Posted on 09/26/2006 1:05:12 PM PDT by WestTexasWend
-Burnt Orange Report provides recording of 1980 show in Houston-
Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura helped Kinky Friedman rally college students for his independent gubernatorial bid Monday as more recordings surfaced that capture Friedman lofting a range of racially tinged comments.
The comments came in an 84-minute audio recording of an April 1980 Houston performance made available to reporters by a pro-Democratic blog, the Burnt Orange Report. The recording features Friedman making nine comments touching on racial topics interspersed with 14 songs. The blog posted an excerpt last week.
Friedman said then that he didn't remember the comments specifically but that he intended them to lampoon racism.
The latest remarks and song lyrics disparage people of various ethnic backgrounds, slighting Jews (he is Jewish) and African Americans. They include a reference to one of his favorite books as "Black Yachtsmen I Have Known," a joke suggesting that Abraham Lincoln was drunk when he freed the slaves and several uses of "Negro" or n——-, including a joke referring to his receiving a blood transfusion from a Negro and another referring to two black prostitutes.
Karl-Thomas Musselman, who owns the Web site, said the recording came from a Houston man who is unconnected to any gubernatorial campaign and who asked not to be identified.
"While he was a fan of his music, he wasn't exactly a fan of (Friedman's) bid for office," Musselman said.
Observers including the head of the Texas NAACP have objected in recent days to Friedman comments referring to remaining hurricane evacuees in Houston as "crackheads and thugs" and a subsequent vow not to pander to Jews or residents of ghettos and barrios.
Last week, independent candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn and Democratic nominee Chris Bell also took issue with Friedman's gibe in the 1980 concert suggesting that Houston bowling alleys lacked balls since people threw them in the sea thinking they were "n——- eggs."
According to the recording released Monday, Friedman followed the bowling comment with: "You folks know the Friedman family motto now: The Jews own the world. The Catholics run it. The Protestants work it, and the n——— and Mexicans enjoy it, basically."
Phillip Martin, who posted the bowling comment on the Burnt Orange Report on Thursday, is chief of staff to state Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston. Coleman, a Bell supporter, last week objected to Friedman's "racist mindset" and said he should leave the governor's race.
Friedman did not forswear his comments Monday, and campaign spokeswoman Laura Stromberg said the blog's circulation of the recording did not hurt Friedman's campaign.
"They've helped us reach record days of online merchandise sales and contributions coming into the campaign, and we've seen more volunteer sign-ups last week than any week since Kinky announced his candidacy in (February) 2005," she said.
"Their spin has backfired," Stromberg said.
Ventura, a retired professional wrestler who won election in 1998 as a third-party nominee, said he's not in step with Friedman on all fronts.
In an interview, Ventura disagreed with Friedman on the Texan's vows to bring prayer and the Ten Commandments into public schools.
Friedman foresees Texas schools having a revolving prayer along the lines of "may the God of your choice bless you."
"But what if there is no God of your choice?" Ventura asked Monday.
"If there is no God," Friedman said, "the kids will find out sooner or later. But (for) the time being, let's let them believe in something."
Ventura said government should not define marriage, solely recognizing civil unions between people and leaving marriage to be governed by churches.
"Not a bad idea," Friedman said. "We'll take it under review."
They are scheduled to visit Trinity University, Texas State University-San Marcos, the University of Houston and Texas A&M University in College Station today and Wednesday.
Boy, that sure would earn my vote...Jessie the Twit Ventura.
I guess now no black comedian who ever told a white joke can ever run for Governor.
And if you're interested, here's John Kelso's take on it:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/09/26/26kelso.html
Lets see. Jesse ballanced the budget, cut taxes, returned excess to teh tax payers and told MLB that he would not help them build a new stadium. These are but 4 reasons I like him. And his support is another mark for Kinky in my book.
I thought Ventura was a breath of fresh air when he came on the scene, while I don't agree with a lot of his personal views, he still shook things up in a positive way.
I've just about had it with Governor Goodhair's tax schemes.
Don't forget, he also promised everyone in Minnesota a $1000 tax rebate. Pretty smart of him...buying votes with the voters own money.
Then join me and others in supporting Kinky. Heck he can't be worse.
He keeps his promises. That is more then I can say for gov Goodhair
All I know if I do end up voting for Goodhair, I'm going to need to wear a gas mask to the voting booth.
I'll give him this much credit...when he used state money to buy votes he wrote a whole new chapter in political sleeze.
IMHO the most important issues on a state level for Tx are:
1. Stopping illegals (Perry until recently, when he figued out how low in the polls he is, was for and amnesty)
2. Cutting property taxes (Perry says he is for it, but has done nothing)
3. Cutting taxes (Perry just signed into law the largest tax increase in state history)
4. Stopping the land grab that is tht TTC (Perry is pushing for it)
These are just 4 of many reasons I will never vote for Gov Goodhair again. I will be voting for Kinky.
Do what I do in these sad circumstances, I take out a 6oz hip flask of bourbon drink half before going in to vote. Then drink the rest to get the taste out of my mouth after.
loved ventura...sure he was lacking in political know how....sure beat any other option available at the time. I also loved when he made a statement, to the effect that the state legislatures should spend a certain amount of time reviewing bad laws and repealing them, since they seem to spend every available minute conjuring up new laws.
"I like balls!"
Fresh blood is not bad.
The correct rule is no black can ever run and win for governor. I believe in the history of the US, there has been only 1 black elected governor, doug wilder, Va.
And while you think whites face discrimination, take a look at the 50 governors of the US.
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