| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"Harry Hope" |
| Date: |
05 Apr 2006 09:58:50 AM |
| Object: |
Indicted Republican DeLay's Absurd Religious Posturing |
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-scheer/delays-absurd-religious-_b_18505.html
April 5, 2006
DeLay's Absurd Religious Posturing
By Robert Scheer
Blame it on the vast anti-Christian conspiracy.
That was the explanation offered by U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas and
his supporters last week for the whirlpool of legal difficulties that
finally led the ex-leader of the Republicans in Congress to admit it
was time to call it quits.
The convener of a "War on Christians" conference held in the nation's
capital outrageously depicted the former House majority leader's
political plight as the unwarranted crucifixion of a Christ-like
leader by God-haters.
And, with his trademark gall, the infamously ethically challenged
DeLay eagerly embraced this explanation when it was his turn to speak
to the adoring crowd.
"We have been chosen to live as Christians at a time when our culture
is being poisoned and our world is being threatened," thundered the
Texan pest-control entrepreneur who rose to become one of America's
most powerful politicians.
"The enemies of virtue may be on the march, but they have not won."
Let's leave aside for a moment the absurdity of right-wing Christians'
persecution complex at a time when their adherents effectively control
all three branches of the federal government.
What's even more confusing is how so many enemies of virtue seem to
have had a field day operating under poor DeLay's auspices, including
the latest member of his staff to plead guilty to a felony.
That would be Tony Rudy, DeLay's former deputy chief of staff who has
now pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge for accepting
payments from fellow criminal Jack Abramoff while serving in DeLay's
office, and later working to corrupt public officials and defraud
clients.
To be fair to DeLay, it should be noted that as absurd as his
religious posturing may appear, it comes at a time when he has been
denied the services of his one-time spiritual adviser and former chief
of staff.
Edwin Buckham, an evangelical minister who turned lobbyist after
leaving DeLay's staff, is now himself mired in potential legal
problems stemming from Rudy's plea bargain.
A devastating report by R. Jeffrey Smith in the Washington Post last
week reported that Buckham and his wife received a total of nearly a
million bucks from the "nonprofit" U.S. Family Network he created as a
front group largely funded by clients of Abramoff.
The group -- once fraudulently touted by DeLay in a fundraising letter
as a "grassroots" organization devoted to family values -- was started
by Buckham while he was still in charge of the congressman's staff and
operated out of a Washington town house that also served as DeLay's
off-Capitol Hill office.
The main family values served by the organization were apparently
those of the Buckham family, which received nearly one-third of its
entire disbursements, and the Rudy family, which received payments of
$26,000 funneled to Tony Rudy's wife while he was on DeLay's staff.
Buckham, in turn, completed the circle by carrying DeLay's wife
Christine on the payroll of his consulting firm for three years.
Dizzy yet?
It gets worse, much worse.
Despite its alleged focus on protecting American families, the Family
Network's lobbying instead found success in securing DeLay's political
support of Russian oil profiteers, sweatshop operators in the U.S.
protectorate of the Northern Marianas, and American Indian gambling
casinos afraid of competition.
It's a peculiar record for an organization launched with the stated
purpose of pushing policies to advance "families, the economic
prosperity, social improvement, moral fitness, and general well being
of the United States."
But perhaps DeLay and his underlings just have a different
interpretation of what "it" is when it comes to "moral fitness."
After all, DeLay did argue publicly that allowing textile
manufacturers in the Marianas to sew in "Made In the USA" labels while
not having to follow our labor and immigration laws was the moral
thing to do.
And when Abramoff, recipient of more than $7 million in lobbying fees
from the Marianas government, managed to get him to visit, DeLay took
the opportunity not only to call Abramoff "one of my closest and
dearest friends," he also cast the sweatshop owners' cause --
protecting their right to cheap imported Chinese labor -- in a
Christian framework.
"Stand firm," Delay urged them at a dinner hosted by a major sweatshop
company, as he promised to protect their profitable loophole from any
corrective legislation.
"Resist evil. Remember that all truth and blessings emanate from our
Creator."
What is still unclear, however, is how, if DeLay really fears the
judgment of his creator, can he be so cavalier in assuming he will get
an eternal pass on this despicable behavior?
____________________________________________________________
What's "Christian" about this fascist criminal?
Harry
.
|
|
| User: "Rich Travsky" |
|
| Title: Re: Indicted Republican DeLay's Absurd Religious Posturing |
11 Apr 2006 09:38:40 AM |
|
|
Harry Hope wrote:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-scheer/delays-absurd-religious-_b_18505.html
April 5, 2006
DeLay's Absurd Religious Posturing
By Robert Scheer
Blame it on the vast anti-Christian conspiracy.
That was the explanation offered by U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas and
his supporters last week for the whirlpool of legal difficulties that
finally led the ex-leader of the Republicans in Congress to admit it
was time to call it quits.
The convener of a "War on Christians" conference held in the nation's
capital outrageously depicted the former House majority leader's
political plight as the unwarranted crucifixion of a Christ-like
leader by God-haters.
And, with his trademark gall, the infamously ethically challenged
DeLay eagerly embraced this explanation when it was his turn to speak
to the adoring crowd.
"We have been chosen to live as Christians at a time when our culture
is being poisoned and our world is being threatened," thundered the
Texan pest-control entrepreneur who rose to become one of America's
most powerful politicians.
"The enemies of virtue may be on the march, but they have not won."
Not to worry, some of them have ben indicted and convicted, and DeSeleaze is
leaving Congress...
...
.
|
|
|
|
|
Related Articles |
|
|
