Justice DeLay(ed)
EXTRA! THE HAMMER GETS NAILED!!!
Finally! Justice has been handed down for the most overtly corrupt politician of my lifetime - and I was born when Eisenhower was in the White House. The very idea of watching a disgusting little parasite like Tom Delay being marched off to federal prison in one of those orange jumpsuits is a dream come true. He pissed on our Constitution, cynically flaunted the law, and now he is going to pay the price. Oh, thank you, fate! This unexpected bolt of happy news made me a bit more thankful this Thanksgiving.
The followinng day when I posted a sampling of my glee on the Washington DC Craigslist political page, I was chastised by a reader for my schadenfreude. I should be ashamed of myself, this person suggested, for my calumny - expressing joy at the downfall of another human being. I'm sorry but whenever a criminal is punished for his crimes, it tends to put me in a pretty good humor - sort of like when they finally caught the Unabomber. I'm kind of funny that way.
`
When he was first indicted in 2006, he smiled when his mug shot was taken because, as he told reporters, “I wanted people to see Christ in my face”. I won’t tell you who I saw in that photograph but - trust me on this one, folks - it definitely wasn’t Jesus Christ. What has always enraged me about right wing politicians like DeLay is their exploitation of the Prince of Peace in order to inflict on people the most un-Christian policies imaginable. Quoting Christ while advocating a tax cut for a class of people who have more money than they will ever be able to spend is beyond grotesque, it's sacrilegious. They love to quote the Ten Commandments but, for some strange reason, they always steer clear of the Sermon on the Mount. Gee, I wonder why?
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
Oh, right. That's why. Never mind.
It might take some time for old Tommy boy to be thrown in the slammer - if he's ever thrown in at all. He is sure to exhaust the appeals process to the limit and there's no reason to believe that some sympathetic, half-witted judge down in Travis County won't overturn the entire case. This will certainly happen if they can bring it before the Supremes. There is no doubt that the five reactionary assholes who voted in favor of Citizens United vs FEC last January will decide to spring the Hammer - as he was known in Washington back in the day. Technically at least, he is looking at a possible sentence of one-hundred years, which is not likely to happen - nor should it happen. As much as I detest the man, I do believe that a century in prison for violating Texas election laws is just a wee bit extreme if you ask me. I dunno, I guess I'm just an old bleeding heart, soft-on-crime kinda guy. Two to four years will teach the hideous little thug a lesson or two.
The irony of it all is the fact that the Supreme Court case of which I spoke earlier made the crime DeLay was convicted of pretty much legal, which is another reason to think that it might be overturned on appeal. Some brilliant legal "scholar" will decide that Citizens United vs FEC should be retroactive.
Oh, shit! Let's just admit the nasty truth. There are two sets of rules: One for them and one for us. He'll walk before he serves a day. Why am I forced to admit this? Because my luck has never gotten that good. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are the worst (though hardly the only) war criminals in American history. If there was any justice on this side of the eternal void, they both would be rotting in two separate eight-by-ten cells in Leavenworth, or (better yet) the same cell! But this is not a perfect world. Only the underprivileged are punished for their crimes. As Woody Guthrie once said, "Steal a little and they throw you in jail. Steal a lot and they make you a king." Today both Bush and Cheney live in comfortable retirement.
"Nothing is more important in the face of a war than cutting taxes."
-Tom DeLay
Therein lies the philosophical dysfunction of Tom DeLay and the party that he represents. They have never been able to comprehend the fact that it is a regulated system of progressive taxation that funds a healthy and vibrant society. At the end of the nineteenth century, there was a movement of crackpots who wanted to do away with all forms of government and taxation. One of their numbers, a man named Leon Czolgosz, would assassinate a president of the United States (William McKinley). Back in the day they were called "Anarchists". Today we call them "Conservatives". The more things change the more they stay the same.
Whether or not he ever serves a day in prison is irrelevant in the long run. The important thing to remember is that the political career of Tom DeLay is over. A major cancer has been removed from the body politic. We must grab our little blessings where we find them.
Tom Degan
tomdegan@frontiernet.net
SUGGESTED VIEWING:
The Big Buy: How Tom DeLay Stole Congress
It's available for purchase on Amazon.com. Highly recommended.
