John Romano is an American songwriter, artist, and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, CA. He also the editor of Yes, But, However.
He has released two acclaimed solo CD's (Delicious and Evolution) and has recorded a widely used version of John Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War is Over)."
John is currently working on the debut release of The Sugarmen, a band project put together with LA favs George Nakonechny, Clark Becker, Brian Irwin, Brent Crowe, and both Frank Mussara Sr. and Jr.
He also is a political correspondent for BBC Radio London.
Oh, and his nickname is Johnny Rome, has been for 15 years.
Twitter: twitter.com/johnromano
John Romano
Race, Race, Race
by John RomanoRace is once again the biggest issue in America. Kanye stealing the mic from Taylor, the school bus beating, Joe Wilson’s scream in Congress, ACORN scandals, the Cambridge cop and lastly, CIA-investigating Attorney General Eric Holder calling us all cowards for not talking about race. Race cards are flying all around us on a daily basis. Duck!
Let’s talk about race for a moment.
This morning I saw a video of a school bus filled with primarily African-American kids cheering while a white student is beaten to a pulp. Already the police are saying race had nothing to do with the attack. Oh really? So a white kid being beaten has no racial undertones yet Joe Wilson’s inappropriate scream of “You Lie!” is solely about race? Why, certainly. Just ask Maureen Dowd. (more…)
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The United States of Obama
by John RomanoAn unknown source left the following under the door of my hotel room recently:
It was in a plain manila envelope and was addressed to “The Head Scratching Big Hollywood Dude.” Besides the historical context of such a document, it got me thinking further about the great symbol of hope. No longer can we think of the Rolling Stones tongue/sun/flag symbol as the image of the upstart candidate from Hope, Hawaii singing “Yes we can” to adoring crowds of neo-socialists. Let’s think about what “Sunny-O” is becoming. The symbol is, slowly but surely, that of a monolithic, intrusive central government. (more…)
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Honoring September 11th: We Are All Americans Today
by John RomanoAnother 9/11 is upon us. The United States of America is still suffering from a large degree of shock associated with that day. Everything from Barack Obama’s election to George W. Bush’s successes and missteps trace back to 9/11/01.
Jimmy Straine and Tim Finnerty were the two people I knew best who were lost that day. I still think about them and I think about us.
Where are we going as a nation? How do we bridge the ever growing gap between left and right? How do we handle future attacks? How do we reconcile the incompatible parts of Islam with America’s heritage of religious liberty.
President Obama deserves and has gotten much respect from conservatives on the issue of national security. The potential CIA witch-hunt will tear that to shreds, but for now conservatives respect Obama’s support for the troops and his moves in Afghanistan. (more…)
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The Barack and Joe Variety Show
by John RomanoThings are getting tough for President Obama.
His press conferences are even boring him, I think. No more Greek columns or strange light happenings that frame Obama as an otherworldly being. Nope, what’s left is a guy in over his head who isn’t sure of what he is doing (he wouldn’t be the first). Or at least a guy who can’t be honest about what his actual designs for this great nation are. I think it is most likely the latter.
Obama will save his Presidency only by making allies with the Republicans as Bill Clinton did. Clinton was the absolute best at working across the aisle. Can Obama do it? I doubt it at this stage. He absolutely meant the “spread the wealth around” comments he made to Joe the Plumber and Arlen Specter has already switched parties.
To help his flagging ratings, Obama should begin a daily variety show. Why not give the masses a bit of entertainment as well as policy? (more…)
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Henry Taxman Lowers the Drinking Age
by John RomanoThe scene below is from Christopher Bell’s illuminating documentary “Bigger, Stronger, Faster.” The film is about steroid use in American sports. While I disagree with Mr. Bell that the issues he and his brothers have faced with steroid abuse are the fault of American society, the film as a whole is great. Mr. Bell tackles the issue from all sides, which is refreshing in the NPR, Michael Moore, PBS era of blame Bush documentaries. Of course Mr. Bell does take a few shots at President Bush (how else could he get funding?), but less than most.
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In the clip director Christopher Bell takes Henry Waxman to task over steroids. In addition to being Mr. Bell’s congressman, it was Mr. Waxman who called for (along with Republican Tom Davis of Virginia) the infamous baseball hearings back in 2005. As you will see Mr. Waxman doesn’t know much about steroids or the legal drinking age (he states it is 18 “across the nation”). Why exactly did he call for public hearings on an issue he knows nothing about? (more…)
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Is America Waking Up?
by John Romano
Why has America done so well in world affairs since 1776? Selfishness? Divinity? Ruthlessness? Sheer luck?
