Houston mayor wades into 'Duck Dynasty' waters

"Duck Dynasty" -- Miss Kay and Phil Robertson "Duck Dynasty" -- Miss Kay and Phil Robertson Photo: handout Photo: handout Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Houston mayor wades into 'Duck Dynasty' waters 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Houston Mayor Annise Parker on Saturday took a shot at "Duck Dynasty" patriarch Phil Robertson, calling the backwood baron of duck calls and reality TV star a "redneck wingnut" in relation to his views on homosexuality.

Parker, in a midday tweet, called Robertson's views "completely irrelevant," following on a remark she made to John Wright, publisher of Lone Star Q, a Texas-based blog focused on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.

"I've been a gay community activist since the mid-70s," Wright quoted Parker as saying. "It was a very different time. We were fighting to keep people out of jails and mental hospitals. What some redneck wingnut has to say about the GLBT community is completely irrelevant."

Parker followed the Friday quip with a tweet Saturday. "I was serious. Who cares?" Parker wrote on her official mayoral Twitter account, followed by nearly 25,000.

Tweet draws rebuke

The comment drew rebuke from others, who questioned whether it was appropriate for an elected official to resort to name-calling.

Robertson, founder of a Louisiana-based duck-calling business and star of the popular "Duck Dynasty" tele­vision show, was removed by the show's network, A&E, after a magazine article appeared in which Robertson called homosexuality a sin.

In the piece, he compared homosexuality to terrorism and bestiality, said being gay was "not logical" and observed that blacks he knew growing up were not unhappy during segregation.

The comments and suspension set off a national debate on Robertson's right to espouse what he held were his Christian beliefs and the network's right to take him off the air for speaking his mind.

Parker waded into the controversy with little to lose, said University of Houston political science professor Richard Murray. Parker is term-limited from running for a fourth term, but has two years to go in the mayor's office.

"It will be interesting to see if this becomes a pattern of letting her hair down electronically," Murray said of the tweet.

Parker's office did not return phone calls and emails seeking comment.

On substance, few should be surprised at Parker and Robertson holding different views. Parker is openly gay, and Robertson is a self-proclaimed "Bible thumper."

"It is not out of character for either one," Murray said.

Broader audience

What is changing, as all elected officials are learning, is the political landscape, he said. Public life often demands that officials have public profiles on platforms such as Twitter that make their statements reach a broader audience.

"You need to be tweeting all the time," Murray said. "But it is a dangerous habit and you might regret saying something the moment you hit send."

If there is any political fallout, Murray said it will be dealings with state lawmakers, some of whom tilt more toward Robertson's views than Parker's. The tweet could also come up should Parker secure a nomination for a federal post, which some have speculated is possible.

Locally, she has little to fear with her last city election behind her, Murray said.

"And fortunately for the mayor there are not many of us rednecks left in the city," Murray said, noting his own rural roots.