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April 04, 2006

DeLay steps down; Wingers still living on Fantasy Island

As we predicted here last month, Tom DeLay is stepping down and will not seek reelection:

Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), a primary architect of the Republican majority who became one of the most powerful and feared leaders in Washington, told House allies last night that he will give up his seat rather than face a reelection fight that appears increasingly unwinnable.

The decision came three days after Tony C. Rudy, his former deputy chief of staff, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and corruption charges, telling federal prosecutors of a criminal enterprise being run out of DeLay's leadership offices. Rudy's plea agreement did not implicate DeLay in any illegal activities, but by placing the influence-buying efforts of disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff directly in DeLay's operation, the former aide may have made an already difficult reelection bid all but out of reach.

DeLay, who will turn 59 on Saturday, did not say precisely when he would step down, but under Texas law he must either die, be convicted of a felony, or move out of his district to be removed from the November ballot. DeLay told Time magazine that he is likely to change his official residence to Alexandria by the end of May. He said he informed President Bush of his decision yesterday afternoon.

The freakshow over at PowerLine has this bizarre rant:

It's too bad, I think. DeLay was an effective leader, albeit too liberal in recent years. It's possible, of course, that he did something wrong along the way. But there is no evidence of that in the public domain; as I've often said, the politically-inspired prosection of DeLay by Travis County's discredited DA, Ronnie Earle, is a bad joke. As far as we can tell at the moment, DeLay appears to be yet another victim of the Democrats' politics of personal destruction--the only politics they know.

As I noted earlier, so many of these conservatives can't square themselves with the facts or it upsets the apple cart of their fragile ideological world. DeLay's problems go much deeper than his local prosecution by Ronnie Earle. His aides are under federal investigation in connection with the Abramoff scandal. Its only a matter of time before it hits DeLay.

The personal destruction of Tom DeLay came from Tom DeLay. If ever there was a case of an individual screwing himself over, this is it.

The healthy fantasy life of John Hinderaker not withstanding.

Posted by Carla at April 4, 2006 12:57 AM