(Kinky) Friedman: Energy program key for Texas

[jpak]

http://www.waxahachiedailylight.com/articles/2006/09/03/dailylight/news/01-09-03-friedman1.txt

Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman is emphatic in his belief as to why the state of Texas has moved slowly in pursuing renewable energy options such as biodiesel, wind and solar.

“The governor (Rick Perry) is married to the power lobby,” Friedman said. “It’s very simple. All these legislators will tell you that when they’re doing anything involving power or energy that the lobbyists are in the gallery.

“The lobbyists are writing the legislation and giving the legislators their marching orders. In fact, the legislators call the gallery the owners’ box,” Friedman said. “They’re all bought and paid for, and that’s the problem. That’s why we’re not getting anything going with an energy program.”

Staying busy on the campaign trail, Friedman said people are telling him they’re upset about their electric bills going up 80 percent in the last six years and that they’d like to see a clean energy program put into place.

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[NOLADEM]

1. This guy has a chance of winning, strange as it seems

He is immensely popular in Texas, and Perry and Strayhorn are liked by no one but their mothers.

A Kinky Texas would be a vast improvement.

His website is AWESOME. Check it out.

www.kinkyfriedman.com

[kerstin]

2. I heard Friedman on Alex Jones show last week.

He called George Bush a personal friend and a "good man" (though it was Laura he was especially chummy with), boasted that Rove predicted a November win for him, said he'd never heard of the Posse Comatitus Act (though he'd heard of "pussy" Comatitus), and analogized illegal immigrants to "cockroaches."

There's more but suffice it to say he seemed as bigoted, brain-damaged and lacking in curiosity as W. (That's not to say the dude won't win, unfortunately.)

[kerstin]

3. Oh yeah, I almost forgot.

Kinky voted for Bush/Cheney in 2004.

[NOLADEM]

4. He is a sideshow...

Like Frank Zappa running for prez or something...his actions are consistent with someone who acted as court jester for the powers that be when Bush was in the Governor's Mansion.

His comments also have political reppercussions, because talking ill of Bushco in Texas is not helpful in a Governor's race, and he is actually trying to win this thing.

Don't get me wrong, if a real Dem were running, I would be all for em, but there are three Republicans running essentially, so I find the Satirist Clown interesting.

He is no liberal, that's for sure...but he is different, and some of his platform on his site is pretty appealing and/or amusing to the average voter who is disenchanted with Tweedle Dee and Dum.

And just for clarity, his site is Awesome, not his personal political history.

I will say though that the size of the interest in his candidacy does indicate a void that the Dems could move in to fill in a state long written off.

[kerstin]

5. If anything is irrelevant, it's how "awesome" someone's web site is.

But let's not confuse the voters with minor stuff like someone's "personal political history."

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NOLADEM]

8. Uh......ok

Not sure to what that is aimed.

To be clear though, I am not advocating his candidacy, just pointing out he is a decent showman, and the fact that he has a slick site that appeals to many disaffected voters may indicate there is an opening for Dems in Texas to appeal to the middle for the first time in a while.

[kerstin]

9. There's already a Democrat in the race. His name is Chris Bell.

Perhaps his website won't transport you to the extent that Kinky's apparently does. But after all, this is democraticunderground.com, not asshat.com.

I notice in all your posts above you conveniently neglect to mention Bell, or the fact that a vote for "Kinky" by a visitor to a Dem web site would in all likelihood constitute one less vote for the Democrat.

(By the way, your "Twiddle Dee and Dum" reference above gives you away, my friend.)

[Javaman]

10. NOLADEM sounds like one of those people

that are trying the soft sell. Just another wolf in sheeps clothing.

"come on, check out kinky, blah blah blah"

That crap makes me sick. Then when you call them on it, they get all defensive and back peddle by saying, "it's another choice, that's all I'm saying, blah blah blah".

This is DEMOCRATICunderground, not 3rd party loser underground.

Kinky will be and always be a fraud out for himself. His only mission is to stroke his ego and nothing else.

[Javaman]

6. I worked with that baffoon a few years ago...

nothing more than a hot air spewing ego maniac that loves to pontificate on the ills of society. He is trying TRYING very hard to be america's new Mark Twain.

when I first met him, my very first impression was, who is this idiot. then someone mentioned who he was. I was even less impressed then.

[JohnWxy]

11. Just like the GOP operate in Washington: Lobbyists writing legislation

“The lobbyists are writing the legislation and giving the legislators their marching orders. In fact, the legislators call the gallery the owners’ box,” Friedman said. “They’re all bought and paid for, and that’s the problem. That’s why we’re not getting anything going with an energy program.”

Great post!