Via Talking Points Memo, there's going to be a Hurricane Sandy benefit concert on NBC tomorrow night.
#Sandy benefit acts to include Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Sting and more. Hosted by @mlauer
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 1, 2012
The next sound you hear will be thousands of right-wingers whining that this is a sneaky effort by the hated MSM to broadcast an Obama campaign rally disguised as an act of charity. Look at the lineup. Springsteen's campaigning for Obama. Jon Bon Jovi has been called "the official troubadour of the Democratic Party." Billy Joel did an Obama benefit show in 2008. Christina Aguilera was honored by Hillary Clinton at the UN last month for her work with the World Food Programme. Sting, in 2009, said of Obama, "In many ways, he's sent from God."
Even if they keep it 100% apolitical, even if some right-wingers join the lineup (or Chris Christie shows up), the wingers are going to howl. I really don't expect partisanship to intrude (except maybe Jersey partisanship, or Long Island partisanship from Billy Joel), but future Regnery books about the 2012 election may go on for pages and pages about this charity show and what it says about the evil liberal mainstream media.
And, well, this is the entertainment biz. Here's the alternative, if you want political balance:
@nbcnews @mlauer @chucktodd No Meatloaf or Ted Nugent?
— Tom_Vegas (@Falconmanx) November 1, 2012
Yikes.
UPDATE, FRIDAY: Told ya.
