Beto O’Rourke, a rising star in the Democratic Party who is challenging Republican Sen. Ted Cruz for his seat, apologized for his college review of a Broadway musical where he criticized the actresses ‘whose only qualifications seem to be their phenomenally large breasts and tight buttocks.’
The three-term Democratic congressman, while a student at Columbia University in 1991, reviewed the Broadway musical ‘The Will Rogers Follies’ for the student newspaper the Columbia Daily Spectator.
Writing under the name Robert O’Rourke – which is his birth name (Beto was given to him as a nickname as a child) – he described the show as ‘one of the most glaring examples of the sickening excesses and moral degradations of our culture.’
Beto O’Rourke apologized for a review he wrote in college that criticized the actresses ‘whose only qualifications seem to be their phenomenally large breasts and tight buttocks’
He was reviewing ‘The Will Rogers Follies’; cast members are seen here with choreographer Tommy Tune, who won a Tony for his work on the show
O’Rourke’s four-paragraphs of prose on the show, which was on the life and career of humorist Will Rogers, set agains the backdrop of the Ziegfeld Follies, is filled with colorful language about the performers.
‘Basically, the show documents the life of Will Rogers, the ‘lassoing fool,’ who rose from being an insignificant side show attraction to one of the more prominent political pundits and cultural statesmen in our history,’ O’Rourke wrote.
‘Yet it is produced and directed in such a showy, glitzy, and ultimately, tacky manner, that one cannot help feeling disgusted throughout the show. Keith Carradine in the lead role is surrounded by perma-smile actresses whose only qualifications seem to be their phenomenally large breasts and tight buttocks.’
It’s unclear of O’Rourke was criticizing the show’s use of the actress for effect or commenting on their bodies, according to Politico, which first reported the review’s existence.
He apologized for his words in a statement: ‘I am ashamed of what I wrote and I apologize. There is no excuse for making disrespectful and demeaning comments about women.’
The news website wrote that it was tipped off about O’Rourke’s review, which ran on Oct. 10, 1991 and is in the Spectator’s archive, by a ‘person who opposes O’Rourke’s Senate campaign.’
Still it paints another picture of O’Rourke, whose candidacy has caught fire with the Democratic Party and in the state of Texas, where Cruz is facing the contest of his political life.
Polls have shown the race is tight, within five points, which is worrisome for Republicans who should have this race locked up in the red state of Texas.
Last month, even Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged that Cruz is in a tough contest.
O’Rourke is challenging GOP Sen. Ted Cruz (right), seen here with Sen. Ben Sasse
Beto O’Rourke while attending Columbia University
Actor Keith Carradine in his dressing room at the Palace Theater where he starred in The Will Rogers Follies
‘I think Ted’s got a competitive race by all indications,’ McConnell said. ‘We certainly expect to win in Texas, but I think he does have a competitive race.’
Cruz, in response, has embraced President Donald Trump and his policies. The president is set to come campaign for him at some point this month.
O’Rourke has outraised Cruz, bringing in $23.6 million in donations in contrast to the senator’s $15.6 million.
And he’s harnessed social media to draw attention to his candidacy, live streaming his campaign events and tweeting frequently from campaign stops.
But this isn’t the only controversy to hit the Democratic candidate, who was accused of leaving the scene of a drunk driving accident he caused 20 years ago.
He’s argued he did not leave the scene of the Sept. 27, 1998 car accident although local papers have obtained police reports that say he did.
‘I did not try to leave the scene of the accident, though driving drunk, which I did, is a terrible mistake for which there is no excuse or justification or defense, and I will not try to provide one,’ O’Rourke said during a September Senatorial debate with Cruz.
O’Rourke’s review ran in the student newspaper in 1991
Beto O’Rourke mugshot from 1998
O’Rourke has used social media to catch fire with voters and recently campaigned with Willie Nelson
In the police report, the police officer said O’Rourke was present when he arrived at the scene and that the then 26-year-old had a blood alcohol content of 0.136, according to a breathalyzer test. The legal state limit in Texas was .10 at the time and was lowered to 0.08 a year later.
But the report also contained this line about O’Rourke: ‘The driver attempted to leave the accident but was stopped by the reporter.’
The witness to the accident, who reported it to the police, is not identified and O’Rourke has repeatedly denied he tried to leave.
And while O’Rourke didn’t like the ‘The Will Rogers Follies,’ it did go on to a two-year run and win several Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
He ended his review of it with this: ‘One thing that should be taken into consideration, however, is that I was the youngest person in the crowd by about 60 years,’ he wrote. ‘Though I found it revolting, most people from that long-ago, faraway generation really enjoyed the show, and were very pleased with the performances.’