Not Ready To Back Down?

I mentioned this briefly the other night in my Grammys post, but since the debate about the Dixie Chicks rages on, I thought I'd call people's attention to this evidently forgotten quote...

"As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful. I feel that whoever holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect." - Natalie Maines, March 14, 2003 (link)

For the past three years, the Dixie Chicks have been heralded as champions of free speech for their refusal to back down from comments that Maines made about President Bush at a concert in London. The only problem is that they did back down, and only after no one bought the apology did their publicists decide to reposition them as defenders of the First Amendment .

I've got no problem with the comment Maines made about President Bush (for the record, I agree with her). She's got every right to express her opinion wherever and whenever she wants. But I've read over and over again how brave they were for refusing to apologize, and that is utter BS. They backpeddled hard, and when that didn't slow down the momentum of their scandal, they reversed course with a face saving public relations campaign. Frankly I'm embarassed that so many people have bought into it hook, line, and sinker.