Posted on 06/02/2010 9:32:19 PM PDT by kristinn
President Obama may be hitting new lows in the polls these days, but he’s hitting high notes with British music royalty — in the form of Sir Paul McCartney, who sang Obama’s praises tonight and slammed George Bush.
“After the last eight years, it’s great to have a president who knows what a library is,” McCartney quipped at the end of a star-studded ceremony in the White House East Room where he picked up the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song — a lifetime achievement award given by the Library of Congress.
“Getting this prize would just be good enough, but getting it from THIS president …” Sir Paul gushed, to big cheers.
And he assured the mostly American crowd that even though there are “lots of really difficult issues” in the United States, “You have billions of us who are rooting for you and we know you’re going to come through.”
The President got some local props as well from D.C. native and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, who declared “Paul: You’re definitely my hero. And Mister President, you’re definitely my other hero.”
For his part, Obama professed that McCartney helped write the soundtrack for a generation.
The former Mop Top did tread into some mock dangerous territory by regaling the First Lady with a tune he said he’d been “itching to do at the White House.”
“I hope the President will forgive me,” McCartney said, then launched into the Beatles hit “Michelle.”
Pool reporter Christina Bellantoni couldn’t see the President’s face, but as she was escorted out heard McCartney joke he’d be “the first guy ever to be punched out by a president.”
Her full pool report is after the jump.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
“Paul just jumped the shark with this comment, and I for one will never give him one more cent. He just alienated a good percentage of his fan base with this sucking up to Obama and getting partisan about it.”
~~~
MM,
Don't count on Beatles Fanatics leaving Paulie in droves...
it won't happen!
For one thing, MOST ‘Beatles Fanatics’ would applaud and agree with ‘Sir Paulie’ in dissing our former president!
As for me-thankfully-I have been a mild Beatles fan-not a Fanatic- so Paul is no big loss to me!
Too far is too far-and McCartney went Way too far - and unnecessarily!
June K
“Sir” Paul: Who goes around calling himself “sir”? Even if I had that honor given to me I wouldn’t use it. What a classless snob.”
I absolutely agree with all of your post!
We - the fans of these people (stars???) have made them what they are-and helped to inflate their egos to the point of exploding!
For me-THIS has spoiled the respect I had for the talent of McCartney's song writing and music making abilities.
What an insult to come to our country
(BTW-a country that contributed hugely in making The Beatles what they are)
and insult a former president. And what a shame that he felt safe and in accord with the audience he was playing to - our current president!
McCartney
Obama
=No Class!
June K
Not to mention...Laura was a librarian.
JK said: "Don't count on Beatles Fanatics leaving Paulie in droves... it won't happen!"
Prolly not, yer right in that respect .. but I notice a whole bunch of FReepers posting within this thread saying the same thing that I said above - that for decades we knew of Paul's proclivity towards 'liberal causes' but we gave him a pass because he never actually crossed the line into direct political advocacy. This time he did, directly so, and in doing this he just lost me and a whole lot of others. Paul McCartney never gets another penny (lane?) of my money .. I will make sure of that whenever considering buying any Beatles related product in the future.
I still love the music though, and thank goodness that the Remastered CD sets came out last year and I already have them, otherwise if they were due to release this year (after Paul's latest folly) I would have to seriously consider boycotting them. (although you know I wouldn't ... /laughs)
But this is far worse than Paul trying to dictate to a concert venue that they must not serve meat products during his concerts (the venues told him to go pound sand! LOL) ... this is Paulie actively engaging in partisan politics and pissing off a good portion of his fan base, of which nobody really knows how many are liberal and how many are closet conservatives. My guess is that there are far more conservative Beatles and Macca fans than meets the eye, just that we have to keep a low profile 'else we get badgered by illiberal liberals.
Paulie simply jumped the shark on this, tis a pity, but it is what it is .. oh well
-- MM
JK said: “Don't count on Beatles Fanatics leaving Paulie in droves... it won't happen!”
MM says...
Prolly not, yer right in that respect .. but I notice a whole bunch of FReepers posting within this thread saying the same thing that I said above - that for decades we knew of Paul's proclivity towards ‘liberal causes’ but we gave him a pass because he never actually crossed the line into direct political advocacy.
JK says...
Yes, but this is a conservative forum we are on here where people are sensible and reasonable!
You will not hear/read any outrage or objections of any kind to McCartney's words, on strictly Beatles Fan forums, nor on any liberal forum. Do you wanna bet? :)
MM says...
I still love the music though, and thank goodness that the Remastered CD sets came out last year and I already have them, otherwise if they were due to release this year (after Paul's latest folly) I would have to seriously consider boycotting them. (although you know I wouldn't ... /laughs)
JK says...
LOL- So you won't be put to the test because you already have your remastered cds :)
I've enjoyed those remastered cds too - a lot-(as you know)-
But now I wouldn't buy the complete set at a yard sale for a buck!! THAT’s how pissed off I am at ‘Sir Paul!’ He insulted half of our country with his cheap shots at our former president! That was so completely uncalled for and so tacky!
MM says...
...this is Paulie actively engaging in partisan politics and pissing off a good portion of his fan base, of which nobody really knows how many are liberal and how many are closet conservatives. My guess is that there are far more conservative Beatles and Macca fans than meets the eye, just that we have to keep a low profile ‘else we get badgered by illiberal liberals.
JK says...
MM-I think you're indulging in wishful thinking about the fan base. I would guess the liberal fans outnumber the conservative fans by a large margin.
And tell me this- why is it conservative fans have to hide the fact-IF they are conservative? That I never understood! We should NEVER be afraid or ashamed of being who we are- or ever hesitate to stand up for what we believe to be the right thing!
MM says...
Paulie simply jumped the shark on this, tis a pity, but it is what it is .. oh well
— MM
JK says...
Yep-It is what it is!
If I would have remembered it I would not have asked. Whats there to wonder about era? They were crap then and their crap now, now no more wondering. I can walk ,the walk ,and talk, the talk, I just chose to grow up.
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