Galtians to the core -- until it comes to intellectual property rights

I've been tracking for years the Republicans' love of theme songs they don't understand and don't intend to pay for the right to use.

Michelle Bachmann now joins the pack:

Tom Petty may be taking legal action to make sure Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann stops using his songs at her campaign events.

"NBC News: @TomPetty unhappy with Michele Bachmann's use of 'American Girl' and in process of issuing [a cease and desist] letter," Matt Ortega reported on Twitter only hours after hours after Bachmann used the popular song to kick off her campaign.

NBC's Kelly O'Donnell confirmed that report Monday night.

"And details matter, and when Bachmann left the stage here, her campaign played the Tom Petty hit song, 'American Girl,'" O'Donnell said. "Turns out Petty isn't pleased. His manager says they will ask the Bachmann campaign not to use that song."

Petty also issued a cease and desist letter to then-Governor George W. Bush for illegally using "I won't back down" at his rallies.

"The impression that you and your campaign have been endorsed by Tom Petty, which is not true," music publisher Wixen Music Publishing Inc. told the Bush campaign.

To make matters worse for Bachmann, former RNC Online Communications Director Liz Mair made this observation about the use of Petty's tune: "Isn't that what the kidnapped politician's daughter was singing in 'Silence of the Lambs?'

Mair appears to have since deleted that tweet.