You better make up something quick

When politicians pick songs for their campaigning purposes, we're always surprised at the choices. This presidential election is particularly surprising. Obama picked an uber-country song "Only in America" by Brooks and Dunn and the new contender for VP, Sarah Palin chose "Barracuda" by Heart. Weird, weird choices. And you'd think -- with all the assistants and ass kissers they got on their tails, someone would have managed to get these songs cleared with the copyright holders... you know, just to see if it's OK for them to be using their intellectual property for personal gain...? But no. Nope.

"The Republican campaign did not ask for permission to use the song, nor would they have been granted that permission," the band said in a statement Wednesday. "We have asked the Republican campaign publicly not to use our music. We hope our wishes will be honored." Universal Music Publishing and Sony BMG also sent a cease and desist notice to the campaign, according to CNN. But after the song was played again following Sen. John McCain's speech Thursday, band member Nancy Wilson expressed outrage. "I feel completely f--ked over," she told EW.com Friday. Nancy and her sister Ann e-mailed EW.com: "Sarah Palin's views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song 'Barracuda' no longer be used to promote her image. The song 'Barracuda' was written in the late '70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The 'barracuda' represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there's irony in Republican strategists' choice to make use of it there." [us weekly]