Free Republic

Country trio the Dixie Chicks are desperate to be asked to perform for US troops in Iraq in an effort to prove once and for all they're not unpatriotic. Chicks singer Natalie Maines became a target of abuse and protest in 2003 after she publicly criticised President George W Bush for sending soldiers to Iraq. And since the backlash, the Wide Open Spaces star has been nervous about meeting US troops - because she felt they'd dislike her for the comments she made three years ago. But, after meeting sailors at Fleet Week in New York last week - and...

The Dixie Chicks appear to be more popular than the president these days. President Bush's approval rating has plummeted, but the Chicks are on top of the pop and country charts with their first album since publicly criticizing Bush three years ago. They did it without the support of country radio, which largely ignored the Dixie Chicks after lead singer Natalie Maines told a London audience in 2003 that the group was ashamed Bush was from their home state of Texas. The new album, "Taking the Long Way," took the No. 1 spot Wednesday on the country albums chart and...