picking on presidents

Associated Press, March 20, 2006:
CARLOS SANTANA SPEAKS OUT AGAINST BUSH
Carlos Santana quoted his old friend Jimi Hendrix in an anti-war message here Monday and said his philosophy is the antithesis of President George W. Bush's.
"I have wisdom. I feel love. I live in the present and I try to present a dimension that brings harmony and healing," the 58-year-old rock icon said. "My concept is the opposite of George W. Bush."

GUITARISTS IN HISTORY COMMENT ON THE PRESIDENTS

Django Reinhardt on Herbert Hoover: "Well, you know, in addition to his poor handling of the American Great Depression, he failed to support two of my favorite causes. One is the equal treatment of gypsies. The other is, how you say, medical research into the defusing of fingers burned together in gypsy caravan fires, as well as the prevention of gypsy caravan fires."

Les Paul on Dwight D. Eisenhower: "I am well known as a pioneer in the fields of electric guitars, multi-tracking recording, and reverb effects. I created most of these innovations in my personal workshop. Therefore I am upset that Ike allowed the military-industrial complex to overshadow the advancements of individuals with intellectual curiousity. Also, I can't believe I'm still alive. I'm 91 years old and I still do a weekly show at New York's Iridium jazz club while Eisenhower is rotting away! You know who likes Ike now? Dirt, maggots, and daisies."

Wes Montgomery on John F. Kennedy: "Go ahead, look me up. This obscure reference will still be here when you get back."

Jimi Hendrix on Lyndon B. Johnson: "Dig, you know, that LBJ is a cool cat. All right, I mean he signed the Civil Rights Act. So, there you go, there you go. But I mean he did some bad things too. Like he escalated the war, and that' s not too groovy. Also, he could have done more to prevent accidental drownings, especially in vomit."

Peter Frampton on Gerald Ford: "He pardoned Nixon for Watergate, but his failure to win reelection in 1976 meant that he was unable to pardon me for my appearance with The Bee Gees in the horrible 1978 film of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. I will never forgive him for that, just as you will never forgive me for pissing on a great work of art by The Beatles. By the way, if you're wondering why I care about U.S. presidents, it's because I became an American citizen after September 11, which was a disaster that caused almost as much suffering as my movie, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) on Jimmy Carter: "Too much ears and lips, not enough beard."

Eddie Van Halen on Ronald Reagan: "That guy was such a bad president, I felt adamant that we should replace him with someone else, like Democrat Walter Mondale. I supported Mondale for a long time. But then I got sick of Mondale and thought maybe a third-party candidate would be good. That lasted for a few months.Then I supported Mondale again for a while, but he spent too much time at his bar in Cabo. Currently, my band does not have a president."

Kurt Cobain on Bill Clinton: "That guy's wife is one crazy bitch."