Molly Ivins: Hellraiser (Eugene Weekly Interview)

[Dudley_DUright]

Molly Ivins, syndicated columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, good ol' Texas girl, witty political pundit, former co-editor of the Texas Observer, three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of the bestselling 'Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?' and with Lou Dubose, 'Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush,' has a new book out. 'Bushwhacked: Life in George W. Bush's America,' also written with Dubose, outlines the underreported goings-on of the Bush administration, ultimately drawing the connections between public policy and people's lives.


On a sweeping book tour to promote 'Bushwhacked,' we caught up with her earlier this week during a quick hotel respite in Seattle. Despite a grueling schedule, Ivins remains positive, full of humor, and always an inspiration.

more...

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=17031

[realFedUp]

1. Good interview

good answers as usual from Molly.

[teryang]

2. "I mean, Arnold, why the hell not?"

Why indeed. Here's why as explained by Michael Ruppert:

This is an except from BEYOND BUSH II by Michael C. Ruppert

- California Recall Shows "Democracy Terminated"

http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/102003_beyond_bush_2.html

<Bush and Schwarzenegger have long minimized their links, perhaps not wanting to legitimize Democratic accusations that the recall was a Republican effort orchestrated from Washington. Schwarzenegger asserted Thursday there was "no White House connection" in his transition team, and Bush had insisted throughout the recall campaign that he was only a spectator watching a "fascinating political drama." <snip>

<...The transition team also includes Bush confidante George Shultz, Matt Fong, the former state treasurer who raised in excess of $100,000 for Bush's 2000 campaign, and Viet Dinh, a former assistant attorney general in Bush's Justice Department.>

<Schwarzenegger's energy strategy is being driven by some of the same members of former Gov. Pete Wilson's team who led the push for energy deregulation in the mid-1990s. The governor-elect, for example, picked for his transition team Jessie Knight, a former Wilson appointee to the Public Utilities Commission and a leading proponent of deregulation… <snip>

"Deregulation has already cost the state $50 billion, give or take," said Mike Florio, senior attorney for The Utility Reform Network. "Why on earth anyone would want to do that again is mystifying to us."… <snip>

By the way, I don't agree with everything Ruppert says in this article but I agree with his analysis of Arnold 100 percent. Incidentally, Viet Dinh is the architect behind Patriot Acts I and II. (IMHO)

[Sticky]

3. Just saw Molly on CBC

Being interviewed by Brian Stewart for "World View". She called bush 'Anti-Intellectual' - - Too funny!