So Chuck DeVore calls me tonight on his way to a speech in Graeagle and he’s got mischief on his mind.

“I just wanted to assure you your journalistic integrity is not in jeopardy,” DeVore says, trying to control a chuckle.

I wasn’t worried, I say.

But Chuck thinks maybe I was delving too deeply into gonzo journalism like Hunter Thompson when I suggested his next parody song to the tune of a Don Henley song ought to be “All She Wants To Do is Tax, Tax, Tax” to poke fun at his senatorial opponent Barbara Boxer.

Turns out I’m off the hook, though. Not surprisingly, at least four other people had already suggested the idea to him. I didn’t think I was cornering the market on cleverness there — it was a pretty obvious next step in his feud with the ex-Eagles drummer.

In case you’re unaware of the conflict, here’s the back story: DeVore wrote up a little ditty poking fun at President Obama sung to the tune of Henley’s “The Boys of Summer.” Henley didn’t like that so he told YouTube to “tear down that wall.” (Wait, should I reference Reagan when talking about a lefty like Don? Anyway, I digress….).  So YouTube did. Great, DeVore thought. I’ll do another one and get all the earned free media I can.

Meanwhile, The Don’s lawyers sent a scary letter to the OC Weekly telling them to take down the same video embedded on their site. This just tickles Chuck to no end as the reason the video was on the site was to make fun of Chuck. Oh, the irony!

Now Chuck’s got big ideas. He’s going to get some professional studio time to make the next video and he’s basically begging Henley to sue him now because he’s confident he can win.

“I know my rights. I’m willing to go all the way to the Supreme Court,” he said.

He knows that will make it a national story and the money will just come rolling in.

“You wonder at what point the DNC or Boxer will just tell him to shut up,” DeVore said.

Soon, if they’re smart.

I reached out to the Boxer folks for their reaction tonight and they can’t move as fast as ol’ Chuck. They’ll get back to me tomorrow. Probably have to have a big meeting and conference call and whatever longtime incumbents do when they get to the point where they have to mind-numbingly stay on message.

But Chuck’s at that point in his political career where he’s just letting it all hang loose — almost Bulworth-like. And I love it. Satire makes a political race so much more fun, engaging and just plain interesting.

If you want to see the video in question, ask to be one of Chuck’s Facebook friends. It’s on his Facebook. Today, Chuck filed his counterclaim against Henley’s demand to pull the video so now Henley has 10 days to respond to that. It should end up in the courts after that.

So…. stay tuned.

In the meantime, here’s the lyrics to Chuck’s new masterpiece:

All She Wants to Do Is Tax

They’re pickin’ up the taxpayers and puttin
‘em in a jam
And all she wants to do is tax, tax
Liberals been liberals since I don’t know when
And all she wants to do is tax
Cap and trade program-from D.C. Inc.
And all she wants to do is tax, tax
They pull and push us right over the brink
And all she wants to do is tax
Barbara Boxer talkin’ round
Control in her sight
And all she wants to do is tax, tax
Wild-eyed global warmers
Who ain’t afraid to lie
And all she wants to do is-
And all she wants to do is tax
And break our backs
She can’t feel the heat comin’ off the street
She wants to party
She wants to get down
And all she wants to do is-
And all she wants to do is tax
Well, the government rigged the market
in the carbon trading scam
And all she wants to do is tax, tax
To keep the boys a sellin’
All the credits they could ma’am
And all she wants to do is tax
But that don’t keep the boys
From makin’ a buck or two
And all she wants to do is tax, tax
They still can sell the public
On the good that they can do
And all she wants to do is-
And all she wants to do is tax
And break our backs
Well, we barely made twenty ten
The vote was in doubt
As we finished up the campaign
She could hear the people shout
They said, don’t come back here Boxer!
But if she ever does-
We’ll bring more money
cause all she wants to do is tax
And break our backs
Never mind the heat comin’ off the street
She wants to party
She wants to get down
All she wants to do is-
All she wants to do is tax
All she wants to do is tax
And break our backs
All she wants to do is tax

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