Posted on 03/03/2005 8:29:24 PM PST by goldstategop
This story from the Las Vegas Sun. The mayor out there, Oscar Goodman -- one of my all-time favorite mayors, by the way. You've got to love Oscar Goodman. We've had a lot of stories about Oscar. Oscar was -- I forget the details -- he was driving along in his Mercedes. He was following some sort of truck that he was leaking oil and spun off the road or something. He lived. I mean, he was not even hurt but I wish I could remember the essence of the story but it had something to do with environmental wackoism but, at any rate, "Oscar Goodman, the mayor of Las Vegas told a group of fourth graders on Monday that if he was marooned on a desert island the one thing he'd want to have with him is a bottle of gin. [Laughing.] When a student quizzed Oscar Goodman about his hobbies, he replied that drinking was one of them, this according to Mackey Elementary School Principal Kamala Washington who was present for the mayor's visit. Goodman was unapologetic for his comments that came during the visit to the elementary school in north Las Vegas. He said, 'I'm the George Washington of mayors. I can't tell a lie. If they didn't want the answer the kids shouldn't have asked the question. It's me. What should I do?'"
I remember, I was interviewed by Maureen Dowd once is at 21. They used to have this thing in the New York Times called "Lunch With..." and Maureen Dowd called when she was not a columnist. She was just a writer, she called me and said, "I want to do the interview with you." I said, "Okay." (interruption) Well, no. She was (interruption). No, she wasn't. No, she wasn't bitter. I don't remember her being particularly bitter back then. Her star was rising back then. Clinton was in office and everything was I think peachy keen. So anyway I couldn't do lunch, of course, because I am working during lunch like most productive people so we did dinner with Rush Limbaugh at 21. So I happened to walk in there and I saw a table of some friends, some really ribald ex-Marines and they said, "Rush, what are you doing in here without telling us you were coming?" I said, "Ah, I've got this interview with Maureen Dowd of the New York Times," blah, blah. "What's it about?" "I don't know. I'm going to go sit over there in that bankette. So about ten minutes later I joined them for an adult beverage about ten minutes later I see her out there checking her coat, so I walked out to greet her and escort her back in to the main area of the restaurant. So I walked back by this table of ribald ex-Marines, former Marines, one of them shouted, "Hey, Rush, is that a hooker or reporter?" I went, "Oh, jeez. This is all I need. This is all I need, for a bunch of guys that know me to call Maureen Dowd a hooker!"
But she just laughed. She thought it was funny as it could be, so we sat down, did the interview, and she asked me this question: "If you're struck on a desert island, what three people...?" or maybe, "What three people would you like to meet?" I hate those questions. I absolutely hate them so I sat there and I said, "Lincoln, Jesus Christ, and Mimi Rogers." It was the first thing came to my mind, because Mimi Rogers was in the news. She was all over the gossip columns that week. So just came to mind and it got reported. So I understand what Oscar Goodman's saying here. "They asked me, 'What would I want if I was marooned?' It would be a bottle of gin." But that's not the only news to come out of Nevada, Mayor Oscar Goodman. From Reno: "Representatives are decrying remarks by US Representative Jim Gibbons in which he condemned 'tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie-tie-dyed liberals' for their opposition to the war in Iraq." Sounds strangely like "longhaired, maggot-infested, dope-smoking, FM types," doesn't it? Everybody is stealing from me. "Gibbons, a possible Republican contender for governor in 2006, made it remarks at a Lincoln Day linear in Elko, Nevada, on Friday. While praising the efforts of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gibbons conclude accused liberals movie stars and songwriters of trying to divide the country. 'I say we tell those liberal tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie-tie-dyed liberals to go make their movies and their music and whine somewhere else.' He added that it 'was too damn bad we didn't buy 'em a ticket to become human shields in Iraq.'
