No Rock And Roll Fun

MADONNA PICKS CLARK: Madonna has weighed into the 2004 Presidential Election, with an endorsement of Dick, sorry, Wesley Clark for President.

She does seem to feel as if she's just swung the election, mind:

I've never done this before. But life is about taking risks is it not?
I know that people seem to pay attention to everything I do. Big or Small. Ridiculous or Sublime. So I am hoping they pay attention to this:
I am supporting General Wesley Clark for President.

She seems to have confused herself with the Queen, for whom endorsing a politician would be a historic step...

Not only as a "celebrity" but as an American citizen and as a mother. I want my children to grow up with the same opportunities that I had – to know and understand what's going on in the world and to travel that world safely and with pride.
Now I'm asking you to join me.
I am writing to you because the future I wish for my children is at risk.
Our greatest risk is not terrorism and it's not Iraq or the "Axis of Evil." Our greatest risk is a lack of leadership, a lack of honesty and a complete lack of consciousness. Unfortunately our current government cannot see the big picture. They think too small. They suffer from the "what's in it for me?" syndrome. The simple truth is that the current administration has squandered incredible opportunities to bring the world together, to promote peace in regions that have only known war, to encourage health in places that are ravaged with disease, to make us more secure by living up to our principles at home and abroad. The simple truth is that the policies of our current administration do not reflect what is great about America.
Thankfully, there is now a candidate running for President who is committed to ensuring that our country lives up to its promise and its people. He is a decorated soldier and a respected diplomatic leader, who has already given 34 years to his country. He is smart and he is good. He has worked hard to get where he is and he is a national hero.
A perfect example of the American Dream.
I've never aligned myself with a presidential candidate during the primary season. But this time, the stakes are too high, we have too much to lose and there is so much work to be done.
I'm supporting General Wesley Clark in 2004 and have committed to do all that I can to help his campaign in the coming months. I ask you to visit his website today to learn about his candidacy, his vision for our nation and the many ways you can get involved.
I've looked at all the Democratic candidates. I respect them all for their dedication and patriotism. But I'm supporting Wes Clark because in him I see the qualifications, character and vision that we so desperately need.
We are a country with incredible promise. As Americans we enjoy opportunities like no other. Unfortunately we take these opportunities for granted. You may not agree with everything I say or do, but whether you're rich or poor, young or old, black or white, gay or straight, I know you share my concern and recognize the need for change.
Even if you've never been involved with politics before, please consider joining with me. If you can give, give generously. If you can volunteer time, get involved now. And if you can vote, this time…make sure you do.
Wesley Clark has asked for my support and now I'm asking for yours

Madonna
PS: Please spread this message to everyone you know.

So, there you are... Madonna thinks America needs another ex-soldier at its helm; she wants someone who won't be preoccupied with the war on terror, and yet she's endorsing a candidate who believes that the attack on Iraq was "the right call". Although Clark was a critic of Bush's war on Iraq, his concern was not over its ethical dimension or even the very basic policy, but over the plans for the fighting. Clark also believed that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, and that these were a threat in some vague way to the American people. And to suggest that Clark might be some sort of touchy-feely, heal the world leader is preposterous - the man wrote in The Times (the London one, where, you know, Madonna lives) "The campaign in Iraq illustrates the continuing progress of military technology and tactics, but if there is a single overriding lesson it must be this: American military power, especially when buttressed by Britain's, is virtually unchallengeable today. Take us on? Don't try! And that's not hubris, it's just plain fact.". It's also kind of funny that Madonna calls on gay people to join her at Clark's side: He's not exactly a cheerleader for homosexual equality: when asked about 'don't ask, don't tell', he gets all flustered and won't tell what his opinion is; and, of course, he's equally uncomfortable about the gay marriage question. It's touching that Madonna wants her kids to have the right to understand what's going on in the world; maybe it's time she started to exercise hers.