TribBlog: Riddle on "Godless" Liberalism

“I tend not to hold back,” said state Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, at a Wednesday morning TribLive event. True to her word, she went on to denounce what she referred to as the “liberal, progressive, godless way.”

Riddle was answering a question from an audience member regarding her position on public education that referenced a quote from her freshman session in 2003.

She wasn’t holding back — she also conceded she may have been “a little tired and a little cranky” — when she discussed social services with El Paso Times seven years ago. “Where did this idea come from that everybody deserves free education, free medical care, free whatever?” she said. “It comes from Moscow, from Russia. It comes straight out of the pit of hell. And it's cleverly disguised as having a tender heart. It's not a tender heart. It's ripping the heart out of this country."

Despite the elapsed time, she was able to recite the quote nearly verbatim as she answered the question from the audience. Her explanation — which this video joins already in progress — on why she believes such services weaken the state veered unexpectedly into a discussion of the overlap between liberalism and godlessness. She said of the connection, “I thought everybody was aware of that.”

Take a look: