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Eye on Williamson
June 24, 2009
Texas Lyceum poll shows economy, unemployment as main concerns

The one theme that jumps out from reviewing the Texas Lyceum Poll is that Texas is in flux.  With almost half the respondents (46%) identifying as independent of either major political party.  And  there is no clear favorite for either party’s choice for governor, or who should replace Kay Bailey Hutchison in the US Senate, if she does decide to challenge Rick Perry.  The poll finds a state that is worried about the economy and unemployment in Texas and the country.  But also extremely willing to spend money to make health care more accessible and affordable, develop new energy technology, and improve education.

Perry tops GOP rival in gov race poll
By Gary Scharrer - Express-News
June 24, 2009

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry leads U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison by double digits in their race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, according to a new statewide poll by the Texas Lyceum.

But a large group of Texans remain undecided in the expected showdown between the state’s top two Republicans in the GOP primary next March.

“With nine months to go before the election, it is clear that the majority of Texans remain undecided,” said Daron Shaw, University of Texas at Austin government professor, who, with James Henson, conducted the poll. “Although Governor Perry enjoys a lead with those who intend to participate in the Republican primary for governor, the fact that 45 percent of those polled have yet to choose a candidate shows that this is still anyone’s race.”

Houston Chronicle
By R.G. RATCLIFFE
June 20, 2009

“There will be a relatively small turnout in the Democratic primary,”  [Harris County Democratic Chairman Gerry Birnberg] Birnberg said, adding “it certainly is a distinct possibility that Kinky Friedman could win, just because he gets a significant amount of the activists’ vote,” Birnberg said.

Access the full story here.

The Case For Kinky Friedman For Governor Of Texas In 2010

By Neil Aquino

The 2010 race for Governor of Texas is, regretfully, already under way. Republican U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson is a primary candidate for 2010 against incumbent Governor Rick Perry. Neither of these two candidates of the far-right offer much hope for Texans looking for a change from years of misrule by George W. Bush, Tom Craddick and….Kay Bailey Hutchison and Rick Perry.  

The two announced Democratic candidates for 2010 are Tom Schieffer and Kinky Friedman.

Mr. Schieffer, who has a campaign web home that is near useless, was Ambassador to Australia and then Japan under George W. Bush. He has supported Mr. Bush in his campaigns. Despite this connection to Mr. Bush, Mr. Schieffer is running as a Democrat.    

I can’t say I’m enthused by Mr. Schieffer.

Kinky Friedman, a performer and author, sets me on edge just looking at him. Some sort of hip singing cowboy walking around with a cigar all the time. What the hell is that?  What does any of that have to do with my majority-minority home city of Houston?

I can hardly stand to look at that picture I’ve put at the top of this post.  

Here is Mr. Friedman’s campaign web home.

Mr. Friedman ran for Governor of Texas in 2006 as an Independent. I talked to him for a few minutes during that campaign and found him to be a jerk.

But you know…..I want Texas to have a Democratic governor. I’ve lived in Texas since 1998 and as far as I can recall I have yet to see a Democrat win a statewide race for any office. How long can this go on?

At this point, I’m at least willing to give Mr. Friedman a hearing. The candidates our Democratic Party of Texas has offered have been a string of clunkers.

One of the best political boggers in Texas is Ted McLaughlin of Amarillo who writes the blog Jobsanger. Ted is a good liberal and a loyal Texan. His views merit consideration.

Ted supported Mr. Friedman in 2006 and is supporting him for 2010. I asked Ted to tell me why he backs Mr. Friedman.

Here is what he wrote—

The other day I got an interesting question from a friend of mine. Neil,… (who) wanted to know “Why do you support Kinky Friedman for governor in 2010?” Let me see if I can collect my thoughts and coherently answer that question. First, Kinky’s talent and his belief in social justice are not new to me.

