Free bubble-up & rainbow stew

Posted by Curtis on February 26, 2001

In Reply to: Free bubble-up & rainbow stew posted by ESC on January 04, 2001

: : : : FREE BUBBLE-UP AND RAINBOW STEW -- Voters of Kentucky changed the state's constitution so the General Assembly, our lawmaking body, will meet every year instead of every two years. In a Lexington Herald-Leader article (Jan. 1, 2001), Senator David Williams said: "We're going to approach this session cautiously. We're mindful that voters did not anticipate large numbers of bills passing through here, unless they all deal with free bubble-up and rainbow stew."

: : : : Anyone have any ideas as to the origin of this phrase? Bubble-up, I think, is a soda pop similar to the more well-known 7-up. But "rainbow stew"?

: : : I think the good senator was refering to free drinks and leftovers for everybody... the pot of gold... like a Hail Mary pass to the end zone...
: : : like in programs that will feed people that don't want to work for a living. I hope the voters of Kentucky know a boondoggle when they see one.

: : : I got to thinking about this one for some reason and began to wonder if the senator from Kentucky was indeed refering to welfare and gay rights legislation. "rainbow stew"... is that capital hill speak for the multitudes of activists demanding equal rights?

: Welfare programs, maybe. I can guarantee you almost 100 percent that he wasn't talking about gay rights or equal rights. He was talking about new roads and other goodies for the people. I'm thinking the expression comes from a folktale.

Actually, he probably didn't mean gay rights or new roads and other "goodies". He was quoting a song lyric from a country song from the late 70's or early 80's.