Former Speaker Brown Entertains Lively Sacramento Crowd

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Say what you will about former Speaker Willie Brown, but the man's got a stage presence. At the Crest Theater in Sacramento today, Brown, joined by former Sacramento Mayor Phil Isenberg, delighted the audience with reflections on his youth, his time in politics, and his perspectives on the political intrigues of today.

Brown grew up in Mineola, Texas, a rural segregated town. When asked how the boy from Mineola wound up in San Francisco, Brown joked, "I took the train," before going into a fascinating response involving segregated education, fleeing townsfolk who didn't like him, and having a bookie uncle in San Francisco. Brown detailed his first encounters with John Burton while in ROTC at San Francisco State College, the two having met because their names were next to each other when the squad lined up in alphabetical order.

On his accomplishments in the Assembly, Brown highlighted his role in removing state prohibitions on consensual adult contact. You can read an excerpt from Willie's book, "Basic Brown," on what happened here.

For an event designed to promote his book, Brown went well beyond the basics. Willie fielded questions on Senator Obama, Speaker Pelosi, conspiracy theories, and immigration with the grace of a seasoned politician and pundit. A question on Jerry Brown's legacy yielded the night's boldest prediction: "He gonna win it" -- "it" of course being the Governor's office in 2010.

The show moves to Los Angeles tomorrow for a free lecture at Los Angeles Central Library -- Neighborhood Downtown with Brown and Los Angeles Times writer Bill Boyarsky. 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071. Event starts at 7 pm and is presented by ALOUD, the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, and the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation.

Image courtesy Barnes and Noble.