Betting on Ann Richards

At a bash for Planned Parenthood, Cecile Richards picks her mother in the fight against cancer.

Published March 20, 2006 6:40PM (EST)

I ran across this in a story from Florida's Herald Tribune about a 40th anniversary bash for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida (perhaps not the most festive of seasons for reproductive health advocates, but happy birthday just the same!)

At the party, which was headlined by writer Anna Quindlen, Planned Parenthood's new president, Cecile Richards, spoke. Looking at a crowd of 650 attendees, Richards reportedly said, "If the opposition knew about you, they'd just roll over and give up." And then she said just the opposite about her mother, former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, who was diagnosed two weeks ago with esophageal cancer. Quoting a newscaster, Richards said, "In the battle between Ann Richards and cancer, I feel sorry for the cancer."

What a great line. It reminded me of Katharine Mieszkowski's Broadsheet post on Richards' showdown with the disease, in which Mieszkowski concluded with the wish that the former governor "head it, hoof it and drag it through the dirt."


By Rebecca Traister

Rebecca Traister writes for Salon. She is the author of "Big Girls Don't Cry: The Election that Changed Everything for American Women" (Free Press). Follow @rtraister on Twitter.

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