Kinky Friedman: " We have a government of the money, by the money and for the money. ... That's not the American dream."

Friedman says he welcomes Strayhorn's candidacy
By KELLEY SHANNON
AP Political Writer
AUSTIN — Republican Carole Keeton Strayhorn's decision to run for Texas governor as an independent candidate doesn't seem to be worrying the original independent in the race, humorist Kinky Friedman.
"There's plenty of room in the hot tub, and she's welcome," Friedman said Wednesday of the woman who calls herself "one tough grandma."
Friedman, also a mystery writer and musician, predicted he and Strayhorn each will collect the 45,540 signatures needed to get on the ballot as independent candidates in November.
"Our people are going to be with us, and her people are going to be with her, and there's plenty of them," Friedman said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from his ranch near Kerrville.
There are 12.5 million registered voters in Texas. Those who sign ballot petitions for Strayhorn and Friedman this spring cannot have voted in the March 7 Republican or Democratic primary or a primary runoff.
Republican Gov. Rick Perry is the front-runner by far in the GOP primary now that Strayhorn, the state comptroller, has bowed out. He faces only little-known opposition. Former congressman Chris Bell and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Bob Gammage are vying for the Democratic nomination.
If Strayhorn and Friedman are both on the ballot, Texas voters will be well served by the additional choices, Friedman said.
"Anything will be better than the last governor's race," he said, pointing out that only 29 percent of the voting age population went to the polls in November 2002.
Before Strayhorn made her announcement, she called Friedman to warn him. She told him she respected what he had done and they talked about how they might work together "down the road," Friedman said, though he didn't elaborate.
"I've always thought that she was pretty spunky," Friedman said. "I like her spirit."
Strayhorn spokesman Mark Sanders said the two "had a very pleasant conversation."
"They wished each other the best of luck and that was it," he said.
Friedman, in the AP interview, pointed out some differences between him and Strayhorn, the main one being that she is a longtime politician and he's not.
"She has a lot of money, I think. We don't. Of course, the governor does," Friedman said, referring to Perry's campaign war chest. "We have a government of the money, by the money and for the money. ... That's not the American dream."
Friedman said he has run only once before for political office, for justice of the peace in Kerr County in 1986, a race he lost.
Texans are supporting his run for governor, he said, because he tells the truth and doesn't pander to people. He compares Republicans and Democrats to the gangs "the Crips and the Bloods."
Friedman said central issues in his campaign are education and improving life along the Texas-Mexico border. He said he wants Texas to stop "teaching to the test," meaning curriculum geared to state-mandated standardized tests now common in public school classrooms.
Describing himself as "anti-politician," he also said he intends to appoint competent people to state boards and commissions, not people who've donated campaign money.
"It doesn't take a genius to see that these politicians have played Texas like a cheap violin," he said.
Friedman said he believes Strayhorn probably saw that his independent candidacy was catching on and decided to run independently, too.
"What we're doing is what Sam Houston fought for — a truly independent spirit in the state that has been slumbering for maybe 147 years," he said.
Houston was the last independent to win a race for Texas governor.
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Kelley Shannon has covered politics and government in Austin since 2000.
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January 4, 2006 - 3:01 p.m. CST
source: http://www.statesman.com/news/content/gen/ap/TX_Governor_Kinky.html