They’ve Made Their Bed

And now they’re going to have to sleep in it. The (elected) head of the Iraqi Kurds says that French and Russian oil contracts with Saddam’s regime should expire with him, and it.

French and Russian oil and gas contracts signed with the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq “will not be honored,” Kurdish Prime Minister Barhim Salih said in Washington Friday, just before a series of high-level meetings with Bush administration officials.

“A new Iraqi government should not honor any of these contracts, signed against the interests of the Iraqi people. The new Iraqi government should respect those who stood by us, and not those who stood beside the dictator,” Salih added.

Pretty simplisme, eh?

They’ve Made Their Bed

And now they’re going to have to sleep in it. The (elected) head of the Iraqi Kurds says that French and Russian oil contracts with Saddam’s regime should expire with him, and it.

French and Russian oil and gas contracts signed with the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq “will not be honored,” Kurdish Prime Minister Barhim Salih said in Washington Friday, just before a series of high-level meetings with Bush administration officials.

“A new Iraqi government should not honor any of these contracts, signed against the interests of the Iraqi people. The new Iraqi government should respect those who stood by us, and not those who stood beside the dictator,” Salih added.

Pretty simplisme, eh?

They’ve Made Their Bed

And now they’re going to have to sleep in it. The (elected) head of the Iraqi Kurds says that French and Russian oil contracts with Saddam’s regime should expire with him, and it.

French and Russian oil and gas contracts signed with the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq “will not be honored,” Kurdish Prime Minister Barhim Salih said in Washington Friday, just before a series of high-level meetings with Bush administration officials.

“A new Iraqi government should not honor any of these contracts, signed against the interests of the Iraqi people. The new Iraqi government should respect those who stood by us, and not those who stood beside the dictator,” Salih added.

Pretty simplisme, eh?

That Didn’t Take Long

The Dixie Chicks are already starting to see some career repercussions from their political stance.

[Update at 11:18 AM PST]

Don’t mess with Texas.

Someone over at Free Republic is reporting that the biggest country station in Lubbock (Natalie Maines’ home town) is going to have a Dixie-Chicks-Free Weekend, during which they won’t play anything by the group.

[Update at 1:34 PM PST]

Apparently they’re unhappy about it in San Antonio, too.

And KZLA, a country station in Los Angeles, is currently running a poll on the issue of whether or not they should continue to play them (no permalink). (They’re still offering specials on their albums, though.)

It’s spreading like a prairie wildfire.

[Yet another update at 2:20 PM PST]

A station in Houston is running a similar poll.

[Update at 5:30 PM PST]

Apparently Ms. Maines realizes that she really stepped in it. She’s issued a half-hearted, Trent Lott-like apology. She’s not really sorry she said it, of course–she only regrets that there are any consequences for her uttering her no-doubt heartfelt feelings (as opposed to actual thoughts).

We’ll see if it’s enough to end the boycotts. There’s no doubt that their record sales will suffer as a result, though she may have mitigated some of the damage with this pro-forma statement.

[Saturday morning update]

Well, it’s not all bad. Most C&W stations are continuing the boycott, but they’ve picked up one new venue for their music. According to this article from the Houston Chronicle, the Houston Pacifica affiliate (a so-called “progressive” radio network that makes NPR sound Republican) will start playing them “all the time.” Guess this is the first step toward finding a new audience…

That Didn’t Take Long

The Dixie Chicks are already starting to see some career repercussions from their political stance.

[Update at 11:18 AM PST]

Don’t mess with Texas.

Someone over at Free Republic is reporting that the biggest country station in Lubbock (Natalie Maines’ home town) is going to have a Dixie-Chicks-Free Weekend, during which they won’t play anything by the group.

[Update at 1:34 PM PST]

Apparently they’re unhappy about it in San Antonio, too.

And KZLA, a country station in Los Angeles, is currently running a poll on the issue of whether or not they should continue to play them (no permalink). (They’re still offering specials on their albums, though.)

It’s spreading like a prairie wildfire.

[Yet another update at 2:20 PM PST]

A station in Houston is running a similar poll.

[Update at 5:30 PM PST]

Apparently Ms. Maines realizes that she really stepped in it. She’s issued a half-hearted, Trent Lott-like apology. She’s not really sorry she said it, of course–she only regrets that there are any consequences for her uttering her no-doubt heartfelt feelings (as opposed to actual thoughts).

We’ll see if it’s enough to end the boycotts. There’s no doubt that their record sales will suffer as a result, though she may have mitigated some of the damage with this pro-forma statement.

[Saturday morning update]

Well, it’s not all bad. Most C&W stations are continuing the boycott, but they’ve picked up one new venue for their music. According to this article from the Houston Chronicle, the Houston Pacifica affiliate (a so-called “progressive” radio network that makes NPR sound Republican) will start playing them “all the time.” Guess this is the first step toward finding a new audience…

That Didn’t Take Long

The Dixie Chicks are already starting to see some career repercussions from their political stance.

[Update at 11:18 AM PST]

Don’t mess with Texas.

Someone over at Free Republic is reporting that the biggest country station in Lubbock (Natalie Maines’ home town) is going to have a Dixie-Chicks-Free Weekend, during which they won’t play anything by the group.

[Update at 1:34 PM PST]

Apparently they’re unhappy about it in San Antonio, too.

And KZLA, a country station in Los Angeles, is currently running a poll on the issue of whether or not they should continue to play them (no permalink). (They’re still offering specials on their albums, though.)

It’s spreading like a prairie wildfire.

[Yet another update at 2:20 PM PST]

A station in Houston is running a similar poll.

[Update at 5:30 PM PST]

Apparently Ms. Maines realizes that she really stepped in it. She’s issued a half-hearted, Trent Lott-like apology. She’s not really sorry she said it, of course–she only regrets that there are any consequences for her uttering her no-doubt heartfelt feelings (as opposed to actual thoughts).

We’ll see if it’s enough to end the boycotts. There’s no doubt that their record sales will suffer as a result, though she may have mitigated some of the damage with this pro-forma statement.

[Saturday morning update]

Well, it’s not all bad. Most C&W stations are continuing the boycott, but they’ve picked up one new venue for their music. According to this article from the Houston Chronicle, the Houston Pacifica affiliate (a so-called “progressive” radio network that makes NPR sound Republican) will start playing them “all the time.” Guess this is the first step toward finding a new audience…

Biting Commentary about Infinity…and Beyond!