April 18, 2004, 3:29PM
Right-leaning punk rockers making some noise on Web
Movement seen by mainstream as social distortion

By SHWETA GOVINDARAJAN Cox News Service

WASHINGTON -- Some on the American punk rock scene -- whose anthem has long celebrated anarchy but for many years embraced a liberal agenda -- are now singing a little louder, thanks to a little-known movement of conservative punks seeking to rally like-minded rockers through a new Web site.

They're also trying to change the overall attitude of the mainstream punk community, the majority of whom are anti-Bush, to become more accepting of those whose politics lean to the right.

"I believe conservatism and punk go hand in hand," said Nick Rizzuto, 22, founder of www.conservativepunk.com, a Web site launched at the beginning of the year that promotes conservative politics and provides a forum for punk rockers to air their views.

Rizzuto, a supporter of President Bush and the Iraq war, said his own views are a mixture of conservative and libertarian beliefs, but overall, that conservative punks embrace basic notions of freedom, individuality and a limited role of government in people's lives -- the building blocks of punk music philosophy.

Punk musicians on the left, however, argue that although punk rock has championed anarchy and scorned the establishment, its roots were always more radical than conservative.

"Punk rockers want change in society -- that's what punk rock is all about. That's the exact opposite of conservative," said Mike Burkett, also known as vocalist Fat Mike for punk band NOFX. "Conservative punk is really kind of an oxymoron."

Burkett is the founder of pxxxxxxxx.com (i intentially did this), an unabashedly anti-Republican Web site composed of punk bands, record labels and fans that seeks to organize youth punk rockers. The site has a specific goal: to mobilize more than a half a million punks to kick Bush out of office in November, said Scott Goodstein, political director of pxxxxxxxx.com.

"It's supposed to engage and enrage punk voters to take a stance," Goodstein said. "We're doing our part to make people understand that the Bush administration is out of touch with what's going on in our lives."

Meanwhile, the movement of young, conservative and politically savvy youth is good news for the Bush camp, which is trying to reach out to young voters, punks included.

"We all think it's great -- the more, the merrier," said Mary Ellen Grant, deputy press secretary for the Republican National Committee. "It's good to see there's freedom of expression within the punk rock community as well."

Rizzuto said he became conservative shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when students at his university in upstate New York shut out other perspectives and blamed Bush's policies as a catalyst for the strikes.

He launched conservativepunk.com after observing the punk rock music scene, which he had been a part of for 10 years, push right-wing punk rockers -- albeit a small minority -- to the periphery.

"Left-wing politics is very popular in punk rock -- left wing is the norm. (But) there's always been right-wing, conservative punks. They (just) never spoke up," he said.

His inspiration is largely drawn from the most famous and outspoken Republican punk, Johnny Ramone, guitarist for the legendary punk rock band The Ramones.

"He's kind of bulletproof among punks," Rizzuto says of Ramone. "Punks can't go up to Johnny Ramone and say, `You're not a punk.' Johnny Ramone is punk rock."

Since January, Rizzuto has been flooded with mixed responses from all over the world, with most of his hate mail coming from France and Germany, countries that did not support the war in Iraq.