So Tom, The Hammer, er make that Tom, "The Ham Sandwich,"
DeLay has now been re-indicted on a pair of money laundering charges – enough to put him behind bars for the
rest of his life.
I mean that is what we’re now going to hear from the blindest of
the Bushies, isn’t it? That any D.A. can get a grand jury to indict even a ham
sandwich. No doubt. Except in this case we’re talking about a live piggy, not
its smoked and canned little rump.
These, of course, are the charges that DeLay’s case merit.
From the documents already made public we can see that’s exactly what Mister
Dee-Lay was doing – laundering corporate money illegally into state legislative
campaigns.
Now the fun really begins. Not just watching The Ham
Sandwich get basted. But also watching to just what depths of partisan denial
so many Republicans will now stoop. Not that the GOP has any monopoly on this sort
of hypocrisy. Democrats are just as adept; millions of them spent the last two
years of the Clinton administration rationalizing away Big Bill’s sleaze. That the
Chief Executive of the United States lied under oath as a defendant in a sexual
harassment case and conspired to suborn perjury was (and is still is blithely reduced)
to “getting a blow job.” Right.
Enough about Clinton. Back to DeLay. Time for you
Republicans and conservatives to show us that you are every bit as craven as
the Clintonistas. Just like them you will first check your voter registration
card before deciding what is right and what is wrong. For the Democrats, it was
all about Ken Starr and not about Clinton’s total lack of character and
honesty. For the Republicans, it will now be all about Democrat D.A. Ronnie
Earle and his vendetta against poor Tommy. Right.
It’s worth, I think, recalling the political atmosphere
before September 11th – if that’s possible. I first started covering
the Bush campaign in the Summer of 1999 when Dubya blew a bundle to win the
non-binding beauty contest known as the Iowa Republican Straw Poll.
He was contending with Buchanan,
Forbes and Keyes on his right. McCain to his left and contesting the
Republican center with Lamar and Liddy. Bush had a moderate pitch back then. Moderate in scope and in tone. He
was all about being simple, uncomplicated. About pulling back from the military
interventionism of the Clinton era (Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo) and not
enmeshing the U.S. in hopeless “nation-building.”
What Bush did push, what were his biggest applause lines,
was his vow to “restore honor, dignity, and integrity to the White House.” He’d say those words, jutting his jaw a tad, and the Republican crowds
would go wild. The coding here was hardly subtle; the immediate subtext was if
I come to power, I’m not going to change things radically but I’m gonna get rid
of the stench of Clinton and all those corrupt Democrats.
Indeed, re-reading
the history of the 2000 campaign, Bush’s vow to be Mr. Clean is probably the
key issue that defeated Al Gore.
Looks like GW fibbed on both accounts. The
changes have been radical. And if Republicans want to celebrate that, I suppose
that’s fair. But let’s be honest about the second half of the old Bush formula.
The cronyism and corruption of this crew has begun to stink to high heaven. Not
just the no-bid sweetheart contracting. Not just the fiasco provoked by such
incompetents as “Brownie.” But throw in the SEC investigation of Dr. Frist. And the triple indictment of The Ham Sandwich. I could go on,
but it would take all night to list all the hogs trying to squeeze under the
gate.
How many honest Republicans, with genuine integrity, will now step forward
to shun these stinkers? Or is it just about partisanship?
P.S. Omigod, I must be dreaming. Just found out that over at the offshore betting site bodog.com you can wager real cash money on whether or not DeLay gets convicted. Is this a great world or not? You can make money and watch the Ham Sandwich get sliced? By the way: DeLay's ultimate conviction was already paying 6 to 5 before today's new indictments. By this time tommorrow he's gonna be a favorite. Get your bets in quick. Non va plus!