AFTERTHOUGHT:
HEY, KIDS! Here are some more jaw-droppingly stupid quotations from the distinguished convicted felon from Texas!
This is Tom DeLay explaining the massacre at Columbine High School in 1999:
"Guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence. The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids in daycare, the teaching of evolution in the schools, and working mothers who take birth control pills."
This is Tom DeLay explaining why he didn't fight in Vietnam:
"So many minority youths volunteered....that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like myself."
This is Tom DeLay on his job description:
"I am not a federal employee. I am a constitutional officer. My job is the Constitution of the United States. I am not a government employee. I am the Constitution."
This is Tom DeLay on why America had to invade Iraq:
"We're no longer a superpower. We're a super-duper power."
This is Tom DeLay talking to three young Katrina evacuees at the Astrodome in Houston:
"Now tell me the truth, boys. Is this kind of fun?"
Now tell me the truth, folks. Isn't Tom DeLay a hoot-and-a-half? Come to think of it, I'm gonna miss him!
The followinng day when I posted a sampling of my glee on the Washington DC Craigslist political page, I was chastised by a reader for my schadenfreude. I should be ashamed of myself, this person suggested, for my calumny - expressing joy at the downfall of another human being. I'm sorry but whenever a criminal is punished for his crimes, it tends to put me in a pretty good humor - sort of like when they finally caught the Unabomber. I'm kind of funny that way.
`
When he was first indicted in 2006, he smiled when his mug shot was taken because, as he told reporters, “I wanted people to see Christ in my face”. I won’t tell you who I saw in that photograph but - trust me on this one, folks - it definitely wasn’t Jesus Christ. What has always enraged me about right wing politicians like DeLay is their exploitation of the Prince of Peace in order to inflict on people the most un-Christian policies imaginable. Quoting Christ while advocating a tax cut for a class of people who have more money than they will ever be able to spend is beyond grotesque, it's sacrilegious. They love to quote the Ten Commandments but, for some strange reason, they always steer clear of the Sermon on the Mount. Gee, I wonder why?
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
Oh, right. That's why. Never mind.
It might take some time for old Tommy boy to be thrown in the slammer - if he's ever thrown in at all. He is sure to exhaust the appeals process to the limit and there's no reason to believe that some sympathetic, half-witted judge down in Travis County won't overturn the entire case. This will certainly happen if they can bring it before the Supremes. There is no doubt that the five reactionary assholes who voted in favor of Citizens United vs FEC last January will decide to spring the Hammer - as he was known in Washington back in the day. Technically at least, he is looking at a possible sentence of one-hundred years, which is not likely to happen - nor should it happen. As much as I detest the man, I do believe that a century in prison for violating Texas election laws is just a wee bit extreme if you ask me. I dunno, I guess I'm just an old bleeding heart, soft-on-crime kinda guy. Two to four years will teach the hideous little thug a lesson or two.
The irony of it all is the fact that the Supreme Court case of which I spoke earlier made the crime DeLay was convicted of pretty much legal, which is another reason to think that it might be overturned on appeal. Some brilliant legal "scholar" will decide that Citizens United vs FEC should be retroactive.
Oh, shit! Let's just admit the nasty truth. There are two sets of rules: One for them and one for us. He'll walk before he serves a day. Why am I forced to admit this? Because my luck has never gotten that good. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are the worst (though hardly the only) war criminals in American history. If there was any justice on this side of the eternal void, they both would be rotting in two separate eight-by-ten cells in Leavenworth, or (better yet) the same cell! But this is not a perfect world. Only the underprivileged are punished for their crimes. As Woody Guthrie once said, "Steal a little and they throw you in jail. Steal a lot and they make you a king." Today both Bush and Cheney live in comfortable retirement.
"Nothing is more important in the face of a war than cutting taxes."
-Tom DeLay
Therein lies the philosophical dysfunction of Tom DeLay and the party that he represents. They have never been able to comprehend the fact that it is a regulated system of progressive taxation that funds a healthy and vibrant society. At the end of the nineteenth century, there was a movement of crackpots who wanted to do away with all forms of government and taxation. One of their numbers, a man named Leon Czolgosz, would assassinate a president of the United States (William McKinley). Back in the day they were called "Anarchists". Today we call them "Conservatives". The more things change the more they stay the same.
