Kinky Took a Drinky

Kinky took a drink-y. Will he end up in the clink-y? No, according to Dallas police.

Gubernatorial hopeful Kinky Friedman rode in a St. Patrick's Day parade car Saturday with his trademark black hat and burning cigar -- plus a beer in his hand, an apparent violation of the state's open container law.

A spokeswoman for Friedman, the author and musician running as an independent, acknowledged that the candidate drank from a can of Guinness handed to him. State law prohibits opened alcoholic beverages in the passenger area of a motor vehicle. The Class C misdemeanor carries a maximum fine of $500.

[...snip...]

Dallas police didn't cite Friedman, and Lt. Rick Watson said Friedman can't be ticketed after the fact because it wasn't witnessed by an officer.

But expect to see more about this little incident when Election Day gets a little closer. Especially as Kinky and fellow independent (formerly Republican, originally Democrat) Carole Keeton Strayhorn fight it out for the votes of non-partisan (or party disenchanted) voters. I fully anticipate a bitter, bloody battle for the Texas Governor's mansion this fall, and Mr. Friedman's outspoken, "let-it-all-hang-out" nature should offer plenty of fuel for an entertaining campaign season between now and then.