Remembering Ann Richards

[Why Syzygy]

I wish Ann was here to give us PERSPECTIVE and a reminder about what we really stand for.

As told by Molly Ivins.
http://www.alternet.org/story/41688/

At a long-ago political do at Scholz Garten in Austin, everybody who was anybody was there meetin' and greetin' at a furious pace. A group of us got the tired feet and went to lean our butts against a table at the back wall of the bar. Perched like birds in a row were Bob Bullock, then state comptroller, moi, Charles Miles, the head of Bullock's personnel department, and Ms. Ann Richards. Bullock, 20 years in Texas politics, knew every sorry, no good sumbitch in the entire state. Some old racist judge from East Texas came up to him, "Bob, my boy, how are you?"

Bullock said, "Judge, I'd like you to meet my friends: This is Molly Ivins with the Texas Observer."

The judge peered up at me and said, "How yew, little lady?"

Bullock, "And this is Charles Miles, the head of my personnel department." Miles, who is black, stuck out his hand, and the judge got an expression on his face as though he had just stepped into a fresh cowpie. He reached out and touched Charlie's palm with one finger, while turning eagerly to the pretty, blonde, blue-eyed Ann Richards. "And who is this lovely lady?"

Ann beamed and replied, "I am Mrs. Miles."

[midnight]

1. Beautiful......That women was brilliant.

[whistler162]

2. Those two where one thing Senator Clinton

will never be, a great broad.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. That Karl Rove made her one of his first targets (Ann was never a victim)

still boils my blood, but I can understand why she was chosen.

Ann Richards was intelligent, funny, had integrity, could deliver the promises she made, was flawed and never hid it, was full of life, a real Texan, and a democrat even republicans couldn't help but like.

She was too tempting for Rove NOT to destroy. He knew that if he could pull her down and stomp on her to get his boy into the Statehouse, the White House wasn't far away.

Karma will catch up.

[BadgerKid]

4. She seemed classy.

I started becoming aware of this thing called politics with her keynote(?) speech at the Dem. convention that one year. I remember thinking "Wow!"

Edit: link to her address: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/annrichards1988dnc.htm

[polichick]

5. I sure would love to know what Ann & Molly would think of this primary season.

[grantcart]

6. Great story

[nomaco-10]

7. Thanks for sharing. These two women represent what the..

democratic party means to me in many ways. Two of the brightest and the best. May they both rest in peace knowing they left a legacy of pride and deep affection from those that knew them and knew of them.

[TexasObserver]

8. Ann and Molly were two of the great ones. Bullock sold out to Dubya in the end.

[lastliberalintexas]

9. Bullock was a fucking turncoat asshole

I had a cousin who worked for him when he was good, but damn was he bad there at the end. The only person who met him at the airport when he came back from rehab was Ann Richards, also a recovering alcoholic, and at one point in his life he said he'd never forget that gesture from her. Then the bastard campaigned for Bush against that very woman. And as you can tell, I'm still bitter about it. :)

[Why Syzygy]

10. She was always gracious

with no tolerance for the foolhardy. My kind of woman.

Honestly, during this season I have thought of her often and how gracious she would handle situations.
I try to emulate that bit of her. Without a lot of success at times.

[bigbrother05]

11. Truly a wonderful woman, met her a few times, always a great experience.

Her generous spirit was exploited by turd blossom. She allowed her AG to take credit for progress in the state crime figures and didn't crush the insect W while he was still a larvae.