Whether or not he ever serves a day in prison is irrelevant in the long run. The important thing to remember is that the political career of Tom DeLay is over. A major cancer has been removed from the body politic. We must grab our little blessings where we find them.
Tom Degan
tomdegan@frontiernet.net
SUGGESTED VIEWING:
The Big Buy: How Tom DeLay Stole Congress
It's available for purchase on Amazon.com. Highly recommended.
AFTERTHOUGHT:
HEY, KIDS! Here are some more jaw-droppingly stupid quotations from the distinguished convicted felon from Texas!
This is Tom DeLay explaining the massacre at Columbine High School in 1999:
"Guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence. The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids in daycare, the teaching of evolution in the schools, and working mothers who take birth control pills."
This is Tom DeLay explaining why he didn't fight in Vietnam:
"So many minority youths volunteered....that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like myself."
This is Tom DeLay on his job description:
"I am not a federal employee. I am a constitutional officer. My job is the Constitution of the United States. I am not a government employee. I am the Constitution."
This is Tom DeLay on why America had to invade Iraq:
"We're no longer a superpower. We're a super-duper power."
This is Tom DeLay talking to three young Katrina evacuees at the Astrodome in Houston:
"Now tell me the truth, boys. Is this kind of fun?"
Now tell me the truth, folks. Isn't Tom DeLay a hoot-and-a-half? Come to think of it, I'm gonna miss him!
posted by Tom Degan @ 8:41 AM
32 comments
32 Comments:
It made my day, too. Here in Texas, the corruption is so widespread as to be considered normal.Pretty much all a politician has to do is call upon the name of the lord, and the check marks just line themselves up on the ballots. And the gospel of Wealth is preached from pulpits Sunday after Sunday, to the point where it's no wonder that the good citizens come to regard poverty as reprehensible. After all, the Lord wants us to enjoy the abundance of the earth, right? Therefore, if you are not partaking of said abundance, you are not Right With the Lord.
Unfortunately what Delay has been convicted of is now legal after the Citizen's United decision. I doubt he'll spend a single day in prison. He'll either get the verdict overturned by a partisan appeals court or a pardon.
On the Ten Commandments they also overlook the last one: Thou shalt not covet.
It was the best news I had had in awhile where it comes to politics. I expect him to get off by a pardon or some technicality but just seeing him convicted when he was so sure he could evade justice, it was one thing to be thankful in a long string of not so thankful political moments.
Tom, I share your happiness but like Prescott and Rain, I have a feeling that he will somehow manage to get off the hook. Even so, I take great delight in the fact that he was at least convicted.
Bush and Cheney saved us from Terrorists trying to blow up Christians at Christmas Lighting Ceremonies, Bush and Cheney did much for our country and now, we are seeing our world is a dangerous place, Bush and Cheney protected America, British Intelligence said WMDs in Iraq and they were driven out to Syria, Bush and Cheney are heros.
But Degan probably likes Teddy Partial Birth Abortion Kennedy as a hero or Barney Gay Frank.
Oh well, the Dems have put the US through GEnocide, Dems genocided blacks with the KKK and the Dumbocrats genocide blacks with abortion.
I have a couple problems with this. 1. The joy on the left. 2. This is just a drop in the bucket, we need more of this on both sides.
I would be happy if politicians were prosecuted with equal vigor, under the same laws, and with the same consequences as everyday citizens. My test is with regard to political criminals: "What would happen to a normal citizen found guilty of the same crime?"
If DeLay is guilty, I dont care if they lock him up. Put Rangel in the same cell. Let's take a look at BHO's foreign contributions, the tax avoidance of the west wing, etc. etc.
You shouldn't get to happy about this. If you think the dems could survive aggressive scrutiny your nuts.
As an example of democratic misconduct, I have attached a wiki with the disciplinary actions in the House. The Democrats have been expelled and censured in far greater numbers that republicans. And Joe Wilson should not be on this list, unless truth is a crime.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Representatives_expelled,_censured,_or_reprimanded
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Representatives_expelled,_censured,_or_reprimanded
I'm not religious myself but definitely prescribe to the 'to each his own' mantra. The other day I was talking with my niece, who is now 13, about when she was 5 or 6 and had taken a balloon from a store. Her mother, who is my sister, and her father and me discovered the fact and she was made to take it back... unfortunately mom did most of the taking back.
