Burnt Orange Report

A Train Ride With Smokey Joe?

By Vince Leibowitz

'Smokey Joe' Barton is hoping some of his big-money backers will take a train ride with him next weekend—literally.

In his Dallas Morning News column this week, Todd Gillman notes that Barton's campaign has a special seven-hour private train ride scheduled next Friday to go from Fort Worth to San Antonio:

"During the ride, we'll have lots of time to talk, play some Texas Hold 'Em, and enjoy some great down home Texas food," reads the glossy, six-panel invitation to "Joe Barton's 2006 Texas Train Ride." "This is about as good as it gets."

In San Antonio, donors will have brunch Saturday with the Ennis Republican, chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee and – since former Majority Leader Tom DeLay's fall from grace – the top-ranking Texan in the House. He and his guests will also have cocktails, an evening tour of the Alamo, dinner and breakfast on Sunday.

Of course, Craig McDonald with Texans for Public Justice and Tom Smith of Texas Public Citizen offered up their views on the railroading, no pun intended (and pun intended, I guess).

No doubt this will give David Harris, Barton's opponent in CD-06, some more ammunition. To give Harris some more ammunition, you can contribute here via his website or here, via his Act Blue page. Harris was featured on Daily Kos a while back for "Fighting Dem Tuesday."

There is also a blog for the race, the Dixtrict Sixer Blog. Other race links: Harris's DKos Diary.