Ronstadt's Ruckus

I was just about to crash and I figured that I'd give the ol' blog an update (which is becoming a bi-weekly event, thanks to my work schedule and general lack of free time).

I hopped over to Yahoo News and saw something that really brightened my day. As virtually everyone else has already pointed out, Linda Ronstadt, 10 time Grammy Winner and liberal lackey extraordinare, praised Michael Moore during a recent concert. As a result, many patrons stormed out, and the Aladdin Resort (where she was performing) also showed her the door.

As was to be expected, Moore came right back on the attack:

"What country do you live in?," Moore asked in the letter. "Last time I checked, Las Vegas is still in the United States. And in the United States, we have something called 'The First Amendment'" which guarantees the right to free speech.

"For you to throw Linda Ronstadt off the premises because she dared to say a few words in support of me and my film, is simply stupid and Un-American," Moore continued."

Yes, that may be true Michael. But in our country, freedom of speech bites both ways. I think the Aladdin's response sumed it up nicely:

"Ms Ronstadt was hired to entertain the guests of the Aladdin, not to espouse her political views. In an effort to defuse the situation, Linda Ronstadt was asked to leave the property immediately following her performance [...]"

You have the freedom to say what you want, Linda, but people aren't required to respect you for it.


UPDATE: Oops, she did it again! The Contra Costa Times reports:

What had been a mellow evening at Wente Vineyards, with the crowd even serenading [Linda] with "Happy Birthday" at one point, turned into a rush for the exits by some fans angry by her encore tribute to filmmaker Michael Moore.

"She just had to do it," one fan steamed as he headed for the parking lot. "It was good until the end," another yelled to TV crews waiting outside the concert.

"She's getting out of line; it's ridiculous," said Cindy Williams of Livermore, as she left during the last song of the evening.

Perhaps the reaction wasn't as vehement (or as effective) as last time, but it certainly restores my faith in the good judgment of a minority of the American people.

-TRC