Dixie Chick Explains Bush Slam At London Concert

The KCRA Channel ^ | Unattributed

[IowaHawk]

One of the Dixie Chicks is clarifying remarks she made about President George W. Bush during a concert in London earlier this week.

Reporting on a Chicks' concert, the Web site for the United Kingdom paper The Guardian said singer Natalie Maines (pictured, center) told the crowd, "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."

The singer's barb got the audience cheering, the Guardian said.

In a statement on the Chicks' Web site Wednesday, Maines said, "We've been overseas for several weeks and have been reading and following the news accounts of our government's position. The anti-American sentiment that has unfolded here is astounding."

The country trio -- consisting of Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Robinson -- are all from Texas.

"I feel the president is ignoring the opinions of many in the U.S. and alienating the rest of the world," Maines said in the statement. "My comments were made in frustration and one of the privileges of being an American is you are free to voice your own point of view."

And while Maines maintains her beef with Bush, she's much more supportive of the United States troops.

"While we support our troops, there is nothing more frightening than the notion of going to war with Iraq and the prospect of all the innocent lives that will be lost," Maines said.

Whether Maines expresses her feelings about Bush on the group's North American leg of their Top of the World tour is yet to be heard. If she does, it will be in front of a lot of people.

According to music site Lauch, the group sold out 51 out of the 59 arenas in one day on March 1, which amounted to over 867,000 tickets.

The group recently won four Grammy awards including Best Country Album for their smash album "Home."

[jagrmeister]

I don't buy the Dixie Chicks excuse for bashing America on foreign soil. Too often people hide behind the First Amendment to justify cowardly and irresponsible statements. This is NOT a matter of free speech. The Dixie Chickens are free to sow anti-Americanism abroad at the very moment we need unity as we approach war; but the people are also free to boycott their music and radio stations that give air time to this unpatriotic group. For me, listening to the Dixie Chicks now is like hearing nails on a chalkboard.

[AgThorn]

Wait a minute, "I don't know" and "I don't know for sure" is not the kinda response I expected when you labeled Dolly and Willie in the same bucket with the Dixie Chicks! Come on, now, that's libel in any other court!! ;-)

I don't buy Dolly's dumb blonde act either, I know she's one smart cookie and that makes me like her all the more! But just because she's friends with Jane Fonda is no indictment.

[sneakypete]

But just because she's friends with Jane Fonda is no indictment

Of course it is.