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Kinky Friedman's spokeswoman said Wednesday the fact that an interview from more than a year ago is resurfacing means the candidate's opponents are feeling threatened.
The fact is, he's climbing in recent polls. At this time, he leads all candidates other than current Governor Rick Perry, but it will be a tight race.
07:45 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Associated Press
AUSTIN - Kinky Friedman was accused Wednesday of another racially offensive remark when a year-old interview surfaced in which he said sexual predators should be thrown in prison and forced to "listen to a Negro talking to himself."
Gary Bledsoe, the head of the Texas NAACP, called for Friedman to apologize over the remark. Bledsoe said the comment offended him, and the its context indicated that it was intended to be deregatory.
The independent gubernatorial candidate already was under fire for recent comments calling Katrina evacuees in Texas "crackheads and thugs." The remark was taken as a slap at black Katrina evacuees.
Multiple Texas newspapers have reported on an interview with Friedman aired on CNBC last year in which Friedman was asked what to do with sexual predators.
"Throw them in prison and throw away the key and make them listen to a Negro talking to himself," Friedman said in the CNBC interview. He also called Negro a "charming word."
State Rep. Garnet Coleman, immediate past chairman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, said those remarks are unacceptable from a candidate for governor.
Friedman's comments are more the kind that would come from someone running for "class clown or the grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan," Coleman told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Friedman's spokeswoman said Wednesday the fact that an interview from more than a year ago is resurfacing means Friedman's opponents are feeling threatened.
"Texans who know anything about Kinky know that he's not a racist, and they're going to see through all of this political correctness very soon," spokeswoman Laura Stromberg said. "This is what they've got? Bring it on. Texans can see right through."
Democrat Chris Bell said he saw the interview months ago and was surprised the news media didn't react in a stronger fashion at the time.
"I was offended by the comments then, and I would agree with Representative Coleman that everyone who's running as a serious candidate in this race needs to be held to the same standard," Bell said. "I just don't think those types of comments have a place in this campaign."
Coleman has endorsed Bell for governor.
The campaigns of Republican Gov. Rick Perry and independent Carole Keeton Strayhorn did not immediately return calls to the AP for comment.
Friedman was traveling to New York for a fund-raiser and would have no further comment on the remark, Stromberg said.
He told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Tuesday that anyone who is offended by his comment should vote for one of the other three major candidates.
"If I've got to lie to people, sweep the truth under the rug and worry about offending people, I'm not going to be very effective," Friedman said.
His spokeswoman said part of the "Negro" line was derived from a book Friedman wrote in the late 1980s that was being discussed in the CNBC interview before Friedman used the phrase in answering a question about sexual predators.
In addition to the "crackheads" reference, Friedman took some heat for a remark about ethnic politicking.
"I don't eat tamales in the barrio, I don't eat fried chicken in the ghetto, I don't eat bagels with the Jews for breakfast," said Friedman, who is Jewish. "That to me is true racism."
Associated Press
AUSTIN - Kinky Friedman was accused Wednesday of another racially offensive remark when a year-old interview surfaced in which he said sexual predators should be thrown in prison and forced to "listen to a Negro talking to himself."
Gary Bledsoe, the head of the Texas NAACP, called for Friedman to apologize over the remark. Bledsoe said the comment offended him, and the its context indicated that it was intended to be deregatory.
The independent gubernatorial candidate already was under fire for recent comments calling Katrina evacuees in Texas "crackheads and thugs." The remark was taken as a slap at black Katrina evacuees.
Multiple Texas newspapers have reported on an interview with Friedman aired on CNBC last year in which Friedman was asked what to do with sexual predators.
"Throw them in prison and throw away the key and make them listen to a Negro talking to himself," Friedman said in the CNBC interview. He also called Negro a "charming word."
State Rep. Garnet Coleman, immediate past chairman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, said those remarks are unacceptable from a candidate for governor.
Friedman's comments are more the kind that would come from someone running for "class clown or the grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan," Coleman told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Friedman's spokeswoman said Wednesday the fact that an interview from more than a year ago is resurfacing means Friedman's opponents are feeling threatened.
"Texans who know anything about Kinky know that he's not a racist, and they're going to see through all of this political correctness very soon," spokeswoman Laura Stromberg said. "This is what they've got? Bring it on. Texans can see right through."
Democrat Chris Bell said he saw the interview months ago and was surprised the news media didn't react in a stronger fashion at the time.
"I was offended by the comments then, and I would agree with Representative Coleman that everyone who's running as a serious candidate in this race needs to be held to the same standard," Bell said. "I just don't think those types of comments have a place in this campaign."
Coleman has endorsed Bell for governor.
The campaigns of Republican Gov. Rick Perry and independent Carole Keeton Strayhorn did not immediately return calls to the AP for comment.
Friedman was traveling to New York for a fund-raiser and would have no further comment on the remark, Stromberg said.
He told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Tuesday that anyone who is offended by his comment should vote for one of the other three major candidates.
"If I've got to lie to people, sweep the truth under the rug and worry about offending people, I'm not going to be very effective," Friedman said.
His spokeswoman said part of the "Negro" line was derived from a book Friedman wrote in the late 1980s that was being discussed in the CNBC interview before Friedman used the phrase in answering a question about sexual predators.
In addition to the "crackheads" reference, Friedman took some heat for a remark about ethnic politicking.
"I don't eat tamales in the barrio, I don't eat fried chicken in the ghetto, I don't eat bagels with the Jews for breakfast," said Friedman, who is Jewish. "That to me is true racism."
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