President Willie? It's not so crazy
By Ed Kociela
http://www.thespectrum.com
Even though mid-term elections are still five months away and the run for the White House is two years after that, I've already got my candidate.
Let me introduce my nomination for President of the United States: From the great state of Texas, Mr. Willie Nelson.
Hear me out on this one, OK?
Willie has written a new book called, "The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart."
In it, America's troubadour talks at great length about the principles that guide him.
It's really quite simple. As far as Willie is concerned, it all begins and ends with the Golden Rule, which makes for a pretty good foundation for a campaign platform.
Willie is concerned about the environment. He put his money where his mouth is by manufacturing a grade of bio-diesel fuel that he sells at a Texas service station and burns in the Honeysuckle Rose - his legendary tour bus, which could serve as a pretty cool campaign vehicle.
He worries about social issues like health care for the elderly, the young and the working poor.
As co-founder of Farm Aid, he has worked tirelessly to help America's family farmers who are getting stomped to death by the big corporate outfits trying to put them out of business.
He wants to save America's sagging reputation by putting an end to foolish wars.
So, you can have your Democrats and Republicans. I prefer a truth-seeking independent thinker who is not in the pocket of any special interest group.
This one-time cotton-picker from Abbott, Texas is a book-learned, self-made intellectual whose wisdom extends beyond a scruffy image and whose search has led him to quote such spiritual leaders as Kahlil Gibran and Ram Dass and borrow from the "Tao Te Ching" in his newest book.
I'm not going to give away all of his lessons. Spend $20 like I did. Willie wrote the book, he deserves the money. However, one of my favorite lines is: "Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb, but how well you bounce."
Our paths crossed once, only briefly. But I think it's safe to say that I found him a warm and gracious man; a compassionate man; a man who knows how to laugh and cry; an honest man.
I'll probably end up the only guitar player in the world who will never get the chance to sit and pick a couple of songs with Willie. But, even so, I feel like I've spent time with him on his bus, listening to stories about gigs at Armadillo World Headquarters, hanging out with Waylon, Cash and Kristofferson and making music with his friends.
Willie for president?
It may be crazy, but in this political world of pretenders, defenders and offenders, I can't think of a better choice.
Call City Editor Ed Kociela at 674-6237 or e-mail ekociela@thespectrum.com
- Login or register to post comments
- Email this page
- Printer-friendly version
- Spotlight this page



The Guantánamo Files: The Stories of the 774 Detainees in America’s Illegal Prison
Nonviolent Struggle: 50 Crucial Points
George W. Bush, War Criminal?: The Bush Administration's Liability for 269 War Crimes
Nonviolence: Twenty-Five Lessons from the History of a Dangerous Idea
A Force More Powerful: A Century of Nonviolent Conflict
Waging Nonviolent Struggle: 20th Century Practice and 21st Century Potential
A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The 35 Articles of Impeachment and the Case for Prosecuting George W. Bush
The Trial of Donald Rumsfeld
The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder
Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law
United States v. George W. Bush et al.
The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders' Cure for Royalism
Articles of Impeachment Against George W. Bush
The Impeachment of George W. Bush: A Practical Guide for Concerned Citizens
The Case for Impeachment
Impeach the President: The Case Against Bush and Cheney
George W. Bush versus the U.S. Constitution: The Downing Street Memos and Deception, Manipulation, Torture, Retribution, and Cover-ups in the Iraq War and Illegal Domestic Spying
Verdict and Findings of Fact
Impeach Bush: A Funny Li'l Graphical Novel About the Worstest Pres'dent in the History of Forevar
Pretensions to Empire: Notes on the Criminal Folly of the Bush Administration
The Twilight of Democracy: The Bush Plan for America













www.VelvetRevolution.us
Recent comments
7 hours 20 min ago
7 hours 38 min ago
12 hours 54 min ago
18 hours 30 min ago
19 hours 2 min ago
19 hours 22 min ago
21 hours 7 min ago
21 hours 11 min ago
21 hours 45 min ago
21 hours 47 min ago