"Gibbons' comments in Elko came a week after he apologized for calling those who opposed corporate donations for President Bush's inaugural parties 'communists.' State senator Dena Titus, a Democrat from Las Vegas, also a gubernatorial hopeful, said Gibbons comments show how out of touch he is with most people that live in Nevada. 'I guess he thinks it's cute to play to his base. Why does he find it necessary to use those kind of inflammatory terms about the other side?' Gibbons is a combat pilot veteran of the Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars and said Hollywood established a climate that made our returning troops feel ostracized during the Vietnam War." As far as I'm concerned, Jim Gibbons can say whatever he wants. It is about time. We need more Oscar Goodmans and we need more Jim Gibbonses out there. "You know what I think? Here's what I think. I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you. These people are a bunch of tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie- tie-died liberals," blah-blah-blah. Hey, if the Birkenstocks fit, the Birkenstocks fit. I remember when somebody tried to get me to wear a pair of Birkenstocks before I knew what they were, and even then I said, ''There's no way.'' My instincts kicked in. ''You're not going to get me a pair of those things.'' I know, Snerdley, you have a pair of them. I just like don't sandals. I think the human foot is the ugliest part of the anatomy, and I just can't stand them. No, I don't do jeans. I just broke down the other day. For the trip to Afghanistan I went out and bought my first pairs of khakis. What, am I, 54? It was the first pairs of khakis I ever owned. "What do you wear playing golf, Rush?" Dress slacks folks wearing dress slacks out there and when I play at home with the guys, shorts. Yeah, it was weird wearing those khakis, bullet you can see 'em. That's what I'm wearing in those pictures, but no jeans, and sandals? They just gross me out. All I can think of foot odor when I see sandals. Toe fungus and all. Toenail fungus, yes, all that stuff, athlete's foot. I just, ichhh!
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Let's go to Pittsburgh and Lesswill. Hi, Lesswill. Nice to have you on the program. CALLER: Hi, Rush! It's wonderful to be with you! My husband is probably freaking out right now! I'm calling you to harass you about slamming us Birkenstock people. I am a small business owner with my husband. We own a specialty store of Birkenstock. They're not just sandals; they're shoes. I, too, think that most -- at least men -- feet are very ugly.
RUSH: Yup.
CALLER: We are not all liberals. Yes, I could probably be classified as a "tree hugger." My husband is not, but he is a firm believer in Birkenstock. You gotta give us a break, Rush!
RUSH: Well, come on. This is only going to increase sales of people that don't like them to go out there and buy them in droves today.
CALLER: Absolutely.
RUSH: You watch, your customer base will expand left and right. I didn't know Birkenstock made anything other than sandals.
CALLER: We have hiking boots we have all that kind of stuff.
RUSH: Oh, that's really great! Hiking boots, yep, need pair of those. Yes.
CALLER: You try it. That's right. I need them to go hug my trees.
RUSH: (Laughing.)
CALLER: Just give it a try, Rush. You'll be converted.
RUSH: Look, here's the thing, I understand what you're saying, I'm not trying to harm your business. Birkenstock, it's like Xerox. Xerox, you have a, whatever, copy machine by such-and-such, you go to the Xerox, even if it's not Xerox. Like Birkenstock means "sandals." Everybody knows it's liberals that wear 'em.
CALLER: All right, well, I think Rush needs a pair of Birkenstock. It will change your whole attitude. Take care.
RUSH: I wouldn't be caught dead even in my casket in a pair of Birkenstocks.
CALLER: You gotta stop that, Rush. You gotta stop it. It's not just sandals. You can put on a pair of shoes. You'll look good.
RUSH: Well, fine if it's shoes, that's one thing. If Birkenstocks makes shoes. I'll look at them on the website. I'm not trying to --
CALLER: You do that. We'll throw a couple of, uhhhh...golf spikes onto them and you can wear 'em on the course.
RUSH: That was close! "Screw a couple..."
CALLER: (Laughing.) I'm sure --
RUSH: "Uhhhh...golf spikes." I was waiting. I had my finger poised [deedle] on the deedle button. Lisa, I'm glad you called. Thanks much. I appreciate the sales pitch for Birkenstock. If the sales staff is listening out there, go out and see if we can get the Birkenstocks account after all this. You never know.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Rush is why people think we, as republicans, are crazy
I love my Birkenstocks.
And my Body Shop Body Butter.
Anyone who doesn't own a pair of jeans is a commie. Sorry, Rush.
What a great story!
I'll have to go to Rush's site and finish reading the rest of it, because as soon as I got to the part that said "Mimi Rogers" most of the the blood left me my brain, LOL. (I know she's a whack Scientologist, but Dang!, whadda bod!)
I love my Birkenstocks and I am NOT a liberal. And my feet are NOT ugly and they don't smell either. lol! They are very comfortable sandals. It does take some getting used to as far as looks though.
I'm curious as to why you say that. Most folks I know who think Rush is crazy are hopeless lefties. Does you think he makes folks who matter think we are crazy?
LEFT MY BRAIN
See what I mean?
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Jeezelouise...
I expect that the Republicans will always lose the "we have absolutely no sense of humor" voter bloc.
I've got one pair I've had for 20 years; still almost good as new.
See my tag line...It's a Volvo XC90 (SUV) and I'm not a liberal either.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Are your sure your feet don't smell? When was the last time that you smelled them? I really think we should have a second opinion. :O)
Ooohh...that's good!
Naturally, I prefer good old American tenny-runners made by child slave labor in China...
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
I have personally always been fond of my own feet.
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