The party's over Credit: Image courtesy www.americablog.com

Amidst the national names filing in Texas for the Republican presidential nomination, there are a couple of lesser-known figures, even lesser than twice-failed presidential candidate and three-time Senate also-ran Alan Keyes. Houston-based practitioner of oriental medicine Hoa Tran was the first Republican hopeful to file, but he’s been joined by physician Hugh Cort, a Christian Conservative from Alabama who proposes bombing Iran, dismantling the Internal Revenue Service, and, in his role as self-proclaimed counter-terrorism expert, claims Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11. Cort said he is running for president because “the Lord has given me a very important message.”

This article appears in January 11 • 2008.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.