"Politics is a dicey thing," he said. "I'm an old yellow-dog Democrat, well-known as a liberal. I was working on Kerry's campaign for the Senate before that. I didn't think about a backlash, I felt this case so urgently. For someone like the Dixie Chicks, it's different. They're taking a big risk with their audience."

Taylor said he wondered if there might be some backlash from his involvement on Vote for Change on a tour of "red states" earlier this year, but it didn't come. "We all know that all the states are really purple," he said. "If I sound disapproving, that's not really much of a surprise to people who know me. There was a dire necessity in changing this administration. But I want to be careful that I don't come off as shrill, or me on my high horse railing about the world."

He said his message on the current tour is much simpler. "I just want to thank people for showing up," he said. "I have the best job in the world, and I know it."

Posted by: Jonathan Singer / 3:31 PM | Basie! Home