DeLay joins fray over map: Tries to mediate redistrict deadlock
Now this is rich...Tom DeLay acting as the voice of reason? How far have Republicans sunk when they have to depend on DeLay to mediate their internal dispute over redistricting?
AUSTIN -- U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on Monday tried to finish what he started months ago by mediating a legislative impasse between Republican leaders over how to draw a congressional redistricting plan.
"I'm a Texan trying to get things done," said DeLay, R-Sugar Land, as he spent hours engaged in cross-rotunda shuttle diplomacy between House Speaker Tom Craddick and the state Senate leadership.
"There is progress being made. People are working together," DeLay said. "We're close. We're just working out the specifics."
"I'm not going to talk about specifics," DeLay said when asked Monday about that discussion with Craddick.
DeLay met for several hours Monday morning with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Republican Sens. Todd Staples of Palestine and Robert Duncan of Lubbock, who are the lead Senate redistricting negotiators.
DeLay spent most of the afternoon meeting with Craddick and two of Gov. Rick Perry's aides, Chief of Staff Mike Toomey and Deputy Chief of Staff Deirdre Delisi.
OK, so it's not exactly Henry Kissinger's shuttle diplomacy. I do find this rather amusing, though. After weeks of denigrating the "Texas 11" for thwarting the process, it turns out that the biggest obstacle to redistricting are Republicans and their own egos. Nice going, guys....