White House says DeLay made his own decision, wishes him well

[sabra]

http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=4723106&nav=9qrx

White House says DeLay made his own decision, wishes him well

WHITE HOUSE The White House says Tom DeLay made his own decision to leave Congress.

Spokesman Scott McClellan says DeLay called Air Force One yesterday to give the president the news. McClellan calls DeLay a good ally whom the president thanked for his service.

But he sidestepped a question about whether Bush tried to talk his old Texas friend out of leaving, saying DeLay made his own call -- and that the White House respects it.

[rodeodance]

1. I think Repugs gave him a deal to leave. Just wonder what it was.

[bkcc]

2. um...amnesty?

the promise of a pardon??

[GodlessBiker]

9. Guest worker status?

[VegasWolf]

13. Guaranteed presidential pardon? nt

[BrotherBuzz]

3. Not one word of the severed horse head....

Rove sent? :shrug:

[onehandle]

11. My thought exactly. nt

[caledesi]

4. An Offer He Couldn't Refuse??? nt

[kurth]

5. Accommodations may be provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons

after Ronnie Earle is done with him.

[Demeter]

6. A Deal, or a Threat?

Somehow I can't see the famous DeLay ego selling out--unless they were offering him Cheney's job.

I rather suspect a threat--though one has to wonder what kind of threats BushCo can make to impress the Bugman, the Hammer, the Water Carrier himself.

And I wonder if we'll ever get a glimpse of the backstory.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. That's it? Where is Chimpy, declaring Delay innocent like he did

before?

President Bush said yesterday he is confident that former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) is innocent of money-laundering charges, as he offered strong support for several top Republicans who have been battered by investigations or by rumors of fading clout inside the White House.

In an interview with Fox News, Bush said he hopes DeLay will be cleared of charges that he illegally steered corporate money into campaigns for the Texas legislature and will reclaim his powerful leadership position in Congress.

"I hope that he will, 'cause I like him, and plus, when he's over there, we get our votes through the House," Bush told Fox News's Brit Hume.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/14/AR2005121402119.html

[NYC Liberal]

10. You won't be getting many votes through the House

anyway come January 2007, Chimpy!

[LeftHander]

8. Runnning that through the "Truth Translation Machine"....

ONe gets....

"We asked him to leave, said go fuck yourself, then shot him in the face."

[dave29]

12. Translated from PRspeak:

White House confirms Rove told Delay to step down, wishes he would disappear at the bottom of the Ocean.

[peter_the_great]

14. I think it was the pardon thing.

It's good to see another crook bit the dust!

[boobooday]

15. Oh the stench

Smells like dead bugs and sweaty exterminators.