"The Devil and George Bush" claims to be the first opera composed specifically for the Internet and intended for download to MP3 players and mobile phones.

Just in time for the election, it is also the first opera ever written about a sitting U.S. president, and the first opera to include presidential candidates -- Senators Obama and McCain. The opera is the brainchild of Portsmouth, NH-based composer Roger Rudenstein, who conceived, wrote, composed and directed it.

"The majority of mobile phone users who listen to an audio version of the opera download it via their computer onto their iPod or iPhone, which is a growing segment of the mobile phone market," Mr. Rudenstein said. "The strategy is to make opera available more easily to people and to make it more contemporary and accessible.

"When you talk about opera, a lot of people think, 'Oh I have to go to the Metropolitan Opera and wear a penguin suit,'" he said. "You can listen to this opera on your mobile phone, on the Web, and it doesn't necessarily have to have a stage show, it's more like radio.

"You don't even need to watch video, because what's happening is very clear. All they have to do is listen to it, and this is the first opera of this kind ever done."

For a limited time the new opera is being offered free on the Web site at devilandgeorgebush.com.

The opera will soon be sold on the Apple's iTunes store, Amazon.com and other Web download sites either as a full album or track-by-track.

Mr. Rudenstein will run viral publicity on the Web, viral campaigns on MySpace and YouTube video blogs and solicit support from Internet radio stations.

"My opera is way funnier than Oliver Stone's 'W' and a great deal more critical of the president," Mr. Rudenstein said. "While it may not be fair to attack a president who polls as low as Bush, it was much more unfair of Bush to involve us in an expensive, bloody war and wreck our economy in the bargain.

"Anyway, 'The Devil and George Bush' isn't only aiming at Bush,"he said. "It also targets greedy CEOs and the idiotic celebrity culture that has replaced intelligent discourse in our nation."

The plot of Mr. Rudenstein's opera deals with a modern-day Faust who, with the help of the Devil, tries to corner the world market in mandatory computer upgrades while dodging a predatory celebrity named Paula Passion, who bunks at the Hilton.

The opera takes place within the context of a reality TV show called "What the Hell can anybody do about it?!," a show that purports to answer the question: "Why is everything getting worse?"

The reality show is co-hosted by the Devil and George W. Bush characters.

The President Bush character also figures in the plot as he tries extreme measures to save his legacy before departing office.

"It's about our society as it is right now, not 50 or 100 years ago, with Bush, Cheney, Tom Cruise and the presidential candidates in it too, so it's right up to the moment, which is unusual for opera," Mr. Rudenstein said. "Opera is usually several hundred years behind the moment.

"The Internet and mobile is ideal, because if you wrote this for the stage, it wouldn't be up there till five years later," he said.

Kevin Corbett, from the comedy group Capitol Steps, portrays President Bush.

Co-starring is Janice Martin, who plays Paula Passion.

Paul Dykstra is the opera's music director. The opera was produced by Nightmare of Reason Ink recordings.

"'The Devil and George Bush' was conceived, composed and written entirely for the mobile phone and MP3 player," Mr. Rudenstein said. "It is meant to be listened to on these devices and has a lot of sound effects, spoken scenes, rap music and other divergences from the kind of opera produced by the Met.

"It's also a comic opera and it's very, very funny," he said. "An early review of the opera by Internet radio station Laughing Dog Radio termed it 'Hilarious.'

"I hope people get a good laugh, because we certainly need one given the state of the economy today."