If you believe the current batch of Democrats who are turning Washington into a permanent liberal fiefdom, divinity has had no hand in world affairs. And if it did, we’d surely be the receiver of its wrath. America is mean. America’s selfishness is all that is wrong with the world, says the left. We are not the shining city on a hill, as a wise old man once told us we were.
The mainstream press got a real rude awakening this week as the Washington Post attempted to do publicly what they have always done privately: sell influence. Further to that, Helen Thomas and Chip Reid of CBS gave Obama Press Secretary Robert Gibbs an earful for the administration’s canned YouTube town hall. Hand-picked attendees and staff-picked YouTube videos does not a town hall make. Gibbs flubbed over that one like a teenager getting caught sneaking in to an R-rated film. (more…)
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Climate Change Republicans
by John RomanoThe Waxman-Markey climate change bill is more about redistributing wealth from traditional energy companies to new “Green” and yes, Democrat-friendly energy companies. President Obama is the first politician in the history of the United States that is judged not on job growth, but the unquantifiable jobs created or saved. I guess climate change will be the same. Yes, it is 75 degrees now, but it would be 115 had Waxman-Markey not been passed. One cannot prove otherwise.
The climate change bill passed the house 219-212. Without the eight votes below, the bill would not have passed. 44 moderate Democrats voted against the bill. Here is the list of the eight Republicans that made Henry Waxman’s dream of less economic growth in the US possible:
Michael Castle (DE)
Mary Bono Mack (CA)
Dave Leonard Lance (NJ)
Dave Reichert (WA)
John McHugh (NY)
Frank LoBiondo (NJ)
Chris Smith (NJ)
Mark Kirk (IL)
Outside of Mark Kirk (who makes a point of reading entire bills), I can’t imagine that anyone else, Democrat or Republican, did. (more…)
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What ObamaCare Needs is a Little Sham Wow!
by John RomanoIn the course of my duties here at BH I was tasked with watching the Obama infomercial. A side effect of having to sit through Obama’s drivel is that I got to interact with my fellow writers and the readers of Big Hollywood. Good stuff.
I’m only half kidding when I say this, but President Obama needs to channel Vince the “Sham Wow!” guy. Pronto. That is the kind of salesman he needs to become if he is going to lull the American public into buying Obamacare. “You are going to love my co-pay, Charlie. It’s made in Germany, you know the Germans make good stuff.”
Obama did not move the needle forward the other night. ABC must surely regret its decision to have hosted this partisan affair. Not only were they shown as the tools of the Obama media machine that they are, but they bored the American public to tears. One thing stuck out: I don’t ever remember seeing the President of the United States sit around while a network took a commercial break. It debased the Presidency. How did ABC pull that one off? President Obama could of surely gotten ABC to go commercial free, couldn’t he have? Perhaps the networks are fighting back against the “all me” President, if ever so slightly. (more…)
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Success No Longer Cool, Says Hollywood
by John RomanoHollywood has an agenda at all times. Rarely is a cigar just a cigar in the movies. Hollywood’s messages about success are especially insidious. A simple example: “Devil Wears Prada.” I finally caught the film this weekend. Of course, in the end Anne Hathaway quits her great job getting coffee for Meryl Streep to “write.” Ms. Hathaway raked herself over the coals, and suffered great indignities, before getting promoted and then realizing what it’s all about in life is much more than status, success and being an insider affecting other people’s lives. As soon as she no longer had to fetch coffee, she realized this, of course. Hmmm.
There are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of films that have echoed this same theme over the years. Perhaps the point of downplaying success and its rewards in the media is to reassure the audience, which lives life in the middle, that the middle is okay. Us in the middle of course already know this. Or perhaps it’s more nefarious: to brainwash people into thinking that trying is for suckers. After all, if you stop trying, you can watch more TV. (more…)
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Newsweek Editor Evan Thomas: Obama ‘a sort of god’
by John RomanoIn a first-ever for me, I’m hitting you all with a “you have to see it to believe it.”
“In a way Obama is standing above the country, above the world. He’s sort of GOD. He’s going to bring all different sides together.”
- Newsweek editor Evan Thomas
How on earth can Newsweek still call itself a hard news magazine? It is really just Obama news and worship with a few interesting political cartoons thrown in? (more…)
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Obama in Egypt
by John Romano“I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.”
What part of the Constitution gives that responsibility to our commander and chief?
