Free Republic

With his mohawk, ratty fatigues, assorted chains and his menagerie of tattoos — swallows on each shoulder, a nautical star on his back and the logo of the Bouncing Souls, a New York City punk band, on his right leg — 22-year-old Nick Rizzuto is the very picture of counterculture alienation. But it's when he talks politics that Mr. Rizzuto sounds like a real radical, for a punk anyway. Mr. Rizzuto is adamantly in favor of lowering taxes and for school vouchers, and against campaign finance laws; his favorite Supreme Court justice is Clarence Thomas; he plans to vote for...

<p>The backlash is hitting San Francisco punk rocker Mike Burkett, better known in punk circles as Fat Mike. His perceived sin: launching a national effort to get punk rockers to vote.</p> <p>In Fat Mike's world, you're a sellout if you've got a big record contract, let alone talk up mainstream politics. Which explains the reaction the 37- year-old head of the San Francisco punk label Fat Wreck Chords has received for starting Punkvoter.com last fall and spending $100,000 on the effort.</p>