Political briefs

Mellencamp unhappy over use of his song
MADISON, Wis. — Liberal rocker John Mellencamp wants Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to know he supports collective bargaining and union rights, and said Walker should be aware of that before using his song “Small Town” on the campaign trail.

Mellencamp’s publicist, Bob Merlis, said Wednesday that he sent Walker’s campaign an email not asking him to stop using the song, but to inform him of Mellencamp’s beliefs.

Walker faces a June 5 recall election that was motivated over anger related to his proposal passed last year that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most public workers. Walker embarked Tuesday on a six-city campaign swing across Wisconsin, and Merlis said he read a news story that mentioned that Walker played “Small Town” while in Milwaukee.

Mellencamp contacted Republican presidential hopeful John McCain in 2008 when he was using “Our Country” on the campaign trail. Just as he did with Walker’s campaign, Merlis wrote McCain’s camp a letter explaining Mellencamp’s liberal leanings and that he supported Democrat John Edwards at the time.

McCain stopped using Mellencamp’s songs after the letter was sent.

Gingrich: Supporters want him to stay in race
NEWARK, Del. — Newt Gingrich said Wednesday that it still is possible for him to win the Republican presidential nomination.

“It’s not over and he has not won it yet,” Gingrich said, speaking of Mitt Romney, who moved closer to claiming the nomination a day earlier after his chief rival, Rick Santorum, dropped out of the race.

“It’s very clear that Romney does not, today, have the majority of the delegates,” Gingrich said.

Gingrich is correct that Romney does not yet have the 1,144 delegates it takes to win the nomination at the Republican National Convention, but Romney is well on his way with more than half the total.

At a campaign event scheduled between Jazzercize and bingo at a Newark, Del., senior center, Gingrich said he was taking voters’ encouragement and donations as a sign of continued support for his campaign.

U.S. finds evidence of bias in Texas voter law
AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday there is substantial evidence that Texas’ voter identification law will discriminate against minorities.

The department’s assertion came in papers filed in a Washington federal court explaining why Texas lawmakers should have to testify and turn over their communications regarding the law to a panel of judges considering whether the law can be implemented by the November election.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has argued that lawmakers should not have to reveal internal deliberations.

The Justice Department said no such privilege exists, and that evidence presented in the case so far shows that 600,000 people will be unable to vote if the law is enforced, and that minorities would be impacted the most.

Wire reports