Deep in the Heart of Texas

As I'm sure you know by now, former Texas Governor Ann Richards passed away this week.

Though I'm not a Texan, I always had a soft spot in my heart for Richards. She showed that truly progressive policies and hard-nosed, sarcastic politics can not only co-exist outside of the blogosphere, but thrive. She was a Steel Magnolia, one of the best and brassiest politicians I've ever seen. (One of the many, many sad things about the Bush Presidency is the constant reminder that we elevated the wrong Texas governor to the highest office in the land.)

And she was one of those politicians who was just made for anecdotes, from her famous zinger about George Bush Sr. being born "with a silver foot in his mouth" to the time her opponents tried to paint her as a delicate lady unfit for the rough world of politics and she went out and shot a bunch of wild doves with a twelve-gauge.

I thought I'd heard all the stories, but her passing -- like all passings -- has brought out one I hadn't heard before. So, courtesy of Off the Kuff, I'd like to pass along the following anecdote from Molly Ivins, another Texas treasure:

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."

Priceless.

I'd tell you to rest in peace, Ann, but you wouldn't listen. We'll miss you.