Being a candidate

Two different parties have approached me to see if I would run for office next year, for Congress. They want me to make a 3rd try against Tom DeLay.

He'll be glad to know that my prior effort cost me a $150,000/year job and my 18 year advisory position with a major university in Texas.  The district was changed in 2001 and his people removed a large number of Black voters, which I think is a shame.

Ft. Bend County, the heart of the district has become very International, with Asians, Hispanics and all kinds of people from everywhere--not DeLay's crowd, but certainly is mine. He's been pushing the State Leg to change it yet again, supposedly to give the GOP more Congressional seats but really to change his district yet again to get rid of more people he doesn't like and make up for the internationalization of Ft. Bend where I got 25% without funding just by having my name on the ballot.

Honestly, if I got a great job, maybe teaching international studies or doing global negotiating again, I'd probably blow it off and forget running. I ran to make a point, that the U.S. leadership needed global expertise. I had been warning about a possible terrorist attack on the U.S. for years, but no one listened. Then came 9 11, but the signs had been there since the '93 bombing of the WTC.

We'll see. There is the possbility of yet a 3rd party that has a huge base and also stands a good chance of capturing the White House if it picks the right candidate, which is where I'd prefer to be --making global policy. It wouldn't be hard to do better than what's happened the last 3 years. I believe in building bridges not burning them. We are ignoring much bigger threats than Saddam -- who was a nobody, a paper tiger.

We'll see....America would be better off if we totally rolled over Congress every few years and eliminate the special interests. These characters get into "power" and forget about the people.