Last week it was announced that House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
(R-Sugar Land) would henceforth be known as Former House Majority
Leader Tom DeLay (R-***** Creek).
YEAH BABY!
In the immortal words of George W. Bush, "I feel good."
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12761184&method=full&siteid=50143
According to the Washington Post, a Texas grand jury indicted DeLay
"on a charge of criminally conspiring with two political associates to
inject illegal corporate contributions into 2002 state elections that
helped the Republican Party reorder the congressional map in Texas and
cement its control of the House in Washington."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/28/AR2005092800270.html
And that, folks, is NOT what democracy looks like.
Under House rules (which the Republicans previously attempted to
change before deciding it might not look so good)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54572-2004Nov16.html,
DeLay was immediately forced to step down from his position as House
Majority Leader.
Funnily enough, those rules were initially adopted by the Republicans
in 1993 when they were trying to catch Democrats out.
Look out, GOP!
I think I see something biting you in the *****.
In a comical Freudian slip, DeLay announced that the indictment was an
act of political "retribution."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/28/politics/28text-delay.html
Which, according to my dictionary, means, "Something justly deserved;
recompense."
Whoops.
So what's next for Tom?
If convicted, he could face six months to two years in state jail, and
a fine of up to $100,000.
Tsk tsk.
And to think that Republicans were supposed to be ending corruption in
Washington.
Mind you, justice will have to run its course;
and let's be fair to Tom - he's innocent until proven guilty in a
court of law.
(Unlike the brown people in Guantanamo Bay, right?)
But perhaps we should heed the words of an up-and-coming Republican
politican discussing Bill Clinton's impeachment back in 1998...
"...I believe that this nation sits at a crossroads.
One direction points to the higher road of the rule of law.
Sometimes hard, sometimes unpleasant, this path relies on truth,
justice and the rigorous application of the principle that no man is
above the law.
Now, the other road is the path of least resistance.
This is where we start making exceptions to our laws based on poll
numbers and spin control.
This is when we pitch the law completely overboard when the mood fits
us, when we ignore the facts in order to cover up the truth.
Shall we follow the rule of law and do our constitutional duty no
matter unpleasant, or shall we follow the path of least resistance,
close our eyes to the potential lawbreaking, forgive and forget, move
on and tear an unfixable hole in our legal system?
No man is above the law, and no man is below the law.
That's the principle that we all hold very dear in this country."
Wise words.
Spoken, of course, by then-Majority Whip Tom DeLay.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/text100998.htm
From The Democratic Underground
http://www.democraticunderground.com/
Harry
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