Free Republic

*** Due to disappointing ticket sales, the country-pop trio is postponing as many as half the 42 dates announced for their coming "Accidents and Accusations" concert tour, which starts July 21. After playing 11 U.S. shows, the Chicks will for the moment steer clear of cities like St. Louis, Los Angeles and Jacksonville, Fla. *** It isn't clear that any one factor has caused the trio's recent problems, but there are plenty of candidates. The conventional wisdom has held that they were hurt by lead singer Natalie Maines's 2003 comments to a British audience that the band was "ashamed" that...

Disappointing airplay for the first two singles from the new album by the Dixie Chicks exposes a deep -- and seemingly growing -- rift between the trio and the country radio market that helped turn the group into superstars. "Taking the Long Way," due out May 23, is the band's first album since singer Natalie Maines sparked a major controversy in 2003 by declaring that she was ashamed to hail from the same state as fellow Texan President George W. Bush. Radio boycotts ensued, and many fans abandoned the band. The first single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," peaked at...

Elizabeth Edwards is blasting Second Lady Lynne Cheney for objecting to John Kerry calling her daughter "a lesbian" during Wednesday night's presidential debate. In the ugliest outburst yet in the Kerry-lesbian contretemps, the woman who wants to replace Mrs. Cheney told ABC Radio network news Thursday morning, "I think that [Mrs. Cheney's complaint] indicates a certain degree of shame with respect to her daughter's sexual preferences." While praising Mrs. Cheney as "a wonderful advocate" for her daughter in the past, Mrs. Edwards said Mrs. Cheney had "overreacted" last night when she called Kerry "not a good man" for publicly identifying...