Are You Ready For a TEA Party? Hank Williams Jr. Sure Is

A country boy can survive the Obama administration. Just ask Hank Williams, Jr.

The country music artist --  best known to millions of Americans regardless of their musical taste for his "Are You Ready For Some Football?" theme to Monday Night Football -- was profiled yesterday by Bill Lynch of the Charleston [W.V.] Gazette (h/t my NB colleague Tim Graham).

Lynch spent a considerable portion of his profile focused on Williams's politics, including his upcoming gig at a Labor Day TEA Party:

So, Williams wants to be clear about why he's coming to the Friends of America Rally in Logan on Labor Day.

It's not about money, although there should be little doubt that Williams is going to get his share of what might be several million dollars being spent to put the show on. The Friends of America Rally is a pro-coal, pro-conservative, anti-Obama and anti-cap-and-trade legislation "tea party" arranged by Massey Energy.

The man everybody just calls Hank is coming to help heat the water.

Williams has been political for years, and despite the songs about wild ways, drinking and carousing, he's very conservative. The lyrics to some of his songs have long tied into a white, working-class rage against the establishment and rural distaste for urban sensibilities.

[...]

Williams scoffs at the Obama stimulus package as worthless, thinks the "Cash for Clunkers" program was pointless and absolutely has no faith in health-care reform.

"And let's have health care for a bunch of illegal aliens," he said, irritably. "We're not Italy, and that's what he [Obama] wants us to be."

Still, the health-care debate hasn't been a complete loss for him. Williams says he's enjoyed the coverage of the town hall meetings across the country, where small, angry groups have, on occasion, shouted down senators and congressmen speaking about health-care reform.

He says he loves that the politicians have to run and hide. It's high entertainment.

"I get a lot of enjoyment when I have my evening cigar and listen to these idiots."

Williams is also a big fan of conservative talk radio, particularly Laura Ingraham and Mark Levin, Lynch noted, quoting Williams as saying, "It's the only place you'll hear the truth."