An open letter to HEART.

I am just livid.  This is the absolute last line that has got crossed.  I, like many millions, couldn't wait to hear the song "Barracuda" play for Governor Palin, an exciting gesture to link with her fighting spirit and her nickname of years past.

Dating myself-no doubt that I knew of this song already before being played last night at the Republican's Convention.  But shocked to have learned in this mornings news, that HEART has asked the McCain/Palin campaign to stop playing their song, or for that matter, any of your music, because Governor Palin has different political positions than the music group of Heart

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Cross posted at C4O

The Wilson sisters from the 70s and 80s music sensation group Heart condemned McCain-Palin campaign's unauthorized use of the song "Barracuda" at the Republican convention. The campaign was playing up the high school nickname of Sarah Palin as Sarah the Barracuda to spotlight her Alaskan fighting spirit . However this apparently didn't go down well with the Wilson sisters. Nancy Wilson (one of the Wilson sisters from the Heart group) issued an email yesterday afternoon asking the campaign to desist from unauthorized usage of the song.

But after McCain finished his speech accepting the GOP's presidential nomination tonight, Palin joined him on stage, and the song was used again: Heart's "Barracuda" played as balloons fell. With that elephant in the room, Heart's Nancy Wilson felt compelled to personally respond. "I think it's completely unfair to be so misrepresented," she said in a phone call to EW.com after the speech. "I feel completely f---ed over."

She and sister Ann Wilson then emailed the following exclusive statement:

"Sarah Palin's views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song 'Barracuda' no longer be used to promote her image. The song 'Barracuda' was written in the late 70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The 'barracuda' represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there's irony in Republican strategists' choice to make use of it there."

Read more here at Entertainment Weekly

McCain-Palin campaign had been served with a cease and desist notice by Universal Music Publishing and Sony BMG.

Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart said Thursday night that Universal Music Publishing and Sony BMG have sent a cease and desist notice to the McCain-Palin campaign over their use of 'Barracuda.'

"We have asked the Republican campaign publicly not to use our music. We hope our wishes will be honored," the group said in a statement that said they "condemn" the use of the song at the Republican convention.

Read more atCNN

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A compilation from Show Me Progress:

Of all the dumb things...
The Raw Story

...Democratic presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama is again facing questions about his patriotism from some conservative blogs -- this time for apparently failing to put his hand over his heart during a rendition of the national anthem at an Iowa campaign event....

I was there. I wrote about this over a month ago (and also at MyDD):

...A singer performed the national anthem with pre-recorded accompaniment. Her rendition was heartfelt and definitely unique. Most people would have had difficulty singing along with her. I noticed that all of the candidates except Obama held their hands over their hearts. Obama held his hands folded in front of him throughout [This is not criticism - the "hand over the heart" looked awkward on the stage - I was standing in the same fashion as Obama]...

Barack Obama stood respectfully for the "Star Spangled Banner" and paid respectful attention to the singer.

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