"Hammered: What I Saw at the Republican Revolution" (WaPo)

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/07/AR2006040700695_pf.html

Hammered
What I Saw at the Republican Revolution

By John Feehery
Sunday, April 9, 2006; B01

...


But I do know that Tom DeLay achieved great things for the Republican majority, the Congress and for the country. He also created great controversy caused in part by his own aggressive nature, in part by his political enemies, and in part by rogue members of his own staff.

The overwhelming majority of DeLay's staffers were professional, honest and working in Congress for the right reasons. But Tom prized the most aggressive staffers and most often heeded their counsel. As it turned out, three of them went over the line, abused the trust of House members and seemingly broke the law. A former hockey player, Tony Rudy was DeLay's enforcer; he wasn't evil, but lacked maturity and would do whatever necessary to protect his patron. Ed Buckham, DeLay's chief of staff, gatekeeper and minister, constantly pushed DeLay to be more radical in his tactics and spun webs of intrigue we are only now beginning to unravel. And Michael Scanlon, who, in my experience, was a first-class rogue and a master of deception.

People like Rudy and Scanlon pleased DeLay because they were always pushing the envelope; only now that the scandal surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff is playing out and both are cooperating witnesses for the prosecution are we beginning to learn how far they went. I don't know if Tom always knew what his staff was doing -- I know that I didn't. But I had my suspicions, and now I have seen them borne out.

...


Yet, watching him announce his resignation last week brought me great sadness -- sadness that a politician so gifted could take such a fall. DeLay was an amazing legislator, probably the most talented this town has seen since Lyndon Baines Johnson. But like all great men, Tom DeLay had great talents and one great weakness. In his case, it was some staff members run amok. In the end, that weakness forced him to step down.

[e-mail]

John Feehery was communications director for Rep. Tom DeLay from 1995 to 1998. He is an executive vice president of the Motion Picture Association of America.

Bottom line: Ex DeLay crony writes apology justification piece on behalf of his old boss. The gist? DeLay of course had no knowledge or responsibility for the doings of his own office. It was all evil staffers run amok. LOL.

[Zorra]

1. Yes. Delay was instrumental in installing the republican Culture of

Corruption.

That is a great thing to the republican majority.

And a really awful thing for the people of the US.

[unblock]

2. so, he's a great man who couldn't do what a mere "team leader" could do

it doesn't take more than a couple years of experience in the corporate world to get a chance at being "team leader", and most people can control their team. if anything, many overcontrol their team.

not being able to control your team is not one mere flaw in an otherwise great leader.
it's a fatal flaw that entirely rules you out from being in a leadership position.

it pretty much DEFINES not being a leader.


of course, i would argue that delay has many more flaws, but i'll keep this to the topic at hand....

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

3. The bottom line is, the idea that DeLay knew nothing about what his

staffers were doing in installing the institutional Repub corruption machine, is laughable on its face.

The whole "K street project" and restricting lobbying bucks to Repubs only etc. is unmistakeably his baby, completely. It's even got his nose, chubby cheeks, and rat like beady eyes.

[TomInTib]

4. I began reading that article last night and then realized it was

headed right down the old rabbit hole.

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. UGH. The Delay apologists are out in full force this morning.

The RW religious wacko nut job from Vision America (?) was on the SPAN this morning and KNOWS Delay couldn't have possibly done the things he's accused of doing. He also said there's NO WAY Delay was involved in the Marianas Island sweat shops, slave labor, prostitutions and forced abortions. :eyes:

[glitch]

6. Koolaid Koolaid tastes great, Koolaid Koolaid, can't wait!

Did I just make that up, or is it a repressed memory surfacing?

[ClintonTyree]

7. Delay's only "talent" was being an arm-twisting thug.

Apart from that, he was nothing more than your garden variety, greedy twit.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

8. Yes, John Gotti & Frank Castellano were similarly talented.

As in the case of Gotti, though, having your caporegimes under indictment and unwilling to do "hard time" for the family can be your undoing.

Perhaps if DeLay had "hammered" more people's fingers into mush for disobedience, Rudy and Scanlon would have the necessary fear to enforce omerta, the code of silence.