When Molly Played Kansas ... A Tribute to Molly Ivins... by Mark Russell

[RedEarth]

When Molly Played Kansas
by Mark Russell

There are a few moments in my life that I will remember forever. A couple that come to mind took place in Austin on the same weekend. Molly Ivins was a part of both. One took place in Liz Carpenter’s bedroom. Ann Richards and I were conned into lying together on Liz’s bed to see the perfect view of the Texas Tower and the state Capitol dome framed by the steam erupting from Liz’s hot tub. If I remember it correctly, it was Molly who took the photo—at least she was in the bedroom adding to the general laughter and ribald comments that rang out as Liz hit buttons on her bed to make it vibrate

.........

One final Molly story. A number of years ago I was hired to speak before the Wichita, Kansas, Chamber of Commerce. Upon my arrival, several people alluded to some vague sort of mishap that had occurred surrounding the appearance of Molly Ivins, their previous speaker, some months earlier. No specifics were given, only that something had happened.

Prior to my performance, I could overhear snippets of conversation along the lines of, “Molly Ivins this, and Molly Ivins that” interspersed with words like “shocking,” “unsuitable,” and “certainly inappropriate for Wichita.” What was it about Molly’s appearance that still had everyone buzzing about it six months later? An over-the-line political opinion, perhaps? A subversive rant? A polemic suggestion that Alf Landon and Robert Dole were the evil twins of the prairie? “What did Molly Ivins say?” I asked the woman seated next to me. “I cannot tell you,” the woman snapped and turned away.

Later, during a reception, the Molly talk continued without any helpful specifics. Finally, I grabbed a couple I had met earlier and begged for an explanation. At this point I was going nuts with curiosity as to what assault had been waged on the tender ears of the Sunflower State by the visitor from Texas. The gentleman suggested we step into the hall, at which point I lost all patience and hollered, “WHAT IN THE HELL DID MOLLY IVINS SAY?” The guy lowered his voice and, looking over his shoulder, said, “Well, when she spoke at the banquet, she said that the three most overrated things in America are Mack trucks, teenage pussy, and the FBI.”

As they say in Austin, that’s ole Molly. I just wish I had asked her if it was the Mack trucks part that offended the folks in Wichita.

Mark Russell is a Washington political humorist.

http://www.texasobserver.org/tribute.php?aid=2403

[Demeter]

1. No Doubt It WAS the Mack Truck

My neighbor is an old Kansas girl. Resembles Miss Gulch from Wizard of Oz in meanness. What the hell IS the matter with Kansas?

[rasputin1952]

2. I was a huge fan of Molly, and she seemed almost like a seer when

she spoke of bush.

Over the years, I sent Molly 4 e-mails and one handwritten letter. She sent return e-mails to all 4 and sent me a handwritten "Thank You" to my letter. Helen Thomas is the only other Journalist that has answered everything I have sent.

Molly was brilliant, and her fight against cancer was valiant. I hope she is resting in peace, but I believe she is most likely giving God a good working over for giving the world gw bush...:)

[Scout1071]

3. OOOOOHHHH yes.......as a native Kansan....

I can say that that most certainly would have rattled those folks in Wichita! Whoa Nelly!

Let me tell you something.....and I am saying this as someone who has long lived in Kansas City. In my personal experience, Wichita is the border. It's where North meets South. To the north of Wichita, you don't see any Confederate flags or anything like that. Not many cowboy hats....or less and less cowboy hats the further north you go. Kansas was very proudly and fiercely a "free" state. High schools, breweries, businesses all named "Free State".....even the Kansas Jayhawk masot himself is a tribute to freedom, equality, and the 1st Calvary of Kansas during the Civil War. Their nickname was the Jayhawkers. And they were fucking bad ass.

But Wichita? It's right there on the line. Where North meets South. Once you get into Oklahoma...you are in the South. And Wichita is just barely north of the KS/OK border.

It's no wonder that is why Kansas has been known as "Bleeding Kansas". It's not just where East meets West (and it is very much that), it's also where North meets South.

We have a very long streak of Liberalism too. And I'd like to get back to it.

God bless Molly Ivins. May she rest in peace.

And politically, invest in Kansas in '08. We have a Democratic Governor, Attorney General, 2 Democratic Congressman....and we can win a Democratic Senate seat in '08. The first since 1939. So, please people....when you invest in ActBlue....please remember to drop some in the coffers of Kansas Dems. We are closer than most realize to obtaining a blue majority in good ol' Bleeding Kansas.