Casino fires Ronstadt for praising Moore

POP legend Linda Ronstadt was fired on Saturday by a Las Vegas casino after praising left-wing producer Michael Moore’s anti-Bush movie Fahrenheit 9/11.

Ronstadt was performing a one-night concert at the Aladdin casino on Saturday night and dedicated her finale, the Eagles classic, Desperado, to Moore, whom she described as a “great American patriot ... who is spreading the truth”.

She said Moore was “someone who cares about this country deeply and is trying to help” with the release of his film.

Ronstadt encouraged concert-goers to go see the movie.

But the crowd of 4,500 immediately began jeering, tearing up and defacing concert posters and throwing cocktails at the startled singer. Nearly half of those in attendance walked out, demanding a refund of their money.

Aladdin president Bill Timmins, who was in attendance for the performance, described this as “a very ugly scene”.

“Ronstadt praised Moore and all of a sudden all bedlam broke loose,” Timmins said.

As a result, he made the decision to immediately fire Ronstadt and did not allow her to return to her suite.

In addition, Ronstadt was physically escorted off the property to her tour bus because she “spoiled a wonderful evening for our guests and we had to do something about it”, Timmins said.

Tyri Squyres, a spokeswoman for Aladdin, said Ronstadt “wasn’t happy, but she was co-operative” as she was leaving.

In a statement, the Aladdin asserts that Ronstadt was “hired to entertain the guests of the Aladdin, not to espouse political views”.

“We hired Ms Ronstadt as an entertainer, not as a political activist,” Timmins said. “Whether you are politically on the left or on the right is not the point. She went up in front of the stage and just let it out. This was not the correct forum for that.”

Ronstadt has refused to comment on this incident.