Rocker BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN has defended U.S. presidential hopeful BARACK OBAMA, insisting the Democrat's comments about "bitter" small town Americans has been taken out of context.
Last week (12Apr08), Obama tried to explain to an audience in San Francisco, California, why he was struggling to win over white working class voters.
He told the crowd, "You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them.
"And it's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
The Illinois senator's comments have stirred a lot of controversy since, but the Born To Run singer insists Obama's words have been twisted to paint him in a bad light.
And he is adamant Obama is the best candidate for the U.S. presidency to repair the "terrible damage" the current leader, George W. Bush, has caused since 2000.
In a message to fans on his website, he writes, "Like most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.
"He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems.
"At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision... often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment."
Reports that 'Indiana Jones' star Harrison Ford and girlfriend Calista Flockhart are engaged are "fabricated", according to a representative for the couple, following numerous gossip sites and tabloids running stories to the contrary.
A story appearing in the The London Paper states that "twice-divorced Ford popped the question on April Fools Day leaving Calista, 43, in some doubt as to its seriousness."
It goes onto say that the pair "will get hitched as soon as the promotional work for the fourth installment of the 'Indiana Jones' series is complete."
However, a spokesperson for the couple informed Ok! magazine that, "This is completely fabricated and the result of a British tabloid report."
Photo courtesy of LucasFilm.
Country star DWIGHT YOAKAM will make his 24th appearance on American TV programme THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO on Thursday (15May08) - smashing the record for the most musical performances by any artist. The Act Naturally star's guest slot on the NBC chat-show will put him ahead of Lyle Lovett, who has played 23 times on the programme.
