Kinky Friedman criticized for Katrina comments
Associated Press
AUSTIN -- A Houston-area lawmaker said today that she is "vehemently insulted" by independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman's derogatory comments about Hurricane Katrina evacuees.
Friedman last week attributed a spike in Houston's crime rate to the "crackheads and thugs" who evacuated New Orleans.
"He has demonstrated a total lack of human sensitivity," said state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston. "The people of Katrina have lost everything and are suffering not only from the loss of loved ones, but the trauma of the event itself. What has precipitated from this tragedy is behavior that results from a disastrous event."
A spokesman for the Friedman campaign did not immediately return calls to The Associated Press.
"Kinky Friedman has called himself a 'compassionate redneck,' " said Thompson, chairwoman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus. "He would do well henceforth to highlight his compassion while de-emphasizing his redneck tendencies."
Houston police have reported that 59 of the 262 Houston murders between Jan. 1 and Aug. 26 involved Katrina evacuees, either as victims or suspects.
Friedman, a comedian running as an independent in the four-way governor race, later said there were "some good people among the evacuees."
Friedman earlier this week also said that we would not pander to different ethnic groups while campaigning for governor.
"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."
