State

By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer

He made national headlines and angered law enforcement officers last year when the former "Top Cop" began selling a DVD titled 'Never Get Busted Again.' Now, Barry Cooper hopes to win enough votes to land him in Washington as a congressman from Texas.

The one time lawman, which was once called the best drug cop in Texas by a superior, sat down with the Tyler Courier-Times--Telegraph last week and talked about why he believed he could make a difference in Washington.

"I want to be the people's true politician, so what you tell me to say to the White House and Washington, I will say," he said.

Cooper, who has filed in the Libertarian Party for the 31st district in the Round Rock area, said he is running with three areas of reform in mind.

"I am running on criminal justice reform with an emphasis on ending the war on drugs, family law and family court reform to repair an unjust system that is damaging our children and public school reform because America is quickly becoming the dumbest country in the world," the 38-year-old said.

Cooper said the war on drugs is a losing battle and polls across the nation indicate the majority of people want marijuana to be legalized.

"Everywhere the government just isn't listening and that needs to change," he said. "It should be a government for the people, not against the people."

Cooper said family law needs a major overhaul with new legislation written to protect children and allow both parents to be involved in their children's lives instead of the broken system now in place.

When it comes to public education, Cooper said America currently ranks 42nd in the world in literacy and that needed to be corrected immediately.

"We put too much emphasis on passing a test instead of teaching our kids what they really need to know," he said.

Cooper, who was featured with his wife Candi on the cover of the October issue of Cannabis Culture, said he believes he can be elected to office and will target the pot smokers, those with criminal records, gays and lesbians, African Americans and Hispanics to help him reach his goal.

He said his major advantage over most running for office is his openness.

"Look, everyone already knows I've been to jail five times, I've been bankrupt, been a successful businessman, been divorced and been through what every other American has been through. I'm living the American dream," he said.