I first heard of Kinky Friedman in 1973, when he put out an album named Sold American. You don’t have to listen to very many cuts off the album to know this talented Texan is a fighter for civil rights and women’s rights. And he didn’t just do that in his music. When he ran for governor in 2006 as an independent, there were some young bloggers who, in their zeal to support their own candidate, accused Kinky of being a racist. They should be ashamed of themselves for that. Kinky was on the streets in Austin protesting for civil rights before these bloggers were even a gleam in their parents’ eyes.

I’m talking about the sixties, when it took some courage to stand up for civil rights anywhere in Texas. And in all those years since that time, Kinky has not really changed. He is still an independent thinker who wants to make the lives of ordinary Texans a little better. In his own words, Kinky says, “It’s time to end corporate handouts, get rid of the death penalty, get rid of the TAKS Test, and get rid of the Republican stranglehold on this state.”

I believe the recent Republican dominance of Texas politics has been disastrous for ordinary Texans. They have virtually sold our state to the corporate interests. While the corporations get handouts and corporate-friendly laws, the ordinary citizens get nothing but higher taxes, dirty air and water, and urban blight. It doesn’t matter whether Rick Perry is re-elected or is replaced by Kay Bailey Hutchison, the worship of corporate interests and abandonement of the citizens’ interests will continue. The only way to change things in Texas is to vote the Republicans out of power.

Now, some of you may think there is a Democrat running besides Kinky — Tom Schieffer. I would disagree. Tom Schieffer may call himself a Democrat, but he sure doesn’t act like one! Just look at his record in recent years. Schieffer comes from the corporate world, where he was a business associate of George Bush. In fact, he supported Bush when he ran for governor. Then he again publically supported Bush in both the 2000 and 2004 campaigns for president. He also served the Bush administration as an ambassador. I ask you — does this really sound like a Democrat?

Tom Schieffer is a DINO — a Democrat In Name Only. If elected, he would rule like a Republican. You would not be able to detect any difference between the current Republican corporatacracy and a Schieffer-led corporatacracy. It would just be more of the same, with Big Business getting the cake and everyone else scrambling for the crumbs.

Is Kinky perfect? No, but then I have never met the politician who was perfect. However, one big difference between Kinky and most politicians is his willingness to admit his mistakes and apologize for them. A few years ago, Kinky made some stupid and unkind remarks about Katrina victims in Houston. But when his supporters (and others) pointed out what a boneheaded statement it was, Kinky realized his error and apologized for his insensitivity.

Perfect or flawed, Kinky Friedman is the only choice for those who believe Texas is heading down the wrong path, and must change. All of the other candidates just offer more of the same (including Schieffer), but Kinky wants to restore the government to the benefit of ordinary Texans. Kinky says his heroes have always been Democrats — specifically Ann Richards and Barbara Jordan. Personally, if he wants to model his government service after these two Texas political giants, then he’s off to a good start.

Why do I support Kinky? Two reasons — I like him as a person, and I don’t see any alternative for those who want to change Texas for the better. Isn’t it time you climbed on board also?

Alex welcomes in-studio Kinky Friedman, independent candidate in the 2006 election for the office of Governor of Texas, singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, and former columnist for Texas Monthly. Listen to the June 3 interview here. (Kinky joins Alex in hour three)

Eccentric's Corner: Kinky Friedman
He's a dedicated troublemaker with ten-gallon chutzpah—and he wants to fix Texas.

By: Matthew Hutson
Psychology Today

Profession: Humorist, politician

Claim to Eccentricity: No one knows when to take him seriously.

Kinky Friedman's life would make a great novel, so it's no shock that he's written 17 detective novels starring himself. After studying psychology and spending two years in the Peace Corps in Borneo, he formed a country band—Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys—that was celebrated for their satirical and socially progressive songs ("They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore"). Kinky left the stage but kept his cigar and hat, wrote his books, and became a columnist for Texas Monthly. Then he ran for governor of Texas, winning over 12 percent of the vote as an independent in 2006. Now the Kinkster stays busy with his column, an animal shelter he started, and a cigar company he recently launched. He speaks One-Liner nearly fluently—creating a disarming but unyielding facade that seems at odds with the authenticity he lays claim to. And for a self-styled rebel, he cares quite a bit about his legacy. But you can't help waiting for the next punch line.

