Artist & collectors donate for auction to get rid of shrub

[No2W2004]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/art_of_politics

Benefit Art Auction Aims to Unseat Bush

WASHINGTON - Andy Warhol's pop creations, William Wegman's offbeat portraits and the abstract drawings of Willem de Kooning are more than works of art to some Democrats. The auction-block objects are a means to a desired goal — defeating President Bush (news - web sites) and other Republicans on Nov. 2.

Artists, art galleries and wealthy collectors are contributing more than 170 works for an auction June 29 in New York to raise money for two pro-Democratic groups, America Coming Together and the political action committee ARTS PAC, that will use the cash for voter mobilization and other election-year efforts.

"Join artists and friends in saying 'Bye-Bye Bush' and help to elect Democratic candidates at the federal, state and local levels," an event flier says.

(snip)

"The Republican Party seems to want to be perceived as having a lock on patriotism and I think it's really a mistake for Democrats to give up the whole issue of patriotism. It's just a different notion of what it is," said Chuck Close, who expects some donations will carry patriotic themes. "I think a commitment to a free and open society is the ultimate patriot act."