Congress' Choice of Muzak Deemed Unpatriotic by Conservatives

Fans of smooth jazz might want to call their congressman. The background music of malls and airports is taking a beating after briefly becoming the new on-hold music of the US House of Representatives.

A month ago, the House quietly switched from its traditional telephone hold music: brassy patriotic tunes like you'd hear at a small-town bandstand on the Fourth of July. Instead, callers on hold heard generic light jazz.

Conservative commentators quickly made it a partisan issue, criticizing the move as the un-American work of Democratic leadership. "Why Does Nancy Pelosi Have a Problem with Patriotic Music?" read one headline.

The fanfare has been reinstated after a formal protest filed by a Michigan representative. An administrative spokesman claimed that House Democrats had nothing to do with the experiment, explaining that it was a test to see whether the offices of individual representatives could choose their own hold music.

We're guessing the Dixie Chicks, Green Day and Rage Against the Machine won't be popular choices.