But here's the point; she said she was not ashamed or afraid of the incident or taking it back, she said what scared her was that she was going to go to hell.
I really began thinking about that. Is this what we teach our children? That the human consequences pale in comparison to their everlasting soul? To me, in teaching the real lesson there is no comparison, because we are here on earth, right now. what we do affects each other. what happens after NONE of us know.
so what happens in the future when the idea hits her to question the belief in god but she doesn't have the foundation that her harm was in not learning how to co-habitat with other humans.
sorry, that's my rant.
I love Derrick Jensen's take on the power structure. In his view, it is okay for those in positions of power to inflict violence, take the property of or otherwise subjugate those beneath them, but whenever these actions are perpetrated in the other directions, punishment is fast and brutal.
Delay's conviction gives us a brief reprieve from the above unnatural order of things if only for a short while.
Boltok, politicians being what they are, neither major party is exempt from wrongful and misguided deeds. But when comparing members of the two groups who were either convicted of crimes, or either accused or reprimanded for sexual misconduct, the Republicans have the dubious honor of leading the pack. Aside from being the most underhanded and deceitful, the "coveted" award for sleaziness and perversion goes to the conservatives. They talk the talk, but they seem to have a difficult time keeping it in their pants. My guess is Freud would have had a field-day with these guys.
JG
Not true.
google: censure, house of representatives
Read the list of actions taken against members, the reason and the party. The Democrats are way in the lead. Sexual misconduct with congressional paiges included.
BTW:
While Clinton is the favorite democrat, you should stay away from infidelity as an argument. Levy was in the news reminding me of Condit.
Conyers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ryOSdUtDCs
If you thing republicans are more crooked than the dems you are crazy. You may like the dem crooks more for whatever reason but they are crooks nonetheless.
Sorry for the conservative spam, but as soon as i mentioned Conyers this popped up:
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/local/items-stolen-john-conyers-government-registered-cadillac-20101130-mr
Boltok/JG – your assumptions are that the subset of people in Washington who were caught is indicative of the ultimate reality – which may or may not be true. In reality, most of the ethics stuff is facilitated purely for political reasons. The reason more of it isn’t brought to light is that those living in glass houses don’t throw stones. In any event, I sense the majority of them really couldn’t care less about sexual immorality. And, I believe that the ultimate scope of the problem, if known in total, would be shocking to (some) Americans on both sides of the aisle. But, it is not particular to DC - the immorality in Washington mirrors the moral degeneration of the general populace. The American people have little room to complain…
No, Harley, you're wrong. I'm not making any assumptions -- none at all. I'm just playing with Boltok. For some reason he thinks conservatives don't stink, when in reality both parties release a stench that's offensive to all. Neither major party has a claim to moral superiority. They're both crooked as hell.
Tom Deegan
I put the post you keep erasing on the "Jefferson's Guardian" blog. We'll see if his blog allows free speech unlike yours. Control of the media is the very important for socialists/communists. Just ask Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, and Mao Tse Tung.
First Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Archie Bunker,
In the five years since I started this site, I have only been forced to delete a posting five times - out of thousands. I assure you, yours was not one of them.
Tom
Thanks for the info Tom,
You remind me a lot of my son-in-law.
Maybe we can generate a little more traffic for the "Jefferson's Guardian" blog. Comments look kind of sparse over there.
One last beef. JurassicPork only seems to show up when he has something to sell. He reminds me of that capitalist pig Michael Moore who pretends to be a progressive and is laughing all the way to the bank.
"Ja, we is da super men...super-duper, duper men..." - Der Feuhrer's Face - Spike Jones - during you know which war....
Mary
Holy dumber than a half eaten box of milk duds Batman!! I can see Archie Bunkers house from right here in the Batcave in Gotham City
Mr. Bunker, all liberals allow free speech. As a matter of fact, the times I attempted to comment on some conservative blogs, my messages were either edited or redacted.
