Will politicians ever learn? Regardless of what that statement is in relation to, it seems the answer will always be ‘no’. However, one thing they should get through their heads – especially those on the right – is that musicians don’t like it when they use their music.

See, rock ‘n’ roll stars tend to have a lot of friends who right-wingers don’t like. We’re talking about gay people and people who aren’t white here.

And of course, while not every right-wing leaner is a racist or homophobe, sadly, they’re aligned with people who are or, at the very least, really sound like it. And so, when Tom Petty discovered that US presidential candidate Michele Bachmann was using one of his songs, he got into a strop.

Of course, if Tom Petty was any good, this story would be a breeze to write. We could just take his side and that would be that. Sadly, Petty and his Heartbreakers make really, really boring dadrock.

Either way, Bachmann used ‘American Girl’ as her exit music, which saw Petty sending a ‘cease and desist’. This isn’t the first glitch in the Republican’s campaign either. During her announcement speech, the Tea Bagger managed to confused the birthplace of John Wayne with the place that serial killer John Wayne Gacy was born.

That’s just brilliant isn’t it? Since Sarah Palin went quiet, it’s nice to have another nutter knocking around American politics.

And it’s because Bachmann has said things like…

”Not all cultures are equal.”

and

‘Normalization (of homosexuality) through desensitization. Very effective way to do this with a bunch of second graders, is take a picture of ‘The Lion King’ for instance, and a teacher might say, ‘Do you know that the music for this movie was written by a gay man?’ The message is: I’m better at what I do, because I’m gay.”

…that seems to stick in Petty’s horribly wrinkled craw. He didn’t have any problem with Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton using the same song. He did take issue with George W Bush using ‘I Won’t Back Down’ at his rallies. After Petty chided him, Dubya ironically backed down.

Bachmann was incredibly naive to think that Perry would be okay with her using his song, especially given that Petty is something of an environmentalist – support such causes. Given that Bachmann’s view on global warming is:

“The big thing we are working on now is the global warming hoax. Its all voodoo, nonsense, hokum, a hoax.”

Perhaps she should stick to country music, eh?

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The Super Bowl Halftime show is a chance for the biggest names in music to either perform a bulletproof collection of world-conquering hits or whap a big wobbly booby out and make everyone choke on their tea.

Which one happened at yesterday's Super Bowl? Well, none. Tom Petty performed you see.

Tom Petty. You know. From Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Oh, come on, you know who Tom Petty is – he did that song that was on for about 20 seconds during that one episode of Scrubs once. At least we think that was Tom Petty.

Even though it ended with the shock result of the New York Dolphins beating the New England Billygoats by over two points, nobody watches the Super Bowl for the sport. They watch it for two things – one is to gawp at adverts for stuff and the other is to shuffle to the edge of their seats during the Super Bowl halftime show and hope to hell that someone exposes their knockers again.

Of course, that hasn't for a few years, so to make up for it the Super Bowl organisers lined up some of the biggest names in music to play tome of their most-loved hits – The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Prince. Of course, these didn't pass off without controversy of their own – Prince made his guitar look a bit like a penis, the Rolling Stones said "cum" and Paul McCartney's doughy face sent 14 viewers blind – but it's still a huge trio to top. 

So which almighty megastar did the Super Bowl halftime show organisers decide to book for yesterday's show? Tom Petty, that's who.

That's right, Tom Petty – the man with a solid UK chart history of one top-30 song from 19 years ago. The man who can look himself in the eye and know that the most extreme reaction he's ever provoked in anyone at all was that time when Free Fallin' made a Mojo reader tap his fingers on his corduroy trousers for 12 seconds. The man whose band is called The Heartbreakers even though they don't so much break hearts as occasionally cause some superficial rusting. 

But was Tom Petty any good at the Super Bowl halftime show? The Associated Press seems to think he was. A bit. If you like that sort of thing. Which, to be fair, you most likely don't:

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' surprisingly subdued Super Bowl halftime show was as uncomplicated in person as it looked on television. There were no wardrobe — or any other kind — of malfunctions. Moments before the performance, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers calmly waited on the Patriots' side of the field. Once given the go signal, the musicians quickly took the stage, picked up their instruments and started performing. They made playing a concert for about 100 million people look almost effortless.

And when the most exciting thing a report can mention is the way that the band walked to the stage, that can't be a great sign.

But, still, nobody was offended, nobody showed anyone their breast and nobody said any bad words, so in that respect the performance was a success. But if Tom Petty was the most famous name that the Super Bowl organisers could convince to perform at this year's halftime show, who does that leave for next year?

We don't know. But we hear that Kevin Federline is polishing his microphone already.

Read more:

Tom Petty Plays It Cool at Super Bowl - AP