has been multi-tasking his prolific musical career alongside his active research, interest and involvement in our Nation's defense for the past twenty-five years.