Purple rain, purple rain.

A good portion of the net has spent this week beating the hell out of the Washington Post for hiring Ben Domenech of Redstate to write a blog for them entitled "Red America." I'm not going to rehash all the reasons why this was stupid move by the Post but I do want to bring up one little thing that I think the plethora of bloggers who've addressed this issue have failed to cover: what kind of dork names their blog "Red America?" This whole red state/ blue state thing is SO two years ago. Polls show the majority of Americans think the Iraq war is a bad idea and Bush's approval rating hangs in the mid-30s. America isn't red and blue, it's purple.

How better to illustrate that point than with a couple of good 'ol shitkickin' country songs? Okay, maybe the first isn't so shitkickin' since it's Not Ready to Make Nice by the Dixie Chicks. This song is another one of those things that it seems everybody is writing about but I just like the thing so damn much I thought I'd just add to the heap of praise towards the chicks. I've been wondering what's been happening with them since the dust-up over them mentioning they were embarrassed that Bush was from Texas a couple of years ago. Apparently they've been channeling all the anger at the reaction into their music:

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby

With no regrets and I don't mind sayin'

It's a sad sad story when a mother will teach her

Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger

And how in the world can the words that I said

Send somebody so over the edge

That they'd write me a letter

Sayin' that I better shut up and sing

Or my life will be over.

The other song I'd like to leave you with is an older (pre-2004 election) song by The Honky Tonkers for Truth. Takin my Country Back is an upbeat tune in the tradition of Woodie Guthrie and Hank Williams. This is one of those songs that always makes me feel there's a little hope for the country every time I hear it.

Please join me in a moment of silence in remembrance of Mr. RedNBlueState Paradigm. He died a quick, ignoble death at the hands of natural causes attributed to common sense. Let's put a special prayer in for the Washington Post and other survivors of Mr. Paradigm who remain in the denial stage of grief.