Yawn . . .Kay Bailey Hutchison MAY Run for Texas Guv

Yep, it’s a fact. Or not. Actually, according to Hutchison, who was recently interviewed last week by Peggy Fikac of the Houston Chronicle, the senior senator from Texas has absolutely no idea what she wants to do next.

Because she has spent quite a few years in public office, Hutchison thinks that she has not done as well financially as she could have, and, get this, is thinking about taking a job in “the private sector”.

When I hear about federal legislators taking jobs in the private sector, I see the word “Lobbyist” in my mind’s eye. But that is history because now, as I understand it, according to recently passed Senate ethics rules a former Senator will have to wait two years after leaving office before taking a job as a lobbyist. A congressman needs only wait one year.

So I guess that’s out. Let’s see, what other high dollar job opportunity could Hutchison try for? She has a law degree so there’s lawyering. But at 64 while she has a law degree, she has no actual experience being a lawyer, and not a lot of time to build up that experience that a high dollar lawyer needs. Outside of adding the name of a former senator to the list of law partners, Kay would be hard-pressed to add value to the firm.

So I’m kind of puzzled where she would find a place in the private sector.

But then there’s governor. Kay polls at about the 65% level across Texas. Nearly double the performance of Perry’s dismal 39%. Being a gubernatorial candidate is doable, I think. Doable, except by 2010 the demographic shift that has begun here in Red Texas will have run to completion and a Democrat will win the next gubernatorial election.

Nope, I agree with political scientist Larry Sabato and Royal Masset, a GOP consultant who, together, said this about Kay Bailey Hutchison’s political future:

“Say it's Hillary and Obama. I doubt the Republicans would want to put forward two white males.

“She's probably the most credible female we have in the nation.”

They have valid points. In putting up a mixed gender ticket Democrats are announcing to the world that they don’t anticipate the negativism of the past. Republicans will have to answer to their womenfolk. From what I have been hearing Republican women are attracted to a Hillary Clinton presidency.

So what does Kay Bailey Hutchison have to say about this possibility

“No. Nooooo. I do not want to be on the ticket for vice president ... I'm not interested in it. I don't want to be asked. There was a time when I thought maybe I would be interested in running for president but not now. I could never run for president with two 6-year-olds. I don't like the toughness and meanness of Washington. I'd rather do something different.”

Besides, Kay, a Republican in the White House in 2009 is not going to happen either.

So let’s see, Vice President and Governor are out, taking a high dollar job as a lawyer? Out. Lobbyist? Not until 2014. This doesn’t leave much to our former cheerleader senator from Texas. There’s hand modeling, but at 64 the hands probably have seen their better days.

Actually I have the perfect job for Kay. Want chips and a drink with that?

Kinky Friedman Finally Gets It Right

Now those 547,674 Texas voters who wasted their votes for Kinky Friedman last year, and gave him enough material to write himself another book can all take solace in the fact that Kinky finally got it right. Quoted in the Austin American-Statesman:

“Had I run as a Democrat last time, I think (Gov.) Rick Perry would already be (out of office as) a lobbyist for a cigar company.”

Exactimundo.

Had Kinky run as a Democrat in the March 2006 primary his clock would have been supremely cleaned and Chris Bell would now be Governor Bell. Not only that, school buses would not be allowed to sit at idle all day in school parking lots and community college employees would have health insurance.

And who knows what else? Maybe we would not have a right wing religious reactionary as chairman of the state school board. Maybe tens of thousands of school children wouldn’t be subjected to saying the words “under God” twice each weekday morning (does anyone besides me think that “one state and indivisible” or “one nation indivisible” makes far more sense?).

Well, he’s got maybe 2 and a half years to think it over, figure out how much he can make writing a book about his second failed attempt to become governor of Texas. Then, if he decides to run again maybe he can hire Kelly Fero as his consultant as Fero seems to be the only person in sight that thinks it’s a grand idea.

Sorry to Differ: Anita Perry Is a Dazzler

I love this photo of Anita Perry, Texas Governor Rick Perry's fine wife, because it says so much of what we Fifty-somethings want to tell to people who are younger in age.

May you never age.

And more to the point. This from my 50 and onward somethings: “ I don’t care a whit about your opinion on my personal appearance because I am who I am and I am proud of it. If you can do better at my age, then I applaud you. Anything other than that are simply empty meaningless words."

OK, we are discussing the aging process? It is relentless. Here is what it says: “Get old . . . soon. It happens.”

I love it that she chose such a focal color for her ballroom frock. No straps. Daring. I only challenge her taste in men. Well, no that is a marriage thing and when it’s good, it’s good. Right?

Anita is in her 50’s as am I. We are not as buff as we were in our 20’s, 30’s or even 40’s. Time and too many tamales take over. We acknowledge the harm to our bodies and we do what we can when we can to put it to right. But time and the process of aging are both relentless…

I thought how she looked in her gown was just fine. Anita, just splendid. From a lefty. Ignore the insults from my cohorts.

Youth is wasted on the young. The young are so obsessed on appearance that they don’t see that appearance is trivial. When all is said and done, and when all is known, we are not judged on our appearance, but on what we stand for…what we believe…and what we produce.

You are good people Anita. Your husband needs a few lessons in humanity, but that is for him, and does not reflect on you. Come to think of it, no political thing reflects upon you.

You are a damned fine-looking woman.

Perry, you don’t deserve such happiness.

Goddamnit.