We didn’t do this kind of “outreach” before 9/11. Whether we want to admit it or not, today was a huge dose of appeasement to the radical wing of Islam. We got sucker punched in 2001 and in a way today proved that the said sucker punch was effective.
Forgive me for being harsh or cynical, but I’ve yet to see an example in history where appeasement didn’t lead to further pain and misery for the appeaser. (more…)
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Race Only Matters When it Favors Democrats
by John Romano“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
The above statement will stick with me. In fact, it just won’t leave my mind, like a lot of other AO – that’s After Obama – political moments. I’m beginning to question when enough is enough with the double standards developing in our society.
The gay lobby wants same sex marriage legalized. Equality, if you will. Many of the same anti-Prop. 8 folks would be the first to back anti-gay hate crime laws. Get it folks. Murdering a white woman is one crime. Murdering a gay male is two crimes. I think one murder charge equally applied under the law is enough. Lock ’em up, I say. If the gay lobby were smart they’d put an initiative on the ballot in California removing gays as a “protected group” while at the same time removing the gay marriage ban. It would win in a landslide. I digress. (more…)
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Government Motors: The American Thing To Do
by John RomanoGM and Chrysler will soon belong to the UAW, and therefore the Democrat party. The government has already promised the UAW 55% of Chrysler (unless a bankruptcy judge derails this plan), and GM looks set for bankruptcy early next week. The government plans on purchasing the “good parts” of GM before wrapping and delivering them to the UAW, or keeping the company for itself.
Both companies will make the cars that Obama wants, but no one else will drive.
The UAW, and its head Ron Gettlefinger, are ecstatic over the prospect of running GM and Chrysler. Gettlefinger can switch sides of the table and negotiate with himself for UAW contracts. Should be an easy negotiation. Unions by definition are designed so workers do not have to hustle. Running the companies is a logical next step for them. When the bosses become the unions and the unions own the joint, what happens then? Sounds like a recipe for disaster. (more…)
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Meet the News Boss, (Not) the Same as the Old Boss.
by John Romano
No one can legitimately claim that the Judge-the-beauty-talking-guy came out on top of the California-pretty-girl-have-title in the recent Ms.-Fifty-States-show. Sorry, I just can’t bring myself to write the words Perez, Miss California and Miss USA again.
In the past, the traditional media’s word would have been the end of the story. Ms. Prejean would have been cast as ignorant and most likely lost her “crown” ten years ago. Not sure what the equivalent in 1999 would be to “I believe in opposite marriage,” but the negative mainstream spin on the story would have stuck. Not this time. I wrote a piece about gay marriage and the danger of silencing the pro Prop. 8 constituency a while back. (more…)
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Wanda Sykes, Dividing America?
by John RomanoI thought the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was supposed to be a night of fun and unity. A night when both sides, along with the press, poke fun at one another without the nastiness. Instead, Wanda Sykes shamelessly kisses up to Obama and gets downright nasty with the GOP. Here is a clip of part of her remarks:
Obama obviously approves as he is yucking it up with her after her performance and he and Michelle are laughing at almost every joke.
Anyone have an example of a conservative doing this kind of thing?
The press of course will treat this as a non-issue while they lie in wait for someone of consequence in the GOP to use Obama’s middle name in public. Where are we heading with this emerging left/right double standard? It can’t be a good place. (more…)
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Obama Bans the Commonfolk from Normandy **UPDATED and CORRECTED**
by John RomanoA lot of the difference, the change if you will, between Obama and Bush has much to do with the word humility.
George Bush is and was a humble man. Obama thinks the world counts on him and him alone to lead us. Bush went to church and prayed often. Obama puts out press releases about his supposed piety. The left sold a great bill of goods to the American people claiming that Bush, et al. were arrogant while insisting that Obama was a “man of the people.”
The 65th Anniversary of D-Day is fast approaching. Barack Obama will attend the events on June 6th as George Bush did in 2004 for the sixtieth memorial service. Here is the rub, as of now Obama’s State Department has asked (read demanded) the French government not allow tour guide services to operate that day. It is a big day for Normandy tourism. Yet, the king will not allow those not connected with government to enjoy the day. Obama is very important you know. This is an unprecedented request. I hope the French come to their senses and deny it. (more…)
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When Dems Don’t Have the Votes, Perkins Coie Finds Them
by John RomanoDown heavily in the polls to Republican Doug Forrester and facing scandal charges that even a Democrat couldn’t spin out of, Bob Torricelli abandoned his 2002 reelection bid for the US Senate. However, there was a wrinkle. New Jersey law stated at the time that all ballots should be finalized 51 days before an election. Torricelli threw in the towel after this deadline had passed.
