DeLay quits as House majority leader
DeLay won’t reclaim House post
In a letter to rank-and-file Republicans, DeLay said, “I have always acted in an ethical manner.”
Well, I suppose the truth in that statement depends on how one happens to define acting “in an ethical manner”. For Tom DeLay, it has always been about power and his own personal aggrandizement. “Ethics” was seemingly an afterthought in his rise to power. By wrapping himself in flag and faith, DeLay has always claimed to be acting in the best interests of the American people…when in reality, it has always been about the best interests of Tom DeLay. That the man can claim with a straight face to have always “acted in an ethical manner” only serves to demonstrate what an unreconstructed liar he is.
For 22 years, there have been only two things that have motivated Tom DeLay to be the demagogue he is: money and power. His unofficial campaign motto may as well be “Whaterve It Takes”, because he’s has never been above destroying anyone silly enough to get in his way. A true disciple of Niccolo Machiavelli, DeLay practiced politics as a zero-sum, kill-or-be-killed game. By tinkering around the margins and by and large avoiding the spotlight, DeLay had made himself into the most powerful man in Washington. I applaud him for his single-minded dedication, but that is NOT what he was elected to do.
To say that Tom DeLay is the architect of his own downfall would be something of an understatement. I suppose greed, arrogance, and hubris will eventually catch up with anyone, and DeLay certainly is no exception. DeLay has always considered rules to be for other, lesser mortals. His inflated sense of self-importance (“I AM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!”) seems to have left him with the lingering stench of perceived invulnerability. Combine that with greed, the lust for power, self-righteousness, and almost overpowering arrogance, and what you end up with is just another corrupt, power-mad politician willing to play fast and loose with the rules because that’s the way things are done in Washington.
WASHINGTON - Entangled in criminal investigations of political activities in Texas and Washington, U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay abandoned claims to his House majority leader’s post Saturday, a dramatic reversal for the former pest-control company owner who rose to the height of power in Congress.
DeLay reached the decision Saturday morning after consulting in the past two days with family and advisers, according to a spokesman, then announced his plans in separate letters to House Speaker Dennis Hastert and his GOP colleagues, and to supporters and reporters at Sugar Land City Hall….
DeLay’s release of any hold on a House leadership role capped a tumultuous week in which GOP lawmakers increasingly voiced concerns that he has become an election-year liability because of ties to former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. As part of a plea bargain unveiled in federal court Tuesday, Abramoff agreed to testify against members of Congress and their aides in the Washington corruption probe stemming from his representation of Indian tribes and other clients….
In the letter to Republican lawmakers, DeLay proclaimed his innocence of any impropriety.
“During my time in Congress, I have always acted in an ethical manner within the rules of our body and the laws of our land. I am fully confident time will bear this out,” he said.
He has been scolded multiple times by the House ethics panel, however.
Hey, just because the man’s been scolded doesn’t mean he’s actually done anything wrong, immoral, unethical, or illegal…right??
That DeLay can say that without even a trac of irony should be a source of much mirth and hilarity. Tom DeLay acting in an ethical manner is the political equivalent of Teri Hatcher have sex in the back of a van with all comers- it’s not factually correct, but it’s a tabloid’s wet dream come true. DeLay is to political ethics what George W. Bush is to the truth- you know that both of them are claiming the moral high ground, but you also know they could’t find it with a map, a flashlight, and four Sherpas.
With any luck, perhaps Bush and DeLay will end up on the same cell block…and perhaps this country will get back to being ruled by men who know, understand, and respect the rule of law.
WE DESERVE BETTER.
