CAMPAIGN JOURNAL : Texan Leads Feisty Fund-Raiser for Boxer, Feinstein

The rendition provided a fitting finale to what was billed by its promoters as the largest gathering ever for a women’s political fund-raiser: Texas Gov. Ann Richards and 2,700 women and “sympathetic men” belting out a gender-altered version of “America the Beautiful” in a packed concert hall:

“America! America! God shed her grace on thee! And crown thy good on sisterhood from sea to shining sea!”

The two-hour show Monday night raised $300,000 for the Women’s Council of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, money the committee hopes will help elect Californians Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein and eight other Democratic women across the country to the U.S. Senate. The fund-raiser was organized with the help of Emily’s List, a Washington-based group that raises money for Democratic female candidates who support abortion rights.

“Like we say in Texas, the roosters may crow but the hens deliver the goods,” Richards howled in her Texas drawl as the customarily stuffy Davies Symphony Hall surrendered to a rowdy crowd of cheering partisans.

It was a night for women to be women, unafraid to play upon stereotypes in ways no male politician would dare. (Men were invited to empty their wallets but not share center stage.) No cat fights, please, one performer joked. Aren’t we really here to see what everyone is wearing? another queried. Even Richards couldn’t resist a reference to a legendary female predilection: shopping.

“With this kind of crisp breeze in the air, I thought, hmm, hmm, it is going to be nice to start wearing some wool suits, and I need to get myself a new pair of shoes,” Richards told a giggling crowd. “This fall, what I want you to do, is write Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein a check for just one good pair of Ferragamo shoes. You might even stretch it out to an Ellen Tracy jacket and an Anne Klein pair of slacks. Feel good about yourself!”

The tone was whimsical, but the underlying message was clearly one of urgency. Boxer’s lead against Republican Bruce Herschensohn has slipped dramatically, and Republican Sen. John Seymour has promised a bruising final two weeks in his contest with Feinstein. The two women emphasized the importance of Democratic victories in both races, saying anything short of that would leave the state at a disadvantage should Gov. Bill Clinton enter the White House.

“Just as Cagney had Lacey and Thelma had Louise, Dianne has Barbara and Barbara has Dianne,” Feinstein said. Later, she added: “The last two weeks for us are crucial. . . . We want to do for you what is right for this nation.”

Boxer, who over the years has had a lukewarm relationship with Feinstein, assured supporters that their differences were behind them.

“She and I have grown very, very close,” Boxer said. “We came up the ladder, and sometimes on different sides. We are together now. We have grown up. And we are working together. And we have a very similar vision of where this state has to go and where this nation has to go. And we understand that for either of us to be successful, we have to be successful together.”

While the evening was about getting Feinstein and Boxer elected, a stand-up routine by Richards about President Bush stole the show. Richards gained nationwide attention for her speech at the 1988 Democratic Convention about then-Vice President Bush. She continued her assault of her fellow Texan Monday night.

“I am the successful governor of a very large state,” Richards said in her typically deadpan manner. “Since I have been the governor of Texas the Berlin Wall has come down, the Russian empire has collapsed--and George Bush will no longer be President.”

Later, she bemoaned efforts during the campaign to liken Bush to former President Harry Truman. “The only thing George Bush has in common with Harry Truman,” she insisted, “is they are both history.”