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April 04, 2006

"Doing a Chuck Colson"

Digby joins in on speculating what's next for the Tom "Broken Hammer" DeLay now that his congressional days are numbered.

His prediction: The exterminator turned uber-corrupt machine Republican will reposition himself as a man of god. Digby calls it "doing a Chuck Colson," although I think his title probably gets it closer: armtwisting for Jesus.

Despite pontifications like this, from the Time story breaking the news that DeLay was going to bail from his congressional seat--

My main point was that this country was built on morals and religion. Our greatest leaders were very strong believers. There is a connection between religion and politics, and religion and government. There has to be for this country to have accomplished all it's accomplished and for its future. How many times have the great leaders—Ronald Reagan, Roosevelt, Lincoln, George Washington—have said there is a connection between morals and religion. And there has to be. The people that go to church understand that a country has to be based on some sort of religion and fear of God because they understand that.

--it seems to me that DeLay's gift--his calling, if you will--has always been armtwisting, the separation of persons from their vote, their money, and their options. When DeLay tells someone it's time to come to Jesus, he's talking about their checkbook, not their soul.

Dibgy thinks DeLay's new home might well be Vision America. He makes a convincing case: It's a lot of the same faces, and a lot of the same rhetoric ("Mobilizing Pastors and Churches to Win the War on Christianity" -- "Our Goal for 2006: Stop Activist Judges" -- "Liberalism Kills Kids"). Less money changing hands, of course, but it would probably be DeLay's job to fix that.

Posted by Nothstine at April 4, 2006 01:31 PM