Normally, the withdrawing parties party would lose the seat. Not if you are a Democrat, and not if you are in New Jersey. In something that reads like a subplot of a “Sopranos” episode, the Democrats got a sympathetic judge to allow a circumvention of the law, allowing veteran pol Frank Lautenberg on the ballot just five weeks before Election Day. Doug Forrester, the Republican upstart, who had already committed and produced hundreds of thousands of dollars in anti-Torricelli ads, was understandably caught off guard and unable to shift gears. Forrester was defeated by the “luckily” out-of-retirement Lautenberg. The lawyers by Mr. Torricelli’s and the Democrats’ side throughout it all were from the law firm of Perkins Coie, LLP. Remember that name. (more…)
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Mia Farrow Goes Where Obama Fears to Tread
by John Romano
I’m generally not a fan of Mia Farrow. I much preferred Diane Keaton in Woody Allen movies. Though Madame Farrow did spend part of her life with Frank Sinatra, which is pretty cool.
I must however, commend her recent remarks about Darfur and President Obama’s do nothing-read- speech-only approach. Excerpts from her recent interview with Fox News:
During the campaign trail both he [Obama] and Biden made a lot of promises to help the region of Darfur, and nobody voted for him more excitedly than I but nothing has been done…. (more…)
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When Good Googles Go Bad
by John Romano
When we talk about mainstream media bias, a discussion of Google must be included. Although not a traditional media outlet, Google is every bit as much a controller and disseminator of information as all three traditional networks combined. It’s presumed to be a kindly information sorter, kind of an encyclopedia plus the Yellow Pages. A dispassionate “spider” named Googlebot patrols the Internet and hands you results. Right? Well, that bot is set up by human beings, human beings that for the most part are partisan Democrats.
From 2000-2004 Googlers’ contributions to the Democrats far outweighed the paltry sum given to the GOP. From an old World-Net Daily article: (more…)
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Arlen Specter Switches Parties
by John Romano
Is anyone surprised that squishy Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter is switching sides to protect his seat in the Senate? Many in the GOP have called for the proverbial head of Mr. Specter and the Republicans plan on running a challenger to him in next year’s primary.
Democrat or Republican, Arlen Specter is an opportunist not a leader. The press will play this as more evidence of the end of the GOP. Personally, I’m glad to see him go.
Moderate or urban conservatives, those of us who care most about taxes and national security, should applaud the move. Specter has never helped the GOP. (more…)
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Spreading the Socialism Around
by John RomanoFinally, some actual video of Obama and Hugo chatting at the Summit of the Americas. Obama calls for spreading the wealth around and Chavez says “those of us who want to build heaven here on earth, we will follow socialism.” They seem to have a lot in common. I can’t make heads or tails of anything in this video and I wouldn’t trust the reporter from CNN, I mean Venezuelan state TV.
This is not video of the infamous brothers in Socialism handshake, but is interesting nonetheless. The handshake video, if it ever existed, seems to have been thrown down the memory hole with Obama’s college transcripts.
What on earth can these two cats be talking about?
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Meg Whitman for Governor
by John RomanoMany in the media and Democrat party started pushing Barack Obama for President at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Thinking about 2008 while the rest of us were thinking about 2004 was a smart move that obviously yielded great results. As the Three Tax-a-teers on the Democrat side fight out who would raise taxes on the wealthy and middle-class the most, the GOP can greatly improve its chances by uniting around a candidate now. That candidate is Meg Whitman.
Meg Whitman is first and foremost a businesswoman. She grew a company from 30 employees to 15,000 in ten years. The 52 year old mom of two is a Long Island native and Princeton graduate. She’s lived and worked in California for over thirty years. Sure. Meg Whitman’s career in politics is not as extensive as many of California’s lifers. She was too busy working and building a global Internet business you might have heard of: EBay. Meg left the company in 2008 and soon thereafter set her sights on the governorship. A true moderate conservative, unlike someone else we know, Madame Whitman will be a breath of fresh air in Sacramento. (more…)
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The Coming Republican Alamo
by John Romano
American Democracy has prospered because of the inherent balance between left and right, Hamilton and Jefferson, Democrat and Republican, liberal and conservative, religious and secular, coastal and flyover and on and on.
Three things on the Democrats’ agenda this year, if passed or unchecked, will significantly upset that balance once and for all.
