We've been hearing that artists are "intimidated" from speaking out against the war and the Bush administration. Besides just being factually incorrect (it is far easier to count the handful of artists who are in favor of the war and who support Bush, with perhaps the exception of the country music field), it can be argued that the anti-war position is in fact the showbiz orthodoxy.

Jazz singer Kurt Elling is, in fact, a delegate to the Democratic National Convention:

Critically acclaimed Blue Note jazz vocalist and seven-time GRAMMY nominee Kurt Elling is set to attend the 2004 Democratic National Convention as a delegate from Illinois. The Convention will be held at the FleetCenter in Boston from July 26-29.

Elling states: "I am proud of this opportunity to stand up for intelligence, good sense and real morality in government. It is a decisive time in the history of our planet ­ politically, environmentally, economically and sociologically. This is no time for demagogues or fearful children to lead America. It is time to put an adult back in the White House. It is time to elect John Kerry."

The Democratic National Convention Committee has confirmed that almost 40 percent of the delegates participating in the Convention this year are minorities, making the 2004 Convention the most diverse in Party history. More African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Native-Americans, and Hispanics will attend the Convention than ever before.

In addition, 2,163 of this year's delegates - approximately 50 percent -­ are women.

35,000 people are expected to attend, including 5,000 delegates from 56 state parties (including Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and Democrats abroad), 15,000 members of the domestic and foreign press, as well as dignitaries and foreign honored guests. Other attendees of note include: Earvin Magic Johnson from California, as a member of the Democratic National Committee's Platform committee; Art Alexakis, former lead singer of the band Everclear, a delegate from Oregon

John Glenn, former astronaut and senator and his wife Annie, delegates from Ohio; and Cam and Diana Kerry (brother and sister of John Kerry) both delegates from MA.
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