And for the third leg of our Texas Tuesday trilogy, I present to you a guest post by Morris Meyer. He's working hard to help us send "Smokey Joe" Barton back home to Ellis County where he can breathe the air that he's helped make it easy to pollute. If you like what you see and want to give him a hand, click on this handy contributions link and as always add in an extra $0.36 to tag it as being from the blogs. Click on the More link to read Morris Meyer's guest post.

I am running for Congress today because my pediatrician warned me two years ago that my daughter was at risk for asthma, and the cause was our air quality here in north Texas. My concern for the air Grace breathes led me to "Smokey" Joe Barton and his 20-year campaign to allow the Ellis county polluters free reign to scorch our children's lungs.

This immoral patronage of special interests goes beyond the Ellis County emitters, to kickbacks for pharmaceutical companies, tax breaks for corporations and billionaires, and the wholesale dismantling of the American Dream for middle class families.

Together we can win in November. Joe Barton will be defeated because:

• His attempts to shield the polluters in Ellis County from regulation have gained him widespread national attention and scorn. His very public opposition to the Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton County judges to include Ellis County in the EPA clean air plan is costing our area good jobs.


• His positions on pharmaceutical drugs and Social Security make him unelectable among the largest proven group of voters - senior citizens.


• Joe Barton's negatives in two recent polls taken among likely Republican women voters are running in excess of 70%.


• Joe Barton has never been on the ballot in 55% of the new 6th District.


• Joe Barton's popularity has reached an all time low. In the recent March 9th, 2004 primary, where twice as many Republicans voted than Democrats, I received 74 more votes across the 6th Congressional District.

"Smokey" Joe Barton has taken over $800,000 from polluters and turned his back on the people of Texas, giving Ellis County industries a free ride to pollute our skies. The air quality in the region has gone from 45th to 10th worst in the country in past three years, asthma hospitalizations are skyrocketing and kids cannot play outside on ozone alert days. On March 3rd, 2003 a Dallas Morning News editorial stated that Joe Barton "is plotting to use his influence as chairman of the U.S. House subcommittee on air quality to extend the region's terrible decades-long record of noncompliance with the clean-air laws." Our children and our country cannot take two more years of Congressman Barton.

Right now the Meyer for Congress campaign needs your support to take on one of the most corrupt politicians in Texas' history. We have campaign offices in Tarrant and Ellis counties and we have recruited over 500 volunteers. We need the financial resources necessary to keep pace with my opponent and spread my message throughout the district. Texans deserve an honest, hard-working representative in Congress and with your help, energy and your financial support we can take back Texas for our children and our grandchildren. Please help us out.