Most Texas politicos don’t remember a time when A.R. “Babe” Schwartz wasn’t wielding power under the dome. Molly Ivins referred to him as a “white-maned pixie,” but she also noted that the diminutive Schwartz has been a towering influence in the Democratic Party for generations.

A World War II veteran and lawyer, Schwartz represented Galveston in the Texas House in the late 1950s and the Texas Senate from 1960 to 1981, specializing in environmental legislation to protect coastal areas. He was a fiery liberal known for his sharp wit and splendid oratory. After leaving office, he transferred those skills to a successful lobbying career.

A friend and colleague of Johnson Bentsen Richards Dinner honoree Ben Barnes, Schwartz, now a spunky 85 years old, took a quick trip down memory lane with us from his Austin home.

QUESTION: First, catch us up on what you’re doing these days. I know you’re not retired! During the last legislative session, I saw you at the Capitol!

SCHWARTZ: I’m still a lobbyist and a lawyer. I’ve been lobbying for 28 years now.

QUESTION: When did you first meet Ben Barnes?

SCHWARTZ: I met Ben when he was elected Lieutenant Governor (1968). I had no contact when he was Speaker of the House, but I served with him as long as he was Lieutenant Governor (until 1973), and I admired him greatly.

QUESTION: Even though Barnes is more than a decade younger, he was kind of a political mentor to you, wasn’t he?

SCHWARTZ: He gave me my first opportunity in the Senate. Ben was stuck with a liberal minority, which was pretty militant, and I was part of that militant minority. He put me on the finance committee and the legislative budget board. He gave me an opportunity to function in the Senate that I might not otherwise have had.

That was his real advantage as an office holder: he worked beautifully with everybody. He didn’t have anybody he couldn’t work with, and he spent time forming those personal relationships. There were 10 of us liberals at that time, and we had not had a functional capacity in the Senate until Barnes put us into positions where we could function. We were doing things then that we were best able to do, so we were loyal to him — and we still are. We all hoped he would become governor, and he should have. We missed a great opportunity.

QUESTION: Do you have after-hours stories to tell about Barnes?

SCHWARTZ: We didn’t have much of that going on … Barnes was running for office all the time, and I had four kids in Galveston and a law practice to worry about. So out-of-the-office experiences were pretty rare. He was straightforward about running things.

QUESTION: When you served in the legislature, how would you describe the mood compared with the today’s Republican-majority bullishness?

SCHWARTZ: Well, the world’s different now. It’s a sign of the times, and you see it in Congress, too, where they can’t seem to accomplish anything. It’s becoming totally non-functional. I think (Texas Speaker of the House Joe) Straus wants to provide leadership, but with 100 Republicans in the there — and half of them Tea Party — he just can’t. I don’t think he has let the best Democrats do as much as they could have done. I don’t think most of the Tea Party folks know the rules the way we used to. Hell, they can’t even explain their own (bleep) legislation!

QUESTION: Give us your assessment of Ben Barnes’ contribution to Texas and to Democrats?

SCHWARTZ: Well, he’s been a blessing for the Democratic Party, politically here in Texas and in terms of his lobbying influence in Washington and his fundraising everywhere. But his real contribution always is that he’s got friends everywhere. He’s loyal to them, and they’re loyal to him. He has more personal relationships than lobbying relationships, and he’s a friend with everybody he works with. Ben never loses touch.

QUESTION: What’s the future of the Democratic Party in Texas?

SCHWARTZ: If anybody can help us be good Democrats, it’s Rick Perry!