GUILTY!! GUILTY!! GUILTY!!
- Mark Slackmeyer, Doonesbury
Speaking of things I’m thankful for today…justice is at the top of my list…. ;-)
During most of the 10 years that I lived in Hell Texas, Tom DeLay was my Congressman…and I mean “my” in the sense that I was thoroughly ashamed to be associated with him, however tangentially. DeLay, as arrogant and self-righteous as the sun rises in the east, was for longer than I care to remember not only the most powerful man in Texas, but arguably the most powerful man in Washington, DC. Unbeatable for 20+ years and perceived (especially by himself) to be untouchable, DeLay during his heyday could make or break legislation and Congressman. He made the rules, and when he bored of playing by them, he changed them. DeLay’s particular genius, if it should even be called such, was recognizing that his real power lay in playing behind the scenes. Though he loved being feared and revered, he wasn’t the media whore that so many Republicans aspire to be today. If only he could have remembered that simple truth….
Like so many despots, DeLay eventually began to believe his own press clippings, and he came to see himself as not only infallible but also untouchable. He felt the absolute right to do what he wanted, when he wanted to, and he felt protected by something resembling the Divine Right of Kings. Unfortunately, like so many despots before him, DeLay’s arrogance and hubris eventually led to his downfall. His self-perceived immunity from the limits that applied to mere mortals led him to make stupid, reckless, and eventually even illegal decisions. Karma being what it is, DeLay is now a convicted felon…and I’m struggling with the knowledge that it’s really bad form to revel in Schadenfreude. I’m losing the battle, and I’m not certain I really care.
Tom DeLay, the former U.S. House majority leader whose name became synonymous with the Republicans’ controversial rise to power in the Texas House, was found guilty this evening of laundering money in connection with the 2002 elections….
DeLay, at one time one of the most powerful men in Washington, was charged with money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He faces a possible sentence of five to 99 years in prison and a maximum $10,000 fine on the money laundering charge, and two to 20 years in prison and a possible $10,000 fine on the conspiracy charge….
Delay, a Republican who was nicknamed “The Hammer” because of his heavy-handed style, was accused of conspiring to funnel $190,000 of corporate money through the Republican National Committee, which sent $190,000 in campaign donations to seven GOP candidates for the Texas House.
Whether or not DeLay will ever spend a night in prison remains an open question. There’s still the inevitable appeals to be filed and litigated, but speaking for myself, I feel vindicated. During my time in Texas, it was clear that DeLay was as corrupt and venal as the day is long. The challenge, of course, was in proving that in a court of law. That standard has now been met, and Tom DeLay has been branded a common, garden-variety criminal. He can’t hide behind his relgiosity, his well-heeled Conservative friends, or his world-class arrogance.
GUILTY!! GUILTY!! GUILTY!!
You’ll have to pardon me if I’m revelling in Schadenfreude perhaps a wee bit too much. It’s just that the though of Tom DeLay in an orange prison jumpsuit makes me feel warm all over. Does that make me a bad person??
