Bruce Springsteen Honor Falls Victim to the Culture of Malice

Malice. It’s been poisoning the air in Washington since George Bush took office. Some more virulent examples of it occurred last week with the attacks on Rep. John Murtha. Yet last week also offered insight into the level of pettiness to which Republican leadership will stoop in their malice for and hostility toward anyone who might dare think differently or disagree with the president.

The US Senate leadership Friday refused to bring to the floor a resolution, introduced by Democratic Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Jon Corzine of New Jersey, honoring Bruce Springsteen’s career and the 30th anniversary of the release of his classic album Born to Run. Some reports indicated that “an unidentified GOP senator” put a hold on the resolution, effectively blocking it indefinitely, but that Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist’s office indicated the Senate may try to get to it after Thanksgiving.

It appears the GOP and its leadership can’t forgive Springsteen for his significant role in last year’s Vote for Change tour and for speaking his mind during the presidential campaign. God forbid an American artist actually exercise his or her right to freedom of speech or freedom of association.

In the scheme of things, this is a minor and essentially irrelevant deal — except for what it reveals about the mindset of the national GOP. Dozens of such resolutions are approved each year and, as Lautenberg’s office said, usually by unanimous consent. Already this year the Senate has passed such similarly momentous measures as Frist’s own resolution commending a college women’s basketball coach in his home state “for three decades of excellence as a proven leader, motivated teacher, and established champion.”

Evidently, she never said anything bad about Bush, so her resolution could get on the calendar.

First posted at A Progressive on the Prairie.