Sidney Blumenthal : I, Delay

[TheBaldyMan]

from 'Comment is Free' section of UK Guardian blogs:

The fall of Tom DeLay, the most powerful Republican leader in the Congress, creates a crisis for his party and the political machine he built.

I, Delay: Sidney Blumenthal
This article is a retrospective of Tom 'The Hammer' Delay's career, style and troubles up to this day and predicts that this is just the beginnings of his troubles.

He gives a few examples of Delay's total disregard for law and customs not only those regarding Congress.

When a meek restaurateur in a Capitol Hill steakhouse politely asked DeLay to put out his large cigar because of the city's no smoking law, DeLay bellowed, "I am the government!" And he was not wrong.
<snip>
Rules, including the House's own, meant nothing to him, irritating hindrances to be broken at his will. In order to gain passage of a bill favouring the big drug companies - preventing the Medicare elderly prescription drug program from negotiating lower rates - he extended debate long past the deadline and was accused of offering the bribe of a campaign contribution to a wavering Republican. DeLay stomped on the Ethics committee, stopping it from meeting to investigate this episode until public outcry forced him to back off. He greeted slaps on his wrist as badges of honour.

Blumenthal also highlights Delays role in the impeachment process of President Clinton

DeLay most notable achievement was coercing the impeachment of President Clinton. Without his arm-twisting, impeachment would have certainly failed. There was a sizeable group of relatively moderate Republicans opposed. They saw no merits in the ridiculous charges and understood impeachment was being pressed out of crude partisanship. But DeLay threatened their financial supporters (whose business interests would be blackballed from receiving congressional relief), and threatened to bankroll rightwing candidates against the moderates in Republican primaries to bleed them white. So one by one, they caved in. A moderate Republican was a moderate when Tom DeLay told them they could be moderate. Under DeLay's thumb, the House Judiciary committee voted for impeachment after refusing to establish any constitutional standards for their action. The constitution was swept away in his exercise of power. President Clinton was acquitted by the Senate, but DeLay was unblemished by his abuse. Fear of him was never higher.

The building of the K-Street project and accompanying corruption is touched upon. He also notes the connections between Rove and Delay, facilitated by their go-between Jack Abramof and K-Street money. With the avowed end of nothing less than annihilation of the Democratic Party from the face of the political scene, hoping to echo their sweeping success in Texas on a national scale. These were ultimately the acts that caught him out.

While exercising absolute power in the House, DeLay was determined to augment it further by thoroughly rigging the outcome of congressional elections in Texas. He created a political action committee, raised millions from his K Street allies, and poured the money into the Texas legislature, which in turn redrew the lines of congressional districts to wipe out the existing Democrats. DeLay's scheme succeeded in giving him an even bigger Republican margin. But the district attorney of Travis County, Texas investigated and indicted two of his aides and finally DeLay himself for illegally using corporate campaign funds.

I anticipate with pleasure the sleazeball and his corrupt network being dragged to jail in the next couple of years.