- Annise Parker is No. 13, just behind Glenn Beck
Houston’s hot and sexy new mayor, Annise Parker, came in at No. 13 on the Time magazine list of “World’s Most Influential People.”
In the list of leaders, Parker ranks right after Fox broadcaster Glenn Beck but before Tidjane Thiam, a former politician from Cote d’Ivoire and current head of British insurer Prudential that is buying AIG’s Asian unit.
Really? People know who the head of Prudential in Great Britain is?
And Barack Obama? He’s only No. 4. Brazilian President Luis da Silva gets the top spot. J. T. Wang, president of Acer computers is No. 2 and Admiral Mike Mullen is No. 3.
Um, I think the President of the United States is more important than the president of the number two computer maker.
But Parker’s not complaining. Other than about that boring profile of her. Michael Moore wrote da Silva’s. Hillary Clinton wrote Nancy Pelosi’s. Pelosi is No. 8. Ahead of Sarah Palin.
Palin’s bio was written by Ted Nugent. He wrote, “If Sarah Palin played a loud, grinding instrument, she would be in my band.” If only. Instead she’ll be here in Dallas this week promoting a non-existent Oak Lawn-area anti-abortion clinic.
Parker’s bio was written by a Time staff writer and she makes Texas’ sexiest politician, well, downright boring.
“She’s a demure, pearl-wearing lesbian businesswoman with three kids and a longtime partner,” writes Hilary Hilton for Time.
We say she’s a no-nonsense, get-things-done politician who’s the first Texan to get national admiration since Ann Richards.
Unlike our current governor, who’s the national butt of jokes for his oft-repeated calls to secede from the union, Parker’s working with Washington to keep jobs in Houston.
In her first few months in office, Parker has brought together the entire Houston congressional delegation — yes Republicans as well as Democrats — to support NASA and jobs. She’s doing the same to keep Continental Airlines, based in Houston at their unfortunately named airport, from moving operational jobs out of the city, even if headquarters moves to Chicago in a merger with United Airlines.
Time wrote that after her first 100 days in office, she quoted from Calvin Coolidge in her first state of the city address. Yes, boring Parker quoting from the most boring president.
But she’s also addressed the fact that because the city does not offer partnership benefits like its much more progressive neighbor to the north (okay so she didn’t call Dallas that — I did) her partner is on a separate health insurance policy.
And in her sweeping non-discrimination executive order last month, she directed all city departments and all city facilities to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or gender expression. And that includes contractors or anyone else doing business with the city.
“I felt it important that our written policy reflect what has long been the practice of the city, which is we do not discriminate,” Parker told Dallas Voice at the time.
Demure, pearl-wearing lesbian, indeed.
You just give em hell, Governor Parker. I mean mayor.
OK, so I checked and she’s wearing pearls in every picture I have of her.
I LOVE her…and her pearls!!!
“Time wrote that after her first 100 days in office, she quoted from Calvin Coolidge in her first state of the city address. Yes, boring Parker quoting from the most boring president.”
President Coolidge had not been in office for 100 days when Ethel Barrymore visited. (Ethel would be Drew Barrymore’s great aunt, I believe.) Anyway, she asked the new president what kind of president he was going to be? Coolidge replied, “I think the people of America want a solemn ass for president and I do not plan to disappoint term.”
Perhaps your boring Mayor knows the same to be true of Big D?