Texas independent runs strong - Nation/Politics - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

Texas independent runs strong - Nation/Politics - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper: "Kinky Friedman, the mystery novelist and singer/songwriter running for Texas governor as an independent, has raised three times as much campaign money as the top two Democratic candidates combined.
According to finance records filed yesterday in Austin, former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell and former state Supreme Court Justice Bob Gammage -- the main Democratic contenders -- have collected $355,000 and $67,000, respectively, in the past six months.
Mr. Friedman is running his first statewide campaign. He reported receiving more than $1.5 million during the July-to-December period.
'I think it speaks volumes how lost the Democratic Party has become in Texas and how dispirited Democrats have become,' said Dean Barkley, Mr. Friedman's campaign manager. The biggest single cash donation went to Mr. Friedman, who received $250,000 from shampoo manufacturer John McCall of Spicewood, his campaign treasurer. "

I have to respectfully disagree with Barkley. I doubt much of the Kinkster's fund-raising came from Democratic donors. Instead, I bet it came from true independents and disaffected Republicans.