Boston asks Mike Huckabee to stop

Mike Huckabee - now, we believe, officially the ickiest of all those left in the Presidential race - has got a letter from Boston. Tom Scholz has asked him to stop using More Than A Feeling at campaign stops:

"Boston has never endorsed a political candidate, and will all due respect, would not start by endorsing a candidate who is the polar opposite of most everything Boston stands for," wrote Scholz, adding that he is supporting Democratic Senator Barack Obama. "By using my song, and my band's name Boston, you have taken something of mine and used it to promote ideas to which I am opposed. In other words, I think I've been ripped off, dude!"

The Huckabee campaign has - rather than reacting with quiet, good grace - launched a broadside:

Fred Bramante, who was chairman of Huckabee's New Hampshire campaign, called the allegations ridiculous. He said he attended dozens of Huckabee rallies in New Hampshire and other states and never heard Huckabee play "More Than a Feeling," other than when [former member of Boston Barry] Goudreau campaigned with him in Iowa in October.

"Governor Huckabee plays 'Sweet Home Alabama.' Does that mean Lynyrd Skynyrd is endorsing him? He plays 'Louie Louie.' Does that mean the Kingsmen are endorsing him? To me, it's ridiculous," he said. "Never once has he said, 'The band Boston endorses me.'

Mmm. That's exactly the sort of belligerent over-reacting defensiveness that most people hope to see in a potential White House team.