Before celebrating DeLay demise, consider the following:

[ShockediSay]

He gets to keep his campaign contributions and use it for his legal defenses.

He can always get a pardon from the outgoing Bush. Indeed, stepping down would grease the wheels in this direction. Having access to huge pools of cash doesn't hurt.

He has the perfect combination of integrity and contacts to become a lobbyist.

He can be a major fundraiser amongst those similarly challenged regarding integrity for the public good (think of all the tax cuts he got them).

He is now better positioned to plea bargain.

[Hippo_Tron]

1. But his resignation at least implies guilt

Nixon didn't have to be convicted for America to know that he was a crook.

[Bucky]

6. The fun is in watching MSM spin his quitting as the end of the story

They're all saying "DeLay resigned. Therefor reform of Congressional ethics rules will no longer be a campaign issue." Nice try, folks. I believe the voters still decide what the issues are.

[tenshi816]

9. That's right, he's tainted now.

It won't make any difference to the Republican faithful who don't care how dirty DeLay is, but I believe it will make undecided voters think twice before they vote Republican next time.

[WhiteTara]

2. it's still early in the game

hold on to your pessimism for just awhile longer...you don't know that monkey boy is going to come out unscathed. I see jail time for the bugman

[Flabbergasted]

3. I'm still going to celebrate the hell out of that ass getting his.....

[MADem]

4. Better position to plea bargain?

No way...he is REPRESENTATIVE NUMBER TWO in the Federal Indictment. And then he's got that bundle of shit down TX way to deal with in the short term.

The folks lined up against him include his entire staff (many to shave their own sentences) and the ever-present Jacko Ambramoff.

He has no chips. He has no bargaining power. All he can do is try to make some dough hand-over-fist so his old lady doesn't have to do without the maids and hairdressers while he goes up the river.

If Monkeyboy pardons him, it ain't happening until after the O8 elections. Think about how that pardon would totally SCREW suckup McCain, or damn near any other GOP candidate.

So Tom, unless he can pay his lawyers sufficiently so that they can DEEEEEELAAAAAY the proceedings, WILL do some time in the slammer.

[SnoopDog]

5. He is out of the House of Representatives -

and that is what really counts...

[leesa]

7. He's going to jail.

[BR_Parkway]

8. Bush can't pardon State law violations, only Federal laws