Friedman, McCown, Perry, Casteel, Laney, and SiegelmanKinky Friedman, from his novel, A Case of Lone Star: "As a general rule of thumb, however, if you thought of New York as a Negro talking to himself and of California as a VCR with nothing to put in, you wouldn't be too far off the mark." Friedman again, after that line was read back to him on CNBC's The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, asked what he would do with sexual predators: "Throw them in prison and throw away the key, and make them listen to a Negro talking to himself." Scott McCown, who heads the Center for Public Policy Priorities, in the Houston Chronicle, on talk of using a state budget surplus to help pay for public schools: "The idea that you can dramatically lower property taxes without any kind of significant new tax is a fantasy. If people want significant property tax reduction, it's going to require a new business tax." Gov. Rick Perry, on that same subject: "There are some folks who view our $4 billion-plus budget surplus as money that can be used to buy tickets for the fast train out of town. We need to look at the long-term solution here, not just a short-term, quick fix." Rep. Carter Casteel, R-New Braunfels, talking the amount of money James Leininger spent to defeat her, in the Texas Observer: "Are we all supposed to think alike? I quit drinking Kool-Aid after that James Jones massacre. You know, I've got a brain. I may not always use it the right way, but it's there, and I'm going to use it." Former House Speaker Pete Laney, asked by Texas Monthly about Republicans who say the Democrats won't work with them: "There's a difference between working together and succumbing." Former Alabama Gov. Donald Siegelman, quoted in The New York Times about indictments on racketeering and conspiracy charges and how they'll affect his bid for a return to office: "I'm not the slightest bit concerned. We'll blow the doors off the barn with a high-profile acquittal. I'll take a week off with my family and then come back, campaign for a week, and win."