Reply #1: TX: Techies Say a Big Yes to Ronnie Earle and Bye Bye To DeLay [View All]

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This kid should get a full scholarship, a car, and all A's
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RHODE: The 'Beast' exposed
DeLay must answer for own behavior

http://www.dailytoreador.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/10/03/4341a97dec7c5

By Jason Rhode/Columnist
October 03, 2005

Last week saw two great beasts dragged out of their dark lairs: the giant squid and Tom DeLay, majority leader for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Both were legendary in their time for possessing vast tentacles brimming with suckers and hooks to wrap and ensnare their prey. Both were true denizens of the deep; they shared a knack for the low and hidden place while cultivating reputations of terror and mystery.

However, here the two creatures diverge. The giant squid lacks the gas-filled bladder of many fish. DeLay, nicknamed "The Hammer," is famously full of hot air. The giant squid will see its power in the depths continue unabated. Tom DeLay probably will not be so lucky, and may yet return to his original job of insect exterminator.

Last Wednesday, a Texas grand jury in Travis County indicted DeLay, the Bugman of Sugar Land, on charges of criminal conspiracy. His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 21.

As a result, DeLay, although immensely powerful in politics and fundraising, was forced to step down from his position, albeit temporarily - hopefully permanently. The Hammer himself admitted that the House rule demanding leaders facing criminal charges to step down "has never been implemented before." No kidding.

It's to the country's benefit.

DeLay is one of the worst members of Congress. He was rebuked three times by the House Ethics Committee in 2004 alone.

He got admonished in 1999 for berating Electronic Industries Alliance; their crime was not hiring a Republican as their president.

This isn't counting the questionable conduct not considered by the ethics committee, including the so-called "Celebrations for Children" charity, which seemed more to focus on getting an IRS exemption to raise soft money, his trip to South Korea funded by the Korea-U.S. Exchange Council, headed by DeLay's former chief of staff and the recent ethics committee purge of Chairman Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colo.; Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo.; and Rep. Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio. The latter two were replaced with DeLay loyalists. To say nothing of his acceptance of gifts and favors paid for by lobbyists like Jack Abramoff.

And now comes word that His Hammerness has been formally accused. Also sharing the limelight are his cronies John Colyandro, executive director, TRMPAC, or "Texans for a Republican Majority" Political Action Committee, and Jim Ellis, director of ARMPAC, or "Americans for a Republican Majority" Political Action Committee.

Both were indicted earlier in September. But accused with what? Specifically, the 147th Judicial District tells us that DeLay and company plotted on Sept. 13, 2002, to make illegal corporate campaign contributions to shift the statewide elections - to ensure the Republicans would have power enough to redistrict the state. Which they did, some time after. Injecting funds this way is in violation of Subchapter D, Chapter 253 of the Texas Election Code.

This didn't stop TRMPAC from accepting corporate donations from Sears, Roebuck & Co. ($25,000); Diversified Collection Services ($50,000); Williams Companies, Inc. and the Questerra Corporation (both $25,000); Cornell Companies ($10,000); Bacardi, USA ($20,000).

Ellis then delivered TRMPAC Check No. 1161 (these donations and others amounted to $190,000) to Terry Nelson of the Republican National Committee, along with a list of candidates for the Texas House and amounts to be contributed, specifically to the campaigns of Baxter, Bohac, Dawson, Flynn, Green, Stick and Taylor; all but Green and Stick were elected, in a clever circumvention of Texas law.

DeLay was intimate with TRMPAC. It was bankrolled with his "leadership fund," and he was on its advisory board 2001-2002. He dinnered, favored, solicited and plotted tactics on its behalf. It's his creature.

At least the Bugman hasn't lost his sense of humor. Prior to not taking questions at a press conference, he was heard to say "I have the facts, the law and the truth on my side."

He might have lost his mind, though; he told Chris Matthews on Hardball that the grand jury never asked him to testify - yet his own lawyer Dick DeGuerin and jury foreman William Gibson both affirmed that an invitation had been extended.

DeLay also charged the district attorney prosecuting him, Ronnie Earle, a democrat, of being "vindictive and partisan." Curious. Earle's prosecuted more Democrats than Republicans. Earle brought charges on himself for missing a filing deadline - by a day. Partisan? Pot, meet kettle.

Poor DeLay. All Americans should be proud of this moment. DeLay joins a group that once held the famously corrupt Congressman Dan Rostenkowski (Democrat, Mail Fraud), and now includes such stars as Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (Republican, Insider Trading), the two representatives from Flagrant Nepotism, Maxine Waters (Democrat) and Roy Blunt (Republican); and last but certainly not least, Congressmen William Jefferson (Democrat, Outright Thievery). The above transcend party affiliation. The only group guys like this belong to are the criminal class. DeLay's a crook and a bully, and should be thrown behind bars.

When DeLay had his gerrymandering bender, and the Democratic members of the Texas Legislature ran out-of-state so as to prevent a quorum from taking place, wasn't it the Hammer who contacted the Office of the U.S. Attorney in San Antonio, two U.S. Marshals' offices, a quartet of FBI offices (Corpus Christi, Dallas, Austin and Ardmore, Okla.), the Department of Justice's Office of Legislative Affairs, three Federal Aviation Administration offices (Ft. Worth, Washington and Oklahoma City), and the Air and Marine Interdiction Coordination Center in California? Why yes, it was. Wasn't this the man so intent on seeing Clinton impeached? Who, after the tsunami, publicly quoted the part of Matthew 7 about the sinner-killing flood? It was.

Where has his famous lust for judgment gone? Does he no longer wish to see eminent sinners smote hip and thigh?

During the Terri Schiavo controversy, shortly after the deaths of Atlanta Judge Rowland Barnes and the mother and husband of Chicago Judge Joan Lefkow, when death threats were being made against the judicial branch, DeLay told Americans that "the time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior."

Every man has a reckoning, Tom. Yours begins shortly.