The vacationing Eric Alterman, author of MSNBC's weblog Altercation and Nation columnist, writes in from Paris today about Bruce Springsteen's concert in Paris last night.

"The highlight for me, however, was the searing “Born in the USA,” restored to its rock ‘n roll roots and placed — as far as one could tell — as a warning against war in Iraq. But it also seemed to be a cry of patriotic solidarity with the men and women about to have their lives ended — or at least badly messed up there. Perhaps this is conjecture on my part.

"Springsteen’s comments have been limited to decrying the loss of civil liberties attendant with Attorney General John Ashcroft’s exploitation of the war on terrorism. But nobody in Paris seems to support going to war, and America is not terribly popular here now for a whole set of reasonable and a few unreasonable reasons."

"Yet, I dunno, 18,000 or so French people were thrusting their fists in the air singing “Born in the USA” and appearing — in some inexplicable fashion — to mean it with all their hearts."

Altercation will have a guest host every day until Eric's return on October 28. We will be doing Fridays, including his famous "slacker friday" where selected responses from readers to his columns are posted. Your mail should go to alterlinks@aol.com.

If you disagree with Bush's war policy or his and Ashcroft's erosion of our civil liberties, or if you care about who sits on the Supreme Court and determines the law that will apply to your children as they grow into adulthood, the best way to show it is by voting for democratic candidates for the House and Senate. And by financially supporting the candidates in the closest races, like Tom Strickland of Colorado, so they can afford to run a final tv media blitz.