Molly Ivins' last column. She died 6 years ago this month.
Last edited Wed Jan 2, 2013, 03:14 AM - Edit history (2)
I always appreciated her bluntness and her ability not to let others sway her thinking. She did not care about those who attacked her words. I would like to be that way. I can be outspoken, but what others say does bother me.
Her last column:
Molly Ivins' last column
About the only politician out there besides Bush actively calling for a surge is Sen. John McCain. In a recent opinion piece, he wrote: “The presence of additional coalition forces would allow the Iraqi government to do what it cannot accomplish today on its own — impose its rule throughout the country. . . . By surging troops and bringing security to Baghdad and other areas, we will give the Iraqis the best possible chance to succeed.”
But with all due respect to the senator from Arizona, that ship has long since sailed.
A surge is not acceptable to the people in this country — we have voted overwhelmingly against this war in polls (about 80 percent of the public is against escalation, and a recent Military Times poll shows only 38 percent of active military want more troops sent) and at the polls.
Anyone who wants to talk knowledgably about our Iraq misadventure should pick up Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s “Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone.” It’s like reading a horror novel. You just want to put your face down and moan: How could we have let this happen? How could we have been so stupid?
She was one of the few to actually call George Bush out for his idiotic push for war.
In a column right after the 2006 election, she strongly criticized Bush.
OK, it’s not the 19th century anymore, but it is always the right time to point out that the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes. Honest. There stands George W. Bush, buck nekkid. We want to help him out of this fix because he’s dragging the whole Army, the country and the world down with him. But don’t ask us to call those clothes.
I remember her endorsement of Howard Dean. She pulled no punches about his fiscal conservative policies.
Molly Ivins endorsement of Howard Dean in 2003. Blunt, to the point, so like her unique style..
Meanwhile, there's old Dean, causin' excitement. I went up to Vermont and talked to a bunch of liberals there. They all said Howard Dean is no liberal. Funny, that's what Howard Dean says, too. And indeed, he isn't, but in politics, everything's relative. The conventional wisdom first dismissed Howard Dean (the man has never been to a Washington dinner party!), then condescended to him, then graciously offered him instruction on how he should be running his campaign -- which seemed to be going along quite well without their input.
I talked to some big money guys who assured me Dean Can't Win. But of course I'm noticing this interesting thing: Dean has so much money he actually turned down public campaign financing (since I'm a card-carrying liberal, I was naturally deeply unhappy over this. But since Dean's money comes from Real People instead of corporate special interests, I'm not that unhappy.) Let me second the notion that this year, the Internet is to politics what television was in the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon race.
She was very prescient in this paragraph...about anger.
For a while, I fretted over Dean being angry, or at least appealing to the political anger that is normally manipulated by right-wing radio jocks. Anger makes liberals uncomfortable: We prefer peace, reason and gentle persuasion. Beloveds, it is way past time for us to get mad -- social, economic and political justice are being perverted by the Bush administration.
= new reply since forum marked as read
With the state things are in today, and all of the fodder the pols dish out, I'd guess that her amazing wit would be working in overdrive.
I'd like to hope she is resting in peace, but "rolling in her grave" comes to mind after I read that final column.
I'm sorry for the nastiness you've encountered since your return to DU, just know that you're not alone in your disappointment.
A Happy New Year, to you, madfloridan, and solidarity, always! Peace
Trying to keep up with it all, trying to accept things that we would have found unacceptable a few short years ago.
There is a nastiness like nothing I have ever seen. Glad I am not alone in those feelings. The easy thing would be to turn tail and run, but that would put power where it doesn't belong.
Thanks for the kind words. Good to see you and happy new year to you also.
I loved her and still miss her 
...a voice of sanity and reason that anyone (except those with hands over their ears) could understand.
Let me be another one to wish you a Happy New Year. I know I'm not the only one around here who appreciates the important things you post.
Please don't stop!
Yes, a voice of sanity. Thanks for the kind words.