Kerry and Kinky For Texas

Kerry on Bush: 'Houston, We've Got a Problem'

Democratic White House candidate John Kerry blasted President Bush's economic stewardship on Saturday and declared in the Texan's own backyard, "Houston, we've got a problem."

"Didn't he (Bush) promise 4 million jobs would be created with those tax cuts?" a raspy-voiced Kerry asked during a town hall meeting at Houston Community College.

"We lost 3 million ... 2.8 million Americans have lost their health care, he promised he was going to reduce the debt of our country by $1 trillion and he's added $1 trillion to the debt of our country," Kerry said.

Unleash your inner Texan and vote Kinky

Kinky Friedman, best-selling author, country music singer, humorist, friend of stray dogs and salsa merchant, is running for governor of Texas in 2006 as an independent. Friedman is the man behind the song "Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed" and author of the book "Kill Two Birds and Get Stoned."

For all of those wondering why the front man for the country music group 'The Texas Jewboys' wants to run the Lone Star State, Kinky will put down his cigar and say from under his 10-gallon hat: "Why the hell not?"

"I want to fight the wussification of the state of Texas. I want to rise and shine and bring back the glory of Texas," Friedman said. "I am a writer of fiction who tells the truth."

Kinky, 59, is serious about the governor's race. He hopes to campaign as a populist who will use his colorful image while borrowing a page or two from the campaign of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to build a voter base.

"We are taking a page from Howard Dean and a page from Arnold. And now the thing doesn't seem so crazy anymore to a lot of people," he said in an interview.