Alas! Poor Texas . . .

Once upon a time, PDL (pre-DeLay), there was a state called Texas. OK, so we did have an invasion of Maine-ers claiming TX as home. But still, it was something to see -- a state of wide open spaces and big cities. A state of oil millionaires and dust-scratchin' farmers. A state with a proud, if not un-checkered, history: the bravery of the Alamo, the defeat of Santa Ana at San Jacinto, the tragedy of the Galveston hurricane, the triumphant career of Nolan Ryan, the days when the Cowboys could justly be called America's Team. A state so insistent on voter turn-out that even death didn't end your right to vote.
Made ya proud to be a Texican.

Once upon a time.

And then came DeLay. It's not enough that he's arrogant beyond words. Not enough that his entire political history is the textbook definition of 'shady' (no offense to Eminem). Not enough that he has a gall to call Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle "partisan" for his investigation into DeLay's cronies. ((time to point out, for the record, that Earle's record on prosecuting politicians is: Demos 11, Reps 4. And Mr. Earle is a Democrat.)) Not enough that in one year, he's been admonished THREE times by a bipartisan House Ethics Committee.

No, none of that is enough. Now, just for him, the Republican Party -- remember them? the party just re-elected on "moral values"? -- have changed their 'ethics' rules so that he can still reign as Majority Leader even when (I refuse to say 'if') he is indicted.

Say it with me, folks -- Moral Values. Brought to you by Tom DeLay, R. TX.

Texas

1836-2004

R.I.P.