Tom DeLay's buddies in congress have changed the rules to protect him from losing his seat while being indicted. DeLay, the Republican Majority leader is under investigation in Austin which has resulted in the indictments of three allies of Mr. DeLay and several companies accused of illegally using corporate campaign contributions to help Republicans win state legislative seats, a move that cleared the way for redistricting.
Republicans adopted the rule in the 1990's when a couple prominent Democrats were accused and looked like there might be indictments handed down. So what do you do when it's one of your own? Change the rules back!
Rep John Dingell (D-MI) on Majority Leader Tom DeLay (TX-R):
"These folks talk about values and decency, but then think it’s okay to change the rules once it appears one of their own may have broken them. This amounts to a work release program for the ethically challenged. We should all remember that a decade ago, Mr. DeLay helped to create this rule. Republicans said at the time they were the party of reform and good government. Now they’ve become the party of moribund hubris."
Meanwhile, DeLay's cronies (namely Texas House speaker Tom Craddick) are busy working on another redistricting, this time apparently targeting Travis Co. District Attorney Ronnie Earle. Who is that, you might ask? Oh, just the feller that oversees the state Public Integrity Unit and thus has the authority to prosecute state leaders for any official misconduct.
Please everybody (media?) let's not gloss over the significance of all of this...
(UPDATE - 11/18)
The media is currently running the opposite way with this... repeating DeLay's false claims that Ronnie Earle is a 'partisan crackpot'. Media matters has it covered.
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