I’m not much of a lyricist, though I did write and record a tune called “Red Button Blues” back during the 2003 session. It’s not quite professional quality - I was working at night in the RV with a “Luddite 1995″ special: a 4-track recorder, a decade-old Roland SoundCanvas, three out-of-tune guitars, a single Shure SM58 bought off eBay, and stiff chilly Carson City breezes working in through the cracks in the RV exterior. Sarah still thinks it was too confrontational.

As the mixing of pop music and politics goes, this pales compared to Washington Democrats’ enlisting renowned social policy professor Paul Simon (who is perhaps the best lyricist America has produced, especially before he sent Art Garfunkel packing back when I was still a kid) and pressing him into duty promoting socialized medicine.

From CBS:

Here’s what the SCHIP debate has become: The politicians are quoting the songwriter, and the songwriter sounds like a politician.

Musician Paul Simon came to town on Tuesday and joined Democrats at a Capitol Hill podium to push for House Republicans to override President Bush’s veto against expanding socialized medicine and victimizing children first.

It was inevitable that the Simon and Garfunkel lyrics would start flowing, and the politicians didn’t disappoint.

“Thank you very much, Paul Simon, for not letting any of American’s children go slip slidin’ away,” rapped Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), also tried to be cool. “I feel like today, I have diamonds on the soles of my shoes.”

And Sen. Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, the token Republican participant at the SCHIP rally, couldn’t resist as he introduced Simon to the crowd in the Cannon Caucus Room.

“Here’s to you, Mr. Simon, we’re glad to have you here,” Hatch said.

Simon, for his part, did not quote himself or any of his songs. In fact, he sounded a lot like Reid or Pelosi.

“The president’s veto … appears to be a heartless act,” Simon said.

No mention was made, of course, of the gigantic PR disaster two weeks ago, when they enlisted a 12-year-old to evoke sympathy with how SCHIP had paid for his medical bills, but who was then determined to be living in a half million dollar house and attending a $20K per year private school . In other words, advocating for continuing our current policy of not applying an assets test to welfare eligibility.

Meanwhile, Brits victimized by socialized dentistry are pulling their own teeth.

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