Press release or propaganda, part 2

Joe Barton's Press Secretary didn't much like my criticism, published in the Waxahachie Daily Light and here a couple of weeks ago. Here's what he fired off in response:

Saturday, April 2, 2005 8:04 PM CST

To the Editor,

Nathalie Guyol certainly had difficulty being candid with her readers in her Monday guest column, or perhaps she simply suffers from an innate inability to recognize the reality of the world around her. Either way, her assault on Congressman Barton for seeking the views of women in his district regarding Social Security reform was nothing short of self-aggrandizing propaganda.

Conveniently overlooked by Ms. Guyol, Congressman Barton's press release stated that he met to gather opinions from a women's focus group, comprised of leaders from an array of sectors around the community. It seems that Ms. Guyol was outraged by the congressman's tradition of talking about public policy with those he represents. Is it that Ms. Guyol's lividity is rooted in discussing issues with the people or that the group simply disagreed with her? I would bet a pretty penny that Ms. Guyol would not have accused Barton's staff of distributing "propaganda" if the focus group had agreed with her that government should neglect to reform Social Security as it bumps along the road toward insolvency. As someone who is constantly engaged in discovering the views of his diverse constituency, Congressman Barton has found Ellis County citizens to overwhelmingly join a majority of Americans in demanding changes in the Social Security system, another item Ms. Guyol conveniently precluded in her manifesto.

I'm appalled at Ms. Guyol's misogynistic accusation that women cannot form their own opinions, which she made evident in her column. The women in the focus group that met with Congressman Barton were well-informed about Social Security and did not need to take cues from anyone. A great deal of debate and discussion took place about how to improve the Social Security system, but there was a consensus that action must be taken to save Social Security for future generations.

The facts, much as Ms. Guyol will repudiate them, are clear. Inaction on Social Security would mean that our children and grandchildren would have to borrow an estimated $10.4 trillion, according to the Social Security Trustees. Each year we wait costs an additional $600 billion, which will continue to rise. The longer we wait to take action, the more difficult and expensive the changes will be.

By listening to these women's concerns, Congressman Barton was engaged in the most basic practice of representational governance. Ms. Guyol has criticized Mr. Barton for fulfilling his duties as a public servant, but her home-spun propaganda will not deter him from listening to his constituents.

Those wishing to express their opinions on Social Security or any other issue are always welcome to send Congressman Barton an email via JoeBarton.house.gov.

Brooks Landgraf
Press Secretary,
Office of U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Ennis)

My! Stay tuned . . .