Did John McCain steal one of Jackson Browne’s songs without permission for use in a political ad? If you read the headlines, it certainly looks that way, but there is a bit more to the story. While Mr. Brown’s music apparently was used without consent, it may not have been done by Team McCain.
The song, “Running on Empty,” has been used by the Ohio Republican Party (not the McCain campaign) apparently against Browne’s approval. The music icon also claims that in doing so, the false perception is created that he is endorsing McCain’s candidacy.
I’ve been unable to find a copy of the ad thus far. Certainly Mr. Brown has the right to protect his copyrighted material, but we’ll need to keep an eye on who actually used the music.
On an unrelated note, do we have a contingent of government leaders who thrive on a perpetual state of war? Andrew Sullivan thinks we might.
Who is spinning the Georgia situation more? The Russians or us?
Did President Bush move too quickly in promising naval aid to bring supplies to the Georgians? Should he have checked with the Turks first?
Would there be any benefit to John McCain promising up front to only serve one term? Would that present a danger to him politically?