Former Texas governor accuses administration of hindering science

[Nambe]

Associated Press

Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards accused the Bush administration Wednesday of allowing ideology instead of science to guide federal limits on funding for stem cell research.

Speaking at a campaign rally for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry days after the third anniversary of President Bush's decision to limit funding of embryonic stem cell research, Richards said ideology should never invade policy. ..

To emphasize the point, Richards told those at the rally about Miriam "Ma" Ferguson, a Texas governor during the 1920s. The driving issue then was whether to punish school children for speaking Spanish, she said.

"They asked Ma how she stood on the issue, and she said if the English language was good enough for Jesus Christ, it was good for the schoolchildren of Texas," Richards said. "There are still people who believe Jesus Christ spoke English. And they all voted for George Bush." ..

Ride Don’t Drive * * It’s Global Cool

[peekaloo]

1. LOL! I love Ann.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. It takes a Texan to talk down a Texan effectively.

But Ann has an easy task because Bush is a wannabe Texan.

[faithnotgreed]

3. fantastic story and oh so true. thanks for sharing it

[Gman]

4. That's a true story

and leave it to Ann to use that story in such a timely way.

[w4rma]

5. This is a good headline. The folks that normally write them must be on

vacation. I normally cannot stand AP and Reuters headlines.

[maddogesq]

6. Wouldn't it be great if Ms. Ann revised the "Where was George?" thing...

to say, "Where was George...in '72?"

Ann Richards rawks!

[TaleWgnDg]

you go, girl . . .

Ann Richards --> :yourock:

[struggle4progress]

7. kick

:kick:

[Zan_of_Texas]

8. I was at a lunch with Ann Richards before she became governor.

Sat across from her! She was hilarious, making fun of the corporate pigs -- she wore a little pig nose part of the time, to make her point.

I thought she was the most fun, and she had been elected to Austin City Council, IIRC.

However, after her terms as governor, she turned up as a lobbyist for the tobacco industry. Folks, that is lower than a snake's belly.

I do not applaud for her anymore.

She will have to do some serious penance.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. I feel your pain.

:-(

[MaineDem]

10. I was there

I had the chance to meet Ann the night before and spend some time talking with her. I was lucky enough to hear her speak 3 times in the course of 12 hours. She's absolutely fantastic!

The local news had a 10 minute interview with her last night. She's sharp, witty, intelligent, and a Democrat! We're so very lucky to have her on our side.

She said that the reason there was no "bounce" after the convention was because there are only about 4% of the voters who are undecided/ Most people have made up their minds. You couldn't get a big bounce from those 4%. Made sense to me.

[booksenkatz]

11. You lucky dawg! LOL

I sure would love to meet Ann. I love her down-to-earth, no-nonsense style; she doesn't wear rose-colored glasses or talk in wispy, dreamy, impossible, utopian terms. I wish that her realpolitik good sense were contagious on the left, too many of whom are content to sit on the sidelines out of power and nibble at crumbs while waiting around for Mr./Ms. Perfect to come along. You can't do ANYTHING when you're out of power, apart from watch the Repubs' feasting and gorging at the big table.

Ann's mistake was underestimating the Rove machine, which was just getting in some good practice in that gubernatorial race. She was very popular and should have won that race with no problem.
:tinfoilhat: