At the David Horowitz weekend in Santa Barbara, I met Tammy Bruce. Tammy is the former head of the California chapter of the National Organization for Women. She is politically openminded, which is most likely why she clashed with the national NOW brass.
She is brash, brazen, and cusses like a sailor. I suspect she gets away with it because she is brilliant and drop dead gorgeous. People tend to give extra latitude towards smart, hot women.
http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/4/2/91008.shtml
The only issue I have ever had with Tammy Bruce is that she is a lesbian.
I am pro gay rights, just not for her. In fact, I am pro gay rights for everybody except her. I mentioned this to her, and explained that back in college, it was depressing for me and some of my friends to accept the fact that we had no shot (This creates the illusion that if she was straight, we would).
I suggested to her that since Al Gore brought up the issue of carbon credits in the form of offsets, maybe the same could be done with her way of life. Perhaps Roseanne Barr could be donated to the gay community in exchange for Tammy Bruce.
Did I mention she was hot?
Anyway, to reduce the risk of getting in trouble with an even hotter woman that cusses equally fierce, I shall reluctantly move on. Tammy moderated a panel dealing with the 2008 elections.
“I’ll be brief. This might be the first time that ever happens. Yes, you have all witnessed a miracle at the Biltmore.”
“This past February, I changed my affiliation from ‘democrat’ to ‘declined to state.’ That might be the only time I decline to state something.”
“I am not happy with the choices before me. I voted for Obama in the primary, but I was a Giuliani girl.”
“The democrats are planning an invasion of the White House. I say invasion because this party has gone from JFK to Howard Dean.”
“Democrats can’t even persuade their own base. They believe in forced efforts at equality. This is how they came up with proportional representation for delegates, where victory means nothing.”
“They want ineffectual failure to run the government.”
“Obama is not a uniter. He can’t even bring his own party together.”
“The namecalling, racism and sexism of this campaign has all been done by the democrats.”
“Obama is better than Hillary at having proxies deliver his negative messages.”
“Republicans should not enjoy the meltdown too much. John Kerry almost won.”
“John McCain loves La Raza.”
“We are not afraid of a black guy. We just don’t like Marxists who want to nationalize our industries.”
“John McCain is not a conservative. He is closer to Hillary Clinton.”
(Somebody in the crowd then yelled, “Oh please!.” Tammy quickly reacted by saying, “See! Dissent! Republicans allow for that!”)
“Republicans think that republican Presidents will get them the Supreme Court they want. Former President George HW Bush appointed David Souter. President George W. Bush tried to appoint Harriet Myers.”
“Liberals would put Jimmy Carter on the court within 10 minutes of getting elected.”
“Republicans rolled over on Ruth Bader Ginsburg. They just rolled over. Did they get rewarded for this? Of course not. Their nominees still get fought.”
“John McCain is not even close to Ronald Reagan.”
“I have hit the Clintons hard, including this campaign. Yet I admire Hillary’s tenacity. She will not get forced out or quit. I respect that.”
Tammy Bruce also said that she is pro-choice, and that abortion is a big deal for her. She does not know who she will vote for in the general election. She voted for Obama because she disliked Hillary, but probably would not do that today. She still wishes Rudy Giuliani had won the nomination.
“Pro-life does not necessarily mean conservative. Mike Huckabee is pro-life, but he also is a tax raiser.”
“Democrats have to sound like people of faith because they know the voters are.”
“Mike Huckabee did get 48% of the black vote while Governor. They like his commitment to faith based issues.”
“Hillary should run as an independent. This will weaken George Soros and keep the Sorosites from affecting the election. Joseph Lieberman was proof of the Moveon.org rejection across America. Obama is the National Ned Lamont.”
“Bipartisanship means conservative surrender. To hell with bipartisanship.”
“Obama kept himself a blank slate. Voters like him personally.”
“I really want John Bolton for President.”
I told Tammy later that evening that I would report back to my republican friends and let them know that she was a lesbian, so that she did not get inundated with marriage proposals.
Her response was par for the course with her.
“They can ask me all they want, but they might have to get used to me saying no.”
She did use the word “might,” but I could have imagined that.
Anyway, even if I was not happily involved with the Chicago Cannonball, I would not have asked Tammy Bruce if I could give her the ketchup bottle treatment. She would slap me silly, in a way I would not like.
She agreed to an interview, and I informed her that despite my offbeat nature, the questions would be dignified and respectful. Her response was, again, typical her.
“In that case, I will try to answer them in a dignified and respectful way.”
As for Ms. Bruce, she has a ruthlessly effective tongue, and I will avoid the overkill sophomoric remark. I will merely say that I am glad she uses it more often than not on our side of the fence.
eric
I can’t figure that woman out for the life of me. I get the feeling she just makes it all up as she goes along, for attention and ratings.
JMJ
She sounds like a lot of fun.
When will this interview happen ?
How do you do it Eric? What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall at most of your interviews, but especially this one.
She is an interesting character who has really had a transormation over the years politically.
I think like many of us she does not easily fit an idealogical or partisan label. She has many issues she feels passionately about and on some the republicans are right and some the democrats are right. On balance she tends to side with republicans on more issues than democrats. Abortion is one of those sticky issues, which many use as a litmus test of liberal or conservative and really is not that discriminating.
My sense is it is an issue where most of the country falls somewhere between the two extremes. Feeling is shoule be legal early in the pregnancy and getting less comfortable with it as it gets later in the pregnancy. I think for most the exact point where it becomes unacceptable is blurry. I also think tha tmost realize that not much is likley to change legally on the abortion issue. If Roe vs Wade were overturned tomorrow, I don’t think most states laws would be affected. Living in California I know there would be no effect as the California constitution clearly supports the “right to privacy”