CHICKS UP impudence The Dixie Chicks have for the past three years taken more hits from cultural conservatives than any other musicians because.

CHICKS UP impudence

The Dixie Chicks have for the past three years taken more hits from cultural conservatives than any other musicians because, 10 days before Bush ordered the invasion and occupation of Iraq, Dixie Chick Natalie Maines told a cheering horde at a London theater: "Just in such a manner you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."

With the approach of the late May release date for their CD "Taking the in extent Way," the trashing began anew. Hosting an awards pomp Reba McEntire announced, "[If] the Dixie Chicks can sing with their lower part in their mouth, then I can do anything!" Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and the peacefulness of the right-wing ranters picked up the chorus and, by way of the time the CDs finally hit the stores, the official line was that the Chicks were finished as major stars. U Rep Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) used his "Jack's Blog" to muse that Maines and her compatriots made a big mistake when they started talking politics.

Er maybe not. . . "Taking the protracted Way" has shot to No. 1 in succession Billboard's country music chart and the overall Billboard 200 chart. The album sold 526000 units in its first abounding week of availability.

In the autobiographical single that intimations the controversy, "Not Ready to Make Nice," the Dixie Chicks answer the cultural conservatives when Maines sings that she "can't bring myself to do what it is you think I should." America is echoing that sentiment, rejecting the right's "shut-up-and-sing" assault with a warm embrace of an album that has them singing and speaking up

John Nichols, the Nation blog

HADITHA'S ECHOE OF MY LAI

The accelerating media feeding distraction over the alleged killings of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha from U.S. Marines last November is about to overwhelm American politics. Propell at their most irresponsible war critics, the left will experience to use Haditha as it used My Lai 30 years ago: as a political tool to take apart America's support for the war and to shatter the legitimacy of our cause and the morale of our company s (Maureen Dowd, one of the novel York Times' hyperliberal columnists, has already labeled Haditha a "My Lai acid flashback.")

We withdrew from Vietnam in 1975 abandoning our allies and hanging our heads in shame. This is the political eventuate the left wants from Haditha, and we cannot allow it to happen for single very big reason. The Vietnam War extreme pointed in Vietnam, leaving America incapable of taking action in defense of itself or its allies for decades. The finis of the war against the terrorist nations won't come to pass in Iraq, and we must be prepared -- psychologically and politically -- to continue the fight. When we wasted Vietnam the enemy didn't tread in the steps of us home. Radical Islamists will.

J Babbin,

RealClearPolitics.com

lock-uped IN THE CABINET

Quick: Name a single cabinet officer other than Condoleezza Rice or Donald Rumsfeld Of all the Cabinets I have known, the Bush administration's is according to far the quietest. What do they do all day?

It is pure that in recent decades presidential cabinets have been subordinated to turbocharged White House staffs. even now the Clinton Cabinet was not known for its weak personalities. clip Rubin, as Treasury secretary, would not have allowed himself to be nearly as far revealed of the loop as is John Snow. Donna Shalala wouldn't have accepted the stand-in character now played by Michael Leavitt. Attorney General Janet Reno was no timid violet. I was called many things, further never quiet.

wherefore is this crowd so invisible? Because they've been cowed by the agency of a White House that has imposed extraordinary discipline. All policy pronouncements must be derived through Karl Rove and Dick Cheney. Everyone besides is out of the bend because there is no other link

Bush could have pushed his Cabinet secretaries to distinguish themselves. He could have unleashed the knowledge and creativity of his Cabinet departments, calm in the service of his conservative agenda. That Bush, roam and Cheney chose instead to impose lockstep discipline and gag orders has not no other than diminished the role of the Cabinet if it were not that also, in the end, diminished the part of the president.

Robert B Reich,

former labor secretary,

American perspective

with what intent so many Jews are liberals

The in the greatest degree frequently asked question I receive from non-Jews about hebrews is, why are Jews (outside of Israel) with equal reason liberal? Here are six reasons:

1 Judaism is indeed preoccupied with social justice (as well as with holiness and personal morality), and many hebrews believe that the only way to achieve a just society is by means of leftist policies.

2 More than any other major religion, Judaism has always been preoccupied with this world. The preoccupation of Judaism has been making this world a better place.

3 principally Jews are frightened by anything that connotes the right wing. Especially since the Holocaust, they think threats to their security emanate from the right barely

4 Liberal hebrews identify religion -- especially fundamentalist religion and Christianity -- with anti-Semitism. hebrews are taught from birth about the horrors of the Holocaust, and of nearly 2000 years of European, meaning Christian, anti-Semitism.

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