Margaret Spellings to run for Texas governor? Kinky to run again as Democrat?

From U.S. News and World Report's "Washington Wispers" today:

If you think the presidential race takes too long, consider what's going on in Texas. Three years before the next governor's race, potential candidates are already dropping hints of getting in. The latest: Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. She's been toying with the idea ever since suggesting that she didn't plan to stay in the administration until its last day, Jan. 20, 2009. And now a blog that follows education—Eduwonk—has pushed that rumor out onto the Internet.

It's the talk in the Ed Department, where few aides are scrambling to shoot it down. She'd be a formidable candidate: Bush loves her, she's youthful and likable, and she's a major proponent of education programs from kindergarten to college. Of course, there are other political titans looking at running, including Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

And don't forget that popular Gov. Rick Perry, already in his second term, can run again.

I've no doubt that Gov. Perry will have some primary challengers if he chooses to run again and both Kay Bailey and Spellings would be very formidable ones.

On the Democratic side, perennial candidate John Sharp and Houston Mayor Bill White are early names being tossed around. And Kinky Friedman, who ran as an independent last time and got just 12% of the vote, has apparently decided to run again as a Democrat this time:

Kinky Friedman, the eccentric whose 2006 independent bid for Texas governor ended in fourth place, tells the AP he's considering another run in 2010, but this time as a Democrat.

Said Friedman: "I consider myself a Democrat in the mold of JFK, (former Texas Gov.) Ann Richards and (journalist) Molly Ivins."

Kinky thinks he would have won if he had run as a Democrat last time, but I don't think he would have survived the primary. He definitely won't this time. Many Democrats blame him for stealing votes from Bell. It's almost like if Ralph Nader ran for president as a Democrat. Thanks, but no thanks, Kinky.