Departs our vale of tears.
This from the NYT
Former Texas Governor Ann Richards Dies at 73
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Former Gov. Ann Richards, the witty and flamboyant Democrat who went from homemaker to national political celebrity, died Wednesday night after a battle with cancer, a family spokeswoman said. She was 73.
She died at home surrounded by her family, the spokeswoman said. Richards was found to have esophageal cancer in March and underwent chemotherapy treatments.
The silver-haired, silver-tongued Richards said she entered politics to help others -- especially women and minorities who were often ignored by Texas' male-dominated establishment.
"I did not want my tombstone to read, 'She kept a really clean house.' I think I'd like them to remember me by saying, 'She opened government to everyone,"' Richards said shortly before leaving office in January 1995.
She was governor for one term, losing her re-election bid to Republican George W. Bush.
Her four adult children spent Wednesday with her, said family spokeswoman Cathy Bonner, a longtime family friend.
"They're a strong group of people but they're broken-hearted, of course," Bonner said.
Her family said as governor she was most proud of two actions that probably cost her re-election. She vetoed legislation that would allow people to carry concealed handguns, automatic weapons and "cop-killer bullets." She also vetoed a bill that would have allowed the destruction of the environment over the Edwards Aquifer.
She grabbed the national spotlight with her keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention when she was the Texas state treasurer. Richards won cheers from delegates when she reminded them that Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, "only backwards and in high heels."
Richards sealed her partisan reputation with a blast at George H. Bush, a fellow Texan who was vice president at the time: "Poor George, he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth."
...
Survivors include her children, Cecile Richards, Daniel Richards, Clark Richards and Ellen Richards; their spouses; and eight grandchildren.
In the past, whenever I looked at Texas all-in-all and felt tempted to write the whole of it off as an unsalvageably failed intellectual and political cesspit, I'd remember that Molly Ivins and Ann Richards hailed from there.
Now all I've got is Molly, and while I love Molly, it doesn't feel like half enough.
Bye Ann.
Give 'em Hell upstairs.
12 comments:
I met her once at a bakery in DC. Lovely woman. Totally real. Totally genuine. Her passing is a reason to be both sad and mad. And determined to change things.
For some more bad news, Molly's fighting cancer right now also. Keep her in your prayers.
She was a gem. Molly, is wonderful too. Don't forget that Barbara Jordan, one of the most wonderful people every to touch the planet, was also from Texas.
Although we are focussing on women, LBJ did some exceptional good (along with the horrendous bad) in his time.
Also remember ZZTop is from Texas. Ann made them Offical State Bar Band
DG,
Don't forget Jim Hightower.
OK, I won't discommendate the entire Lone Star State. But it's a very close call :-)
They blame the low income women for ruining the country because they are staying home with their children and not going out to work. They blame the middle income women for ruining the country because they go out to work and do not stay home to take care of their children.
Ann Richards
We will miss her.
I've been screwed personally, professionally, and now politically (twice!) by Texas. If it weren't for Molly Ivins and Ann Richards, I'd say cut the whole *#&% place loose and give it back to Mexico.
And now Ann is gone. Damn.
Oh, well. At least she and Barbara Jordan can stir things up, up there.
(This just made my realize what ticks me off so much about Hillary now. She's so careful and calculated about every thing she says, everything she does. Like she's considered it from six different directions and two space-time dimensions. Is this what law school does to people? Even her "passion" seems planned. I long for that "take no prisoners!" attitude of people like Ann and Barbara and Molly. And if you can pop a hole in their poisonous ego, too, so much the better.)
"George was born with a silver foot in his mouth." -- my favorite Ann Richards quote Evah.
And (hat tip to Michael Scott) my favorite anecdote:
The "Mrs. Miles" story has to be reprinted in its entirety. It's my favorite Ann Richards story (and Molly Ivins' favorite, too, from whence I done stoled it):
Several years ago there was a big political do at Scholz Beer Garten in Austin and everybody who was anybody in political Texas was there, meetin' and greetin' at a furious pace. About halfway through the evening, a little group of us got the tired feet and went to lean our butts against a table by the back wall of the Garten. Like birds in a row were perched Bob Bullock, the state comptroller; me; Charlie Miles, a black man who was then head of Bullock's personnel department (and the reason Bullock had such a good record on minority hiring); and Ms. Ann Richards.
Bullock, having been in Texas politics for thirty some-odd years, consequently knew every living sorry, no-account sumbitch who ever held office. A dreadful old racist judge from East Texas came up to him, "Bob, my boy, how are yew?" The two of them commenced to clap one another on the back and have a big greetin'.
"Judge," said Bullock. "I want 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?"
"This is Charles Miles, who heads my personnel department." Charlie stuck out his hand and the judge got an expression on his face as though he had just stepped into a fresh cowpie. It took him a long minute before he reached out, barely touched Charlie's hand and said, "How you, boy?" Then he turned with great relief to pretty, blue-eyed Ann Richards and said, "And who is this lovely lady?"
Ann beamed and said, "I am Mrs. Miles."
mark1147,
Thank you so much for sharing that wonderful story.
Yeah it's kinda sad. May she Rest in Peace.
Jim
dallas real estate
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