- Census Tinkering – We need to watch and make sure that the Democrats don’t use the census as a tool to expand the Democrat hold on Congress. As a Californian, I’ve seen firsthand how politicians can use subtle changes in district boundaries and demographics to preserve and bolster the ruling parties ranks. This will be a tough one to monitor, but is very important. (more…)
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U2 Tours This Summer, Which Bono Will Show Up?
by John Romano
U2 is gearing up for a full scale US tour this summer. The Rose Bowl is already sold out for October 25th. YouTube and illicit audience recordings will never replace being there live, but it does give a guy a way to remember how it could and should be.
August 28, 1993. Only a hardcore U2 fan will know what that date means.
That summer night in Dublin, U2 put on what was perhaps the best show in rock history. Mick Jagger, Bono’s Dad Bob Hewson, a gaggle of supermodels and thousands of fans in the audience. Not a note out of time or a phrase out of place. The pinnacle of western music in my opinion. A big claim I know. The show has become legend in U2 circles. (more…)
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Tea Parties, Homeland Security and Silencing the Opposition
by John RomanoToday the Washington Times printed an article about Obama’s DHS crew releasing a report about, and plans to step up efforts to watch, “Right Wing Radical extremists.” Interesting that this is released just before the Tea Parties are scheduled to happen across America.
From the article itself:
A footnote attached to the report by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines “rightwing extremism in the United States” as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority.
“It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration,” the warning says.
Notice the clever use of “immigration” instead of “illegal immigration.” Of course genuine extremists groups, usurpers of the rights of others through violence, should be monitored. Individuals who reject “federal authority in favor of state or local authority,” really? (more…)
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Me? Or Your Lying Eyes? II
by John RomanoYesterday at the daily White House briefing, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs echoed the quote that was attributed to an anonymous source in my last post.
When asked about the bow, Gibbs detailed that Obama was using both hands and reaching down to the king. The CNN reporter who asked the question countered that the bow was done with one hand and then President Obama took the King’s hands with both of his. When pressed Gibbs gave a simple “No” as to whether Obama bowed before the King of Saudi Arabia. I’m sure most have seen the video of the bow now watch the White House denial.
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Now, most lefties usually blow a screw here and yammer on about how we have “bigger issues” to deal with or how GWB held hands with the King. I think the White House pulling a play straight from “1984″ is a big enough issue for me. (more…)
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Me? Or Your Lying Eyes?
by John Romano“It wasn’t a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he’s taller than King Abdullah,” said an Obama aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
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Yeah right!
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Chia Obama
by John RomanoOne odd and pleasant side effect of the Obama Presidency, at least for a media watcher, is the new cottage industry of Obama products. Plates, coins, flags, picture frames, and much more.
Barack Obama is the first President to be elected as an entertainment brand. Sure he talked about issues, but scratch your average Obama voter (hard if you like) and they will most likely have no clue to his positions.
Like all great brands, from Kiss to Versace, knock offs and trinkets are inevitable. It only took the Chia people two months to pound out the “Chia Obama.” I want one. In Brooklyn they’ve opened up “Obama Fried Chicken.” Perhaps, a la “Forrest Gump,” the Amalgamated Teleprompter Company will develop the O-brand Teleprompter Monitors. Ping-pong paddles, teleprompters, what’s the difference? As long as Obama doesn’t start hawking the plates and embroidered blankets himself on HSN, I’m cool. (more…)
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The Genius vs. The Liberal
by John RomanoA friend passed along a great clip with Milton Friedman and Phil Donahue:
On another note, I’ll be on BBC Radio London this Thursday afternoon (3 pm PST) with radio legend Big George Webley. We’ll be talking Hollywood, music, and politics.
Please tune in if you can: BBC Radio London (Click the “Listen Live” link on the right hand column.)
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Why Obama’s Teleprompter Gaffe Tape Matters
by John RomanoWhen George W. Bush was President, the Democrats and certain press outlets hammered every little mistake he made as evidence of him being “the dumbest President ever.” They did this not to hurt Bush, that was an awesome side benefit. The main intent was to cripple the GOP. It worked. This approach began with Nixon and Ford, but took a much-hated hiatus during the eighties, when Reagan turned the remaining southern Democrats into Republicans and created the last great party boom.
Alleging Bush’s supposed idiocy day after day was designed to put the idea in the head of the general populace that the GOP was inept. They decided to nominate Bush, the dumbest person in the world, how can they ever be trusted again? (more…)
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