not a texan, but the do get a bum wrap sometimes. i tell my texans, it is in the arrogance, lol. i know lots of good texans.

(And a national icon!)

She was so great!

from the University of Texas. I've always admired her. What a brave, smart woman.

Only 59 when she passed away.

of the self-inflated have in the entire bodies they'd have lived in, if they lived several lifetimes.

What a magnificent woman. When it was her turn to speak, you could hear a microbe drop in the room. And she didn't speak. She was an orator. And Freakin' BRILLIANT. All you could do was watch and listen, and then mutter "magnificent" to yourself under your breath.

In other respects and for different (and equally magnificent) reasons, I'd also include Ann Richards and Molly Ivins.

She is one of my heroes

Actually I just love listening to a tough Texan no bullshit progressive. They grab my attention fast!

Although Molly Ivins wasn't actually born in Texas.

It seems like women from Texas that escape the over the top southern belle hardcore conservative tend to be pretty smart and driven. Probably because it can be so hard to make it as a woman in that environment.

Like you said, not everybody who is from or lives in Texas is Republican and the state, especially the cities are pushing to turn the state blue at least at the presidential level in the relatively near future.

I've lived in the area for most of my life and even my conservative friends have a great deal of respect for her.

Sadly, her district has not been well served since then. Mickey was OK, but not even close to her league. Craig was nothing short of an embarrassing disaster. Sheila is embarrassing, but not nearly as disastrous. She usually gets the right thing done in the end, but comparing her to Barbara Jordan makes we want to cry.