Delay indicted

[Haruo]

[mlovell]

[jerryl]

And not like it wasn't expected either. Repub. House leadership immediatly had a plan shifting most of DeLay's duties over to Roy Blunt.

And long-distance neurological diagnostician and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is facing a criminal inquiry into his not-so-blind trust and insider trading.

Not going to be much to talk about during the mid-term elections is there?

jerryl

[William Thornton]

[Lamar Wadsworth]

I know that my good old Roosevelt Democrat father is smiling down from heaven on this one. The news of Newt Gingrich's downfall pulled him back from the brink of death and gave him a couple more good years. Dad's affection for DeLay was even less than he had for Gingrich if that is possible. As for why it took Earle the DA this long to come up with an indictment, my guess is that the man doesn't like to lose cases, so he's very careful about having all his ducks in a row before going to the grand jury. Accusations of politically motivated prosecution ring hollow. Earle seems to be an equal-opportunity DA who has gone after Democrats as well as Republicans. This is even better than Trent Lott's remarks at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party about how much better the country would be today if Thurmond and his Dixiecrat ticket had won the White House in 1948, since Lott's ill-considered remarks were not grounds for indictment.

[mlovell]

[William Thornton]

[Jonathan]

Mark me down as wanting the chips to fall where they may.

If he broke the law, I hope that he gets the max. Same for Frist.

Given how the Repubs on the Hill are showing that they can be even bigger spenders than the Dems they replaced, I'm not sure how much real conservative loyalty the House leadership inspires anyway.

[Wade]

Just always amazes me how the right likes to talk about MORALS until they get caught with their hand in the cookie jar, (worse or not worse than getting caught with their hands in someone's pants?)

Where's the moral war drums now? It's so quiet out there.

To be fair, being accused is not the same as being guilty. We'll see. The religious right might learn to not get quite so close to someone their not willing to share some dirt with.

[Sandy]

[William Thornton]

[Jonathan]

[Sandy]

[Jonathan]

[Hal Eaton]

I caught the "700 Club" on the tube this afternoon (while the rest of you were working). Pat Robertson interviewed Delay.

Amidst the mutual admiration expressed by the two, they spent most of the time attacking the personality, character, politics and work of the DA who brought the indictment. Delay mentioned, several times, that he had not been allowed to testify before the grand juries.

Both recommended a Jerry Bridges book, "Trusting God: When You Are Hurting." (?)

Baptists in Congress have not appeared too bright when their conduct has been questioned.

[wilkey]

I was wondering what Sugarcreek Baptist Church thought about this. They mailed out an endorsement of Tom last fall. Learned that all the Houston Radio talk show hosts are claiming Tom is being unfairly attacked by a political opportunist. Word has it that Tom is looking for the chapter and verse in Purpose Driven Life to show how he did not divide up Texas into districts to benefit corporation heads.

[jerryl]

[Hal Eaton]

[Sandy]

I live in Tom's district. There are some Republicans who are mouthing about how this is political, how this is just like many other cases the Travis County D.A. has done before, where nothing came of it, etc. etc. To give credit where credit is due, however, there are some Republicans, including some well-respected leaders in this area, who do want to see ethical government and aren't automatically jumping over to Tom's side. Senator Hutchinson's indictment, which came from the same place and which she dodged on a technicality, probably ended her political career. She's stepping down from the Senate, declined to run for Governor when she saw the poll numbers and probably encountered some Republicans who want to see the party retain its hold on this state, and know that continued corruption will bring it down.

The county that forms the heart of Tom's congressional district, Fort Bend County, is made up of some of Houston's wealthier, more prosperous suburbs, particularly on the east side of the county, where Tom is from. This is a heavily Republican area that has dominated county politics here for at least 20 years. From the County Judge's office to the Sheriff Department to local precinct managers to constables, the corruption in local government here boggles the mind. I've lived here 11 years now, and I can't remember a time when someone in either the county government, sheriff's department or the precinct leadership of the road and bridge department wasn't under investigation or indictment. The big business in this area is real estate development, and that gets them every time. Yes, most of the county politicos are in the real estate business. And while it may be a heavily Republican area, it is also one of the most unchurched areas in the state, with fewer than 15 percent of the people claiming any kind of church affiliation. Bad combination. Tom's been in it with these people for years, they're the ones that put him in Congress.

The light at the end of the tunnel may be approaching, however, and we may be Delay free next November, if he doesn't go to prison sooner than that. Some of the more respected and influential Republican leaders in the county are either remaining silent, or are speaking out against him. Public opinion shows that a majority of registered voters think he's guilty but he'll use his power to get off. Even if he manages to pull strings and avoid a trial, or gets off on a technicality (the evidence is quite substantial and shows him to be clearly in violation of state law) he may have to go the way of dear Kay, and step down graciously to avoid an embarrassing defeat at the polls.

[Sandy]

[Sandy]

The Austin American-Statesman had a couple of good articles on both indictments today. I think their site is a subscription one, but you can give it a try.

Apparently, there may be up to a dozen indictments handed down, and there is a mountain of evidence. According to yesterday's Houston Chronicle, DeLay declined the opportunity to testify on his own behalf because of "other possible indictments pending."

Juanita, at the World's Most Dangerous Beauty Parlor, has an interesting perspective on things.

http://www.brazosriver.com