I want to talk about Tipper Gore coming to Iowa City.  Most of you probably know that I’m no fan of Tipper Gore.  K know I've been talking about this for ten years but please hear me out.

Just for background - since this has become hidden history, and few people in our party like to talk about it any more -  This goes back 17 years, to the fall of 1985.  Tipper Gore and her Republican allies, with the full support of freshman Senator Al Gore, held Senate hearings on “contents of music and lyrics of records” (Anyone else remember records?).

I was a lot younger back then.  I was a college radio DJ then and I felt THREATENED.  For me, my music was, and is, my freedom.  Music has the power to wake you up to the world and see things as they are.  For me it was the Clash.  For you it might have been Pete Seeger or Bob Dylan or Jefferson Airplane or Public Enemy or Rage Against The Machine.  It’s powerful.  That’s why powerful people want to censor it.

The hearings showed the Gores in their true light.  They were elitist, classist and had utter disdain for the music which meant so much to so many millions of young (and not so young) people.

Ultimately, the hearings were an attack not just on the music but against the audience - a cheap shot at people who are disproportionately young, working class, minority - the very people the Democratic Party should represent. This is the sort of issue people point to when they say there’s no difference between Democrats and Republicans.

Tipper won that fight, and today the labels that were supposed to be “parental warnings” are now used by major retailers to keep some artists off the shelves completely - How can parents heed “advice” that’s on CDs that aren’t on the shelf?  The claim that labeling was not censorship was and is a sham.  It’s censorship in fact if not in law.

I got into politics because of this, seventeen years ago.  I got into politics to fight stuff like this, not to support it.

The Gores have never changed their positions or apologized.  Al Gore made Tipper’s hearings happen and has consistently expressed support for her views.  He bragged about it in the last debate.  And the vice presidential nomination of Joe Lieberman (who considers the TV show "Friends" obscene, look it up), speaks for itself.  It was Al Gore’s ultimate embrace of the repression of popular culture, and he bears responsibility too.

Some of you may argue that Mrs. Gore’s work on mental health issues makes up for this.  But without our freedom of speech we have no freedom at all.

We Democrats have often supported unpopular interpretations of the First Amendment.  We’ve fought flag burning and school prayer amendments.  We’ve stood up for the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities.  And as far as the Pledge of Allegiance… well, let’s not go there, I’m in enough trouble already.  (1) It’s time to stand up for our popular culture, too.  Far more people exercise and celebrate their freedoms by listening to rap, punk and metal than by burning flags. Not everyone’s free speech is grammatically correct or politically correct or G-rated.  Even an artist as articulate as John Lennon had to resort to the occasional cuss word to honestly express himself, check out “Working Class Hero”.  Let’s not forget that the First Amendment protects Eminem as much as it protects Earth In The Balance.

I'm sorry but I’m not going to be OK with this visit just because it means money for Tom Harkin.  Not until the Gores say they were wrong.  Not until they call on major retailers like Wal-Mart and K-Mart to stop using labels that were supposedly “advisory” as excuses for de facto censorship.

Some of you may think this is the wrong way or wrong time for me to bring this up.  That reminds me of the congressman at the `88 convention saying “Just shut up until we win.”  Remember that?  Pete Kostmayer, from Pennsylania.  "We're not going to blow it this time. Just shut up, gays, women, and environmentalists. Just shut up. You'll get everything you want after the election. But just, for the meantime, shut up so that we can win."

He later lost his own race.  I don’t want the Johnson County Democrats to ever be the Shut Up Till We Win Party.

Plus - This isn’t just about Tom Harkin.  We all know what’s up here - people don’t just accidentally come to Iowa and New Hampshire.  The next one has started.  So let’s start. No more Vice Presidential mantle of immunity.  No more free ride on this issue.

I like Tom Harkin.  I support Tom Harkin.  This is my fourth Tom Harkin campaign, including the presidential.  But I am very disappointed that he is bringing a cultural conservative extremist like Tipper Gore into my home town.

I’d like to ask each of you not to go to this event.  Better yet, write a big check to Citizens for Harkin, give it to Anthony (2) right now, just like I’m doing.  Well, my check isn't very big.  (3)  Tell him you’ve got a problem with Tipper Gore and you’re not going.  Anthony, I’ve got a problem with Tipper, I’m not going.  If you feel you must attend, talk to Tom Harkin, talk to Jeff Lake (4) or  Anthony.  Ask them if the Senator supports the Gore’s views on this issue.  If they let you, try to talk to Tipper herself about this.  She doesn’t like to.  Don’t settle for easy answers like “taken out of context.”  Tell them that talk of “backwards satanic messages” belongs in the Christian Coalition, not the Democratic Party.

At least, please take the time to read up on this learn about it – I’ve got my fact sheet over there, there’s some web links with it.  Make up your own mind.  And remember this at caucus time.  I’m excited about our ticket in 2002.  I want to be proud of our ticket in 2004.  But even more than that, like Dee Snider says… I wanna rock.

Footnotes (stuff everyone in the room knew but you might not)

1) A week before this event,  following the California court ruling on the Pledge of Allegiance, Harkin began running a Pledge of Allegiance ad.  Just him, and other people, saying the pledge (including you-know-what.)  That was the whole script of the ad.

2) Anthony Carroll, local Harkin staffer.

3) For the record it was 20 bucks.  They were asking 35 to get into the event itself.

4) Jeff Lake, Harkin campaign manager