Kinky Friedman Says: There'd Be No Tea Party If Molly Ivins Were Still Around

By Robert Wilonsky Wed., Apr. 21 2010 at 1:57 PM

Categories: Politics

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Friedman campaigning at Urban Dog Coffee on Oak Lawn back in February

So insists the Texas Jewboy and former gubernatorial candidate in a piece penned for Tina Brown's Daily Beast, the headline of which is "Why Democrats Should Blame Themselves for the Tea Party." Friedman, who lost to his bid to become the Democratic nominee for agriculture commissioner last month, writes of the Tea Party's rise to prominence:

The biggest losers in all this, of course, could well be the Democrats. The Democratic Party of the past had a historically populist core, always standing up for the people against the big corporations and special interests. The Democrats of today sorely lack the moral clarity of a Barbara Jordan, the cojones of an Ann Richards, and the conscience of a Molly Ivins. Today's Democrats seem very much like -- well -- Republicans. If the Democrats still had voices like Barbara, Ann, and Molly, there might never have been a need for a Tea Party.

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Can we all please stop pretending that everyone on one side is a paragon of virtue, and that everyone on the other side is a cowering, callow mouthpiece working for the devil? There are fools on both sides. Unfortunately, they're the most vocal ones who get all the press. Beck, Hannity, and Palin are all mouth-breathing troglodytes. Olbermann, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi are all woolly-headed holier-than-thou idealists. There's not a scrap of pragmatism on either side, and nothing beyond the attitude that gaining and retaining power and fame are the end goals. I'm sick of the "Screw you! I win!" attitude of both parties, and the idea that once one is in power that all of our problems will be solved. Politics is not zero-sum. For someone to succeed, someone else doesn't have to fail. Conservatives need to learn to show a little bit of compassion for those who don't agree with them, and liberals need to learn to accept that they aren't smarter than everyone else.
Nancy is correct about group start,the Insurance industry started the group, to travel and cause trouble for Congress members who were up for re-election and gain some along the way and they have.There are real people in the Tea Party now,not a great no. but a few. The hateful speeches and signs are a turn off. Sara Palin is a cute lady,with an empty head,making tons of money,she cares nothing about the people,she step down for the love of money.
a little from column a, a little from column b
Well, Coleman, it sounded moderately true to me as well that there are people who do not consider Palin an idiot. So we agree, though I don't think that was your intent. Or do you just like using the word "retard"?
Bob: What is the point of sharing Kinky's rehash of this really lame argumentum ad populum affixed by an obviously lazy press to the involved parties? B_O_R_I_N_G
Obama's seat, you must be as retarded as Trig Palin if you think there's something wrong with my sentence construction.
@Coleman Yes, it is true, there are people who don't see Palin as a CFI. (work on that sentence construction - especially when calling people idiots)
wait...there are people who don't recognize Sarah Palin as a complete fucking idiot? That sounded moderately true to me.
The "Coffee Party" failed to percolate (not enough astroturf?), concerned grassrooty lefty activists might look into the "Other 95%", another grassroots attempt at growing a movement from the ground up. Formed by one "Marco Ceglie", the movement hopes to attract "good-humored moderates � hoping to attract Democrats, Republicans, and independents who are thankful of the Obama tax cuts." You can see the bi-partisan, grassrooty moderate good humor in some of Marco's Twitterings: "Sarah Palin talks a lot of s*** for someone who is recognized by most of the world as a complete f***ing idiot.� "Maj of TeaParty are delusionl, grumpy old whte men who pee their pants w fear.� I really think this moderate movement will succeed where the Coffee Party failed, due to the obvious moderate nature. Ya think?
Hey Forstner -- I have read most of his books. As a detective writer, Kinky is B+ on his best days. He wrote too many stories about a detective named Kinky Friedman in NYC who spots Texas-ish half-witticisms and the stories began to be too similar.
Rod, please. I'm no more a troll than you are somebody with a clue. It's plain as day that the Tea Party movement is supported by big GOP donors and Fox news. "Just because Hannity & Beck attend tea parties does not mean they organized them. Mark Davis was the emcee in Grand Praire. Did he organize the whole thing?" No shit Sherlock (I love it when I can use that), But they sure did promote them. Give it up.
Kinky has his own BS channel. He's a tireless self-promoter.
@cindys MSNBC?
<i>"...but from what I have seen through the filter of the news..."</i> Let me guess what channel that might be.
oh gee, Rod, you're right. I mean, all Fox News did was give the tea parties a shitload of exposure that it would have otherwise not have gotten by running a ton of "special segments" and commercial promotion of it's coverage, and wrote off allowing their talent to HOST events. But no, other than that, I'm sure Fox had <i>nothing</i> do with it, which makes it perfectly not-astroturfy. I mean, it's not like Republican Guru Dick Armey practically founded it, or that Republican dirtbag consulting firm Russo, Marsh, and Associates is running the Tea Part Express or anything...
CindyS, you're either doing it the wrong way or your current boy friend spent too much time in prison. Kinky is spot on....the Republicrats rule this country with barley concealed contempt for anyone beneath them....meaning the rest of us. I'm not a member of any party and I don't go to demonstrations, but from what I have seen through the filter of the news, these people look sincere and engaged. That used to be considered a good thing.
Phelps is right. Toots & Coleman are just trolls. Just because Hannity & Beck attend tea parties does not mean they organized them. Mark Davis was the emcee in Grand Praire. Did he organize the whole thing?
You don't say, Phelps? http://yfrog.com/jxteapartiesonfoxnews1j oooh right you're an idiot.
Phelps, are you Chris Krok?
Nancy, you would be more believable if the "astroturf" meme hadn't originated... on a Democratic talking point sheet.
I'm sorry you're all butthurt Cindy, but he's right. If the Dems hadn't gone all lefty-toons and had followed the post-94 Clinton model of left-center, there wouldn't be a TEA movement, and the GOP would truly (and rightfully) be out in the wilderness. It's like someone stood up and said, "well, the GOP has proven that they are the most untrustworthy, unreliable, craven party in existence" and the Dem leadership jumped up and shouted, "nuh huh, anything they can do we can do better!"
The Tea Party is a manufactured PR creation of talk radio hosts. Why do folks credit it as a legit grass roots movement? Its a product of for-profit talk radio hosts, not a movement. They're a marketing demographic not of their own making.
Barbara, Ann, and Molly would have started the Long island Iced Tea Party. Matter of fact, I think I'll start one.
But the Democrats do have the Most Honorable Shelia Jackson Leigh, that should count for something.
I'm with Kinky on the greatness of Jordan, Richards and Ivins, but his suggestion that there is a legitimate "need" for the Tea Party--and that its very existence is somehow the fault of the democrats--just makes my butt hurt.
You ever read any of his books Heywood? I thought not.
When he is lucid, Kinky makes sense. When he is not lucid msut be when he writes those crim novels.