One morning during my third tour in Vietnam, a young Seabee came to me (I was his Company Commander)and told me he had just gotten a letter from home and he was the father of a new son. He asked me if I could put him in a less-exposed place because he really wanted to see his son. I did, but he was killed the next day. I went on to serve a fourth tour as an Advisor to the South Vietnamese Forces, after all US combat troops had left. But after the war, when it was obvious that we were in a place we didn't belong, I made a promise that I would never stand back if I saw US troops involved in another pointless war, making more fatherless (and now motherless) children.
There are other reasons to be running, and I describe them in my webpage
Here. But, this is the reason that got me into the race. I am running against a first-term Republican, Mike McCaul, who benefited from Tom Delay's gerrymandering of the Texas Congressional Districts. Mike McCaul has paid his debt by voting with Tom Delay 97% of the time, before he resigned as Majority Leader. Mike McCaul has consistently supported Bush's wrongheaded decision to keep US troops in Iraq, but he has not suported the troops in the same way. When he had an opportunity to vote the first time to increase the VA budget to cover "unexpectedly" high Iraq and Afganistan casualties, he voted "No"; because Tom Delay told him to. When he had a chance to give the families of our National Guard and Reserve troops the same health benefits the active duty troops families get, he voted "No". When our Generals and Admirals submitted a list of excess bases to be closed to free up money for things such as better body armor for our troops, better, or even some, armor for their vehicles, and adequate housing for our troop's families while they are away at war, he voted "No". He didn't even have a base in his District that was going to be closed; but, Tom Delay did.
Mike McCaul is a multi-millionaire who spent $2 million of his own money in his Primary race in 2004. There was no Democrat to oppose him on the ticket, so he didn't even campaign in the General election. He has been almost invisible in the District until the last three months, when it became clear that he would have a Democrat as opponent. But he hasn't been shy in his ambition for a leadership role in the House. Immediately after the election in 2004, he went to Washington to lobby for the role of "Freshman Representative to the House Leadership". He won it, and pledged his fealty to Tom Delay. He is going to seek further leadership roles in the traditional way of Republicans; by buying it. If he doesn't have to spend money on his own campaign, he is going to spread it around to other Republicans that are in tighter races. He will outspend me by 10 to 1, at least. So, a dollar to me will keep at least $10 out of closer races. You may not think much of my chances, but if I have the means, I will tie the Delay "can" to his tail and the whole "Culture of Corruption". I may or may not win, but you can keep McCaul's money out of closer races by contributing Here.