Austin
Kinky Friedman, the off-color musician and novelist, qualified for the Texas governor’s race last week, filing nominating petitions with more than 169,000 signatures. He needed 45,000 names to get on the ballot. Friedman, the composer of such songs as “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed,” will run as an Independent against Republican incumbent Gov. Rick Perry and three others. One of Friedman’s opponents, state comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, complained that Friedman collected most of his nominating signatures from hard-partying denizens of concerts and music clubs. “All I can say,” Friedman replied, “is thank God for bars and dance halls.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
Why can't France hold on to its prime ministers?Today's Big Question Spiralling debt, ageing population and cultural refusal to accept budget cuts – despite high welfare spending – have been turbocharged by Emmanuel Macron
