John McCain is suing the pants off of Jackson Browne. For suing the pants off of McCain. The failed presidential candidate says Browne just sued him to drum up some publicity for his upcoming album. According to McCain it had nothing to do with him using Browne’s song without his permission. Way to make sure you never take the blame for anything dude.

John McCain is returning Jackson Browne’s August lawsuit complaining about McCain using his song “Running on Empty” during his campaign by claiming Browne is just trying drum up publicity for his own album, reports TMZ.

McCain’s lawyers filed a response, saying Jackson complained so he could get press to promote his new album, which came out a month later.

J-Mac also makes the argument he could use the tune whenever and where he wants because he was running for Prez, not trying to make a buck off it. If the court buys this “political speech as public interest” claim, it pretty much means curtains for a bunch of other musicians who were PO’d about their songs being used by the GOP.

The list of other acts mad at McCain for playing their songs includes Van Halen, Heart, Foo Fighters and more.

[From the Huffington Post]

You know, suing a guy is not the cheapest thing. I’m sure if Browne were trying to drum up publicity he could have found more cost-effective ways to do it. I think that he – like so many other musicians – was just mortified and offended to be associated with the GOP in any way. And he was angrier about it than a lot of others who just sent McCain’s camp cease and desist letters.

The Foo Fighters pointed out how un-American it was for McCain to use artists’ music without their permission, since it showed a total disregard for their intellectual property rights. Hopefully McCain’s lawsuit will be tossed, Browne will win his suit, and the senator can apologize for being suck a jerk. He’s well known for apologizing.

Here’s Jackson Browne performing “Running on Empty” with Bruce Springsteen, another Democratic supporter, in East Rutherford, NJ in 2004.