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Even the New York Times Arts page is finding it difficult to defend the snotty Dixie Chicks. The classy Reba McEntire is publicly teasing them. The Chicks have responded to the backlash by casting all of their critics as rednecks:

The Nashville establishment is not politically monolithic. The most depressing thing about this whole episode is the way the Dixie Chicks have conflated politics and culture, Bush supporters and "rednecks." The unintended implication is that only sophisticated city folk oppose the war in Iraq, and only "rednecks" support the president....

The Dixie Chicks are still a joy to hear, and they'll have plenty of fans no matter what. The Nashville game is hard work; it brings out the best in some singers and frustrates others. If the Dixie Chicks don't want to play that game, that's certainly their prerogative. But they might at least acknowledge that they've been playing it for years, and reaping its rewards. And they shouldn't be too surprised if some fans jeer - angry, but also disappointed - as they walk off the court.

The Times understands America better than the Dixie Chicks. Now that's a statement.

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