Dixie Chicks -- You Go, Girls!

Now that Donald Rumsfeld has declared that criticism of El Presidente amounts to "appeasing" Islamo-fascists, we shouldn't be surprised to see a few public stonings of war dissenters. It'll serve 'em right.

The Dixie Chicks have been through their own hailstorm ever since lead singer Natalie Maines criticized George W. Bush on the eve of the Iraq war. Country music radio stopped playing their songs. They got death threats. The bullies of Nashville and Washington intended to run them out of town.

Now the Country Music Association awards nominations have been announced, and the Dixie Chicks haven't been nominated for their new album, "Taking the Long Way." They got a big ole snub.

Maybe because the new album contains an in-your-face answer to the nastiness of the last three years: "Not Ready to Make Nice"

I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round

The Dixie Chicks' current tour, which was to include an appearance in Greensboro on October 22nd, has been re-routed out of some "red" states (including the Greensboro gig), according to this morning's NPR piece on the group.

Those who support this president and his dandy little war want to see the Dixie Chicks fail ... and worse. Crucifixion, anyone? But the defiance in the song quoted above is far more all-American, far more in keeping with the promise of freedom, than Mr. Rumsfeld's suggestion that we're traitors if we criticize.