Perhaps sensing he could use a boost after his squeaker victory in Iowa Tuesday, Fox News praised Mitt Romney for actually asking permission from Kid Rock before using his hit "Born Free" on the campaign trail. This is a departure from the usual Republican strategy, which is to just steal any and all music they think would jack up the crowd. Michelle Bachmann, John McCain, Charlie Crist, we're looking at you.
Still, Fox smells a double standard here. (Note the ominous headline: Do Musicians Block GOP Candidates From Using Their Songs?) Opines Dan Gainor, Vice President of the Business & Media Institute and political commentator,
"Musicians are part of the entertainment industry which is mostly anti-Republican. So lefty performers hate having conservatives use their music. There's definitely a PR component to complaining about politicians using your music. If you have a hardcore lefty base of listeners and you bash Michele Bachmann, then you score points. Imagine if a liberal tried to use Toby Keith's 'Courtesy Of The Red, White, And Blue.' Keith and his fans would rightly be upset. But that never happens since liberals don't like images of the flag."----
Astonishing! Mr. Gainor must have somehow gotten his hands on this top secret music industry memo: