img src=http://www.punknews.org/images/frontpage/fp-1345068707.jpg width=214 height=140 class=articleimage/ Despite the fact that there must be some Republican musicians out there besides a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_NugentTed Nugent/a, the party seems incapable of finding any Republican music for their own campaigns. To that end, the Mitt Romney campaign for president has been sent a letter by a href=http://www.punknews.org/bands/silversunpickupsSilversun Pickups/a forbidding them from using the band's song, a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG8fugqFn9QPanic Switch/a at rally stops. The release opens with: blockquote p Seems as if the GOP is once again whimsically ignoring our great nation's laws to do whatever it wants to do, and shooting itself in the foot in the process. Neither the band nor its representatives were contacted to gain permission for the use of the song and the band has no intention of endorsing the Romney campaign. The band's attorney issued a cease and desist today. /p /blockquote Lead singer/guitarist Brian Aubert commented: blockquote p We don't like people going behind our backs, using our music without asking, and we don't like the Romney campaign. We're nice, approachable people. We won't bite. Unless you're Mitt Romney! We were very close to just letting this go because the irony was too good. While he is inadvertently playing a song that describes his whole campaign, we doubt that 'Panic Switch' really sends the message he intends. /p /blockquote Previous Republican candidate for president John McCain managed to offend four separate groups after he was a href=http://www.punknews.org/article/30762/foo-fighters-criticize-mccain-for-using-my-herocritized for using/a the a href=http://www.punknews.org/bands/foofightersFoo Fighters/a, a href=http://www.punknews.org/newbands/Jackson+BrowneJackson Browne/a, a href=http://www.punknews.org/newbands/Van+HalenVan Halen/a, and a href=http://www.punknews.org/newbands/HeartHeart/a songs without permission. Of course, one of the most famous examples of misuse - and perhaps missing the point - was a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_in_the_U.S.A._(song)#Political_reactionsRonald Reagan's famous use of/a a href=http://www.punknews.org/bands/brucespringsteenBruce Springsteen/a's Born in the USA.
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