Go to my blog. True to my word, your comment is posted -- in its entirety.
Tom, check your spam file for Mr. Bunker's comment. That's where I found his on mine.
Since DeLay was once or twice my "representative," I was overjoyed when I first heard the news. I was so excited I e-mailed the news to my Progressive friends.
The reason he was my "representative" more than once was due to his shenanigans in redistricting Texas in 2002, just two years after the census in 2000 and official redistricting by the state.
Like many of your commenters, I fear he will not serve any prison time. However, we can always hope!
"For the first time in nearly three decades, the House censured one of its members Thursday, voting 333 to 79 to formally punish Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) for reflecting poorly on the institution and bringing discredit to the House."
i hope charlie and Tom Delay share the same cell in prison. this would make me happy.
anonymous citizen
Rasmussen Wednesday, December 01, 2010
"In November, 36.0% of American Adults identified themselves as Republicans; 34.7% considered themselves Democrats, and 29.3% were not affiliated with either major party. That’s the largest number of Republicans since February 2005 and the first time ever that Rasmussen Reports polling has found more people identifying as Republicans than Democrats."
Let us proclaim 2010 as the Year of the Republicans.
anonymous citizen
Rangel is a POS, this vid exemplifies the point made in my prior post.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/12/02/rangel_i_dont_deal_in_average_american_citizens.html
I just found your blog Tom. Nice Ranting.
Keep up the good work to help destroy capitalism and bring about the New World Order.
Ya see, Tom, ya got to stay for the closing credits to truely glimpse poetic justice at work:
Darth Cheney escaped prosecution but now relies on a centrifugal heart assist/replacement.
In essence, especially on full assist, he is a man without a heartbeat---officially Undead!
Them pesky contracts with the "Devil" kinda catch up with ya.
Mr. Alinsky, your comment intrigues me. Rather, it perplexes me.
Please elaborate. I'm all "ears".
Okay. This is wrong. I left a comment, came back later, and it's gone. Again
Second try:
Jefferson's Guardian "Mr. Alinsky, your comment intrigues me. Rather, it perplexes me."
Saul, despite his origins, is the patron saint of the Partisan Right. I, for one, had never heard of him before I was accused of using "Alinsky tactics" and, after hearing the Right's demagogic descriptions of his writing, came to the too obvious conclusion that his work (or, at least, the read-in-bad-faith version of it that the Right insists is endemic in liberal circles*) influences the modern Right far more than it does the Left.
As much as I might disagree with conservative thinkers like Buckley and Frum, at least they put some thought in to their arguments. The anti-intellectual Right, having purged them from their ranks, just puts things together that they don't like (or, more likely, have been told by their authority figures to be scared of) and present that mush as though they go together.
* Seriously, the poster here calls himself Saul, but mentions overthrowing capitalism, and referencs the NWO. It takes a seriously skewed view of the world to conflate (while probably not a laissez faire capitalist, also not a communist) Saul ("The Prince was written by Machiavelli for the Haves on how to hold power. Rules for Radicals is written for the Have-Nots on how to take it away") with the New World Order conspiracy (taking power away from The People and giving it to a secret elite).
If we can't DeLay on ethics charges, can we prosecute him for being a supreme douche? Isn't there some federal statute somewhere we can interpret to condemn douchiness? C'mon, people... Let's put our heads together.
(PS My captcha word -- on this, the 30th anniversary of John Lennon's death -- is "imagnics". So, let's imagnics there are no douches, shall we? In honor of John....)
I am not saying you are the "biggest jackass on the planet earth" and for the sake of you inciting citizens with your rants; however not a word of resolution...
I dunno...have you actually READ some of the absolutely ridiculous commentary posted here?
ummm...straightjackets puleeze??
There should be rules here and you
omg of all people who ridicule results of from Sara Palin and (btw, who the hell put her there....coz she could see russia...and damnit, I want to write a bestseller and receive media attention if my daughter gets knocked up...)...all the way to consequences of porn sites...
The framers of the Constitution were brilliant elitists, and not much has changed over the years. Get up off your butt and be one of the 1% of the people to address some of your issues with the Supreme Court or motivate people to do so...I get bitched at 24/7 - don't need to come here and listen to you
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