Secretary of Arts!

Published Jan 14 2009, 11:16 AM by Jeff Inglis

A comment by Quincy Jones, the musician/composer/general arts supporter (and FOB - that's Friend of Barack, now), made during a post-election interview with has spawned an online petition drive to create a cabinet-level Secretary of Arts position. While it's unclear exactly what such a person would do, the very existence of the position would certainly raise the profile of arts and their contribution to national life, economic activity, and culture.

This is precisely the sort of effort I called for in the original piece. And John Nichols took a similar view in The Progressive on Monday, writing:

"The way to influence Obama and his Administration is to speak not so much to him as to America. Get out ahead of the new President, and of his spin-drive communications team. Highlight the right appointees and the right responses to deal with the challenges that matter most. Don't just critique, but rather propose. Advance big ideas and organize on their behalf; identify allies in federal agencies, especially in Congress, and work with them to dial up the pressure for progress. Don't expect Obama or his aides to do the left thing. Indeed, take a lesson from rightwing pressure groups in their dealings with Republican administrations and recognize that it is always better to build the bandwagon than to jump on board one that is crafted with the tools of compromise."

Let's get moving!

Filed Under: take back barack, barack obama, takebackbarack, obama, progressive

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2 Comments

Fake Name said:

Great, just what we need, a new bureaucracy!

January 16, 2009 12:57 PM
MariDD said:

Our new President obviously has alot of respect for the Arts-they have been as much a part of American Life as America itself-Its' time to give them their day in this Administration~

January 20, 2009 7:17 PM

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Secretary of Arts!

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