“I’m a Republican, but I’m a Republican from the old school. I was taught that you get what you put into it. You can be anything you want to be if you work hard enough at it, and you can earn your place. That’s the old way. Now, it’s all meshed together and you can barely figure out one side from the other.”

Aerosmith lead guitarist Joe Perry, right, and singer Steven Tyler. (AP)

◼ Aerosmith’s Joe Perry Tweets ‘Freedom of Speech’ Defense of Duck Dynasty - CNS (image source)

Joe Perry, lead guitarist for the rock band Aerosmith, which is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and who with front-man Steven Tyler is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, tweeted a defense of the Duck Dynasty controversy concerning anti-gay behavior saying, “More crackin’ down on Freedom of Speech in the US or what?”
In a follow-up tweet, Perry said, “Seems to me people have a right to express their opinions & religious beliefs. But that doesn’t mean we have to agree.”

◼ Tolerance, celebration, and disapproval - John Hayward/Red State @Doc_o

◼ SILENCE OF THE LAMBS: GOP ESTABLISHMENT REMAINED NEUTRAL ON 'DUCK DYNASTY' CONTROVERSY - Tony Lee/Breitbart

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Republican Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, and Sen.Ted Cruz (R-TX) emphatically defended Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson from the moment he was suspended by A&E for supposedly anti-gay remarks. The suspension provoked a relentless outpouring of support online, which pressured A&E to reinstate Robertson on Friday.

Palin, Jindal, and Cruz's support was in contrast to the silence of the Republican establishment, its leadership, and the Republican National Committee. The latter focused instead on Kwanzaa and promoting amnesty, which the Congressional Budget Office determined would lower the wages of working class Americans, many of whom make up the bulk of the Duck Dynasty audience.