Musicians for Kerry

This month, Rolling Stone has commentary from an interesting cross-section of musicians on why John Kerry is the overwhelmingly better candidate for President. Some highlights:

Jeff Tweedy, Wilco: "I agree that Kerry has flip-flopped on some ideas, but I take that as a sign of intelligence. I trust someone more if he re-examines his positions and has the ability to be introspective. There's no end to the horrific things you can do when you believe you're always right."

Mike Mills, R.E.M.: "Kerry understands how the world works, in a way that Bush does not. When Bush ran the first time, I realized something: I want my president to be smarter than I am. I don't ask much, but I want him to be smarter than me."

Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam: "We have to stop treating the rest of the world like our subjects. What is the only institution more powerful than the United States government - one that can move things in a different direction? It's the American people. It's the voters."

Bob Weir, The Grateful Dead: "Harry Truman said that the one crime more heinous than treason is war profiteering, and yet we have the company that our vice president is still on retainer to - which is illegal - making a huge fortune. Every time the terrorists blow up another pipeline over there, Halliburton makes millions of dollars pasting it back together. They don't even have to be pumping oil to be making money. This is who owns our government now."

Art Alexakis, Everclear: "The Republicans refuse to talk about issues - they just try and make people who are Christians believe that Bush is the only choice. As a Christian, I am offended and ashamed by that - but then again, I am offended and ashamed by most people who call themselves Christian."

Mike D, The Beastie Boys: "John Kerry offers the promise of returning to the democratic system I was brought up believing in."

Fat Mike, NOFX: "I'll take my chances with the guy that's backed by the Sierra Club rather than Halliburton."

For the full comments of each of these musicians, and others (Dave Matthews and Boyd Tinsley of Dave Matthews Band, Natalie Maines of Dixie Chicks, Ryan Key of Yellowcard, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, Alicia Keys, John Mellencamp, Melissa Etheridge, Tom DeLonge of Blink-182, Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Steve Earle, Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, Will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas, Moby, Jadakiss, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, and Jackson Browne), see the full article here, plus a longer interview with Bruce Springsteen here.

Very thought-provoking.