The Democratic Party should work with artists and muscians

Rightardia comment: The Obama administration should work closely with artists and musicians. There is no reason to apologize to conservatives about this. This appears to be coordination issue problem. A Democratic Party relationship with the arts community is appropriate.

Historically the right has tried to suppress the arts and public media. Democrats would be foolish not engage artists, comedians and musicians in the health care debate and other political issues. Democrats needs to stop saying they are sorry about fauxtroversies the GOP loves to create.

The Obama administration sought to distance itself Tuesday from a simmering controversy swirling around a National Endowment for the Arts conference call that appeared to urge artists to endorse White House positions.

The administration’s response followed a renewed assault from conservatives on Monday after the right-leaning blog Big Hollywood posted a full transcript and audio recording of the call.

“The point of the call was to encourage voluntary participation in a national service initiative by the arts community,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. “To the extent there was any misunderstanding about what the NEA may do to support the national service initiative, we will correct it.”

“We regret any comments on the call that may have been misunderstood or troubled other participants,” Earnest continued. “We are fully committed to the NEA's historic mission, and we will take all steps necessary to ensure that there is no further cause for questions or concerns about that commitment.”

The conference call, which took place in August, was organized Michael Skolnick, the political director for hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. He was joined by Buffy Wicks, the deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, and Yosi Sergant, then-director of communications for the NEA. Skolnick says on the call that he was “asked by folks at the White House and folks at the NEA” to “help bring together the independent artists community around the country,” a statement that was not corrected or denied by the government employees on the call.

Wicks later told the NEA artists listening in that “we’re going to come at you with some specific asks here.”

Sergant followed by explaining he “would encourage you to pick something, whether it’s health care, education, the environment, you know, there’s four key areas that the corporation has identified as the areas of service.”

The NEA said Tuesday that Sergant had been “relieved of his duties” in a detailed statement separating the agency from the call.

“The former NEA Director of Communications acted unilaterally and without the approval or authorization of then-Acting Chairman Patrice Walker Powell,” said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. “This call was not a means to promote any legislative agenda and any suggestions to that end are simply false. Rather, the call was to inform members of the arts community of an opportunity to become involved in volunteerism.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27456.html#ixzz0RwCwYTj9

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