The Kinkster Returns: This Time as a Democrat
Michael King, The Austin Chronicle
May 15, 2009

He's got a website and a new populist spiel: singer-songwriter and novelist Kinky Friedman says he's running for Texas governor again, not as an independent (as he did in 2006) but as a card-carrying Democrat. "My heroes have always been Democrats," Friedman told a capacity crowd at the First Unitar­ian Universalist Church public affairs forum last month. He said his first political hero was presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson (who lost to Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 and in 1956) and that his only mistake in 2006 was not to follow Stevenson's example. "Had I run as a Democrat," Friedman said, "I believe I would be governor now."

Kinky Friedman gauging second run at governor
Tim Sampson, Kerrville Daily Times     
May 13, 2009

Local entertainer Kinky Friedman is taking the first steps toward a second campaign for governor, this time running as a Democrat.

Friedman, who campaigned as an independent and finished fourth in a five-way race for governor in 2006, has created an exploratory committee to gauge the level of financial and popular support he could expect to receive if he made another bid for the state’s highest office in 2010.

The committee, comprised of prominent Texas Democrats, including famed Houston trial lawyer Richard “Racehorse” Haynes and former Texas Agriculture Commissioner and author Jim Hightower, is geared toward helping Friedman size up his potential for winning the Democratic nomination.

“It was a tactical mistake to run as an independent last time,” Friedman said.

Friedman said the populist message of his previous campaign left him with strong support among Texas independents, many of whom branded their cars and trucks with bumper stickers reading, “He ain’t Kinky, he’s my governor.”

He believes those independents, combined with the support of the Democratic base and a growing number of disaffected Republicans, could propel him to a victory in a general election against either Gov. Rick Perry or Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is poised to challenge Perry in the Republican primary.

Abel Dominguez, a San Antonio attorney and treasurer of Friedman’s committee, said the support of a major party is essential to fundraising. An inordinate proportion of Friedman’s funds in 2006 were spent just collecting the more than 45,000 signatures needed to get his name on the ballot.

“Although an independent can do well and go far in this state, you need the financial backing of a big party,” Dominguez said.

Friedman won’t comment on how soon he plans to make a decision, but Dominguez said that with wide support in rural regions, it was “very likely” Friedman would enter the race.

As far as Friedman’s political prospects within the Democratic Party, Lowell Leberman, a former Austin City Councilman and member of the exploratory committee, said Friedman was “a real, unbendable Democrat.” He said Friedman’s flamboyant nature and politically incorrect sense of humor, which led to spectacle and controversy on the campaign trail last time, should not distract from his policy stances on education, taxes and equal rights.

“He’s an entertainer, but I think the public will see that he is an entertainer with a serious message,” he said.

Leberman suggested that perhaps some of Friedman’s antics may be toned down this time around so as not to distract from his political message. He added though, “you don’t want to take all the Kinky out of Kinky.”

The only other competitor so far in the Democratic gubernatorial primary is Tom Schieffer, former Texas Rangers president and ambassador to Australia and Japan under former President George W. Bush. And to hear Friedman sum up his potential opponent, it is clear that nobody’s taken the “Kinky out of Kinky.”

“The last thing we need is a diplomat in the governor’s mansion,” Friedman said. “We need someone who’ll kick some ass.”

Listen to the show here.

Breast cancer survivors strut their stuff on the runway
News 8 Austin Staff
April 19, 2009
    
Breast Cancer survivors hit the runway, sporting bras designed and signed by survivors, supporters and celebrities at the third annual Art Bra Fashion show Saturday night.

The one-of-a-kind pieces of art are then auctioned off with proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Resource Centers of Texas.

"Being able to model an art bra in a show like this really helps these women feel empowered and beautiful and feminine again and really get back in touch with their self image and feel like a woman," Barbara Formichelli, with the resource center, said.