policy with pop

Workin' It at the Inauguration

In case you missed it, Barack Obama was sworn in President of the United States this past Tuesday (or maybe Wednesday).

Now plenty of celebrities participated in the historic and prestigious event. Some of them performed in honor of President Obama. But, let’s also be real. They were also there to promote their current projects.

Take Beyonce. She sang Etta James’ “At Last” for the Obamas’ first dance together as President and First Lady.

While the song title is symbolically appropriate for the inauguration of our first black President, it also serves to highlight the fact that Beyonce portrays Etta James in the biopic “Cadillac Records” in theatres now.

Mariah Carey performed her classic hit “Hero” and dedicated it to Obama.

Now Mariah has sung this song at different events which invoked hope or the need for it – Live 8 and America: A Tribute to Heroes (the 9/11 telethon). Thus, it makes sense that she would sing “Hero” in honor of Mr. Hope himself. She has no reason to promote an old song... Yes and no. “Hero” is a fine selection from the Mariah catalog to sing for Obama. But “Hero” is featured on her new greatest hits album “The Ballads,” which coincidentally was released on inauguration day.

Now I’m not dissin’ these divas and other performers. You can honor, promote and work it! Do you disagree? Is it kinda tacky? Let me now.

And who else do you think slyly promoted his/her work while honoring the President? Who did it the best?

My vote goes to the J. Crew. When you become the pseudo-official clothing of the First Family, you know you done good.

And which entertainer do you think hurt more than helped his/her career at the inauguration?

Unfortunately, I think that goes to poet Elizabeth Alexander. I’m not sophisticated in poetry (far from it) but I didn’t connect to her poem, “Praise Song for the Day.” I was hoping to. Maybe you can explain it to me.

Oh by the way, you can buy a copy of Alexander’s “Praise Song for the Day” too.

Exclusive Interview with Tyler Hilton on Charity & Books

When I was in middle school, I knew this really cool kid, Tyler. He played the guitar and already knew how to use hair gel. But besides his many talents, Tyler was also a really nice kid. He befriended this self-admitted geek.

After middle school ended, I lost contact with Tyler. He moved far away. But years later I rediscovered Tyler as he was promoting his first major record label album, The Tracks of, on MTV. Tyler then went on to be a recurring character on the hit TV series One Tree Hill. He also played Elvis Presley in the Golden Globe Award-winning film Walk the Line. To the world, he is known as the singer-songwriter-actor Tyler Hilton.

It is great to see good things happen to good people. But what’s even better is that Tyler is using his good fortunes to help others. Tyler started a non-profit, T.H. Books for Kids, to raise money and donate children’s books to kids who may not otherwise have access to them.

Tyler was gracious enough to answer a few questions from his Blackberry about his charity and his love for books. Read the exclusive interview here:

Why did you decide to start T.H. Books for Kids?
Tyler Hilton: I started it because I could and the timing was right.  Lord knows I'm like everyone else who while walking or driving or cleaning comes up with a million inventions, movie scripts, song ideas, and ways to save the world but let's be honest... no one's writing them all down or actively pursuing all of them, including me.  This was an idea I had over and over and would find myself talking about it to people I thought would feel the same way.  The right people agreed and decided to really work to make it happen and get it out there.  I got to start this whole thing because I was lucky enough to know a few folks who knew what to do with an idea!

How does it work? How do people get involved?
People can get involved in different ways from donating money, books, or suggesting places we could be of service.  It all depends on what's going at that moment.  Thbooksforkids.org has all that info.

Since you help select some of the donated children’s books, tell me which book you personally prefer:
The Little Engine that Could or Corduroy?
Little Engine That Could, no question.

The Chronicles of Narnia or the Harry Potter series?
Give me Potter.

So what are some of your favorite books?
I love "On the Road" by Kerouac.  Huckleberry Finn is a bible.  And John Grisham's "King of Torts" for airplanes.

Have there been any books or characters that have influence or inspired any of your songs? If so, which ones?
I wrote a song in high school after finishing "The Catcher in the Rye".  For a lot of young guys, I'll speak up and say, that was the first time we identified with a story and character and weren't just entertained by them.

If you had to write your autobiography, what would the first sentence say?
Geeze, I mean I never thought about it, does anyone??!!  I guess it would be.... I was always good at thinking on my feet and coming up with things on the spot.  Ha!

Alright, do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share with your fans and the readers of PolicyWithPop.com?
When you're helping a charity or cause you really can't go wrong.  What I do is no more important than other causes…  If TH Books For Kids sounds like it's up your alley email myself or Dana, who runs the organization for me [at THBooksForKids@aol.com] and get involved at THBooksForKids.org

Thanks for your time, Tyler. You rock (literally and figuratively)!

As you ponder Tyler’s words of wisdom, here is the song “Stay” written and performed live by Tyler Hilton himself:

Price for Truth: Scott McClellan's White House Tell-All

What Happened, the forthcoming memoir by former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, is causing a political firestorm on Capitol Hill. McClellan is set to release the tell-all, in which he claims that the White House was a “political propaganda machine” that misled the public about the reason to go to war with Iraq. He also has less than kind things to say about strategist Karl Rove, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby (the former chief of staff to the Vice President) and even President George W. Bush.

As liberals find confirmation for their charges against the Bush administration, some conservatives are crying fowl. Bob Dole, a former senator and 1998 GOP presidential nominee, called McClellan a “miserable creature.” Dole believes that if McClellan had reservations about the war, McClellan should have spoken up or resigned at the time, instead of being a silent coward and enjoying the perks of his presidential position. Moreover, Dole is disgusted that McClellan is stating these charges to publicize and sell his book.

Interestingly enough, a liberal friend of mine, who is a young Iraq War veteran, recently emailed me asking me to sign a petition pressuring McClellan to donate proceeds of his book to an Iraq veterans groups. The petition, sponsored by MoveOn.org, argues that McClellan was an important player in promoting those alleged lies that led us into war and thus should not profit from those alleged lies.

What do you think about McClellan’s charges against the Bush administration and the timing of them? And, does McClellan have a moral obligation to donate his book’s proceeds to a group that helps Iraq War veterans?  Or is it socially acceptable the he make a pretty penny off his book given we’re in a world, where celebrities sell their newborn’s baby-picture to tabloids for millions of dollars?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and discuss them with you. Oh, and I want to know if you plan to buy his book. So comment away please.

(Thank you to my cousin, who served in the Iraq War, for supplying the picture.)