Rosanne Cash Defends Father Against John Rich

"I'm sure Johnny Cash would have been a John McCain supporter if he was still around."

Those are words country star John Rich may want to take back. Cash's eldest daughter, Rosanne Cash, has issued a statement in response to Rich's political assumption, which he made onstage at a Florida concert earlier this month.

"It is appalling to me that people still want to invoke my father's name, five years after his death, to ascribe beliefs, ideals, values and loyalties to him that cannot possibly be determined and to try to further their own agendas by doing so," Rosanne writes. "I knew my father pretty well, at least better than some of those who entitle themselves to his legacy and his supposed ideals, and even I would not presume to say publicly what I 'know' he thought or felt. This is especially dangerous in the case of political affiliation. It is unfair and presumptuous to use him to bolster any platform. I would ask that my father not be co-opted in this election for either side since he is clearly not here to defend or state his own allegiance."

As a matter of fact -- and for those keeping score -- the Washington Post points out that Cash was an outspoken supporter of Democrat Jimmy Carter.