Delay Finallly Giving Up

[KipWellsFan]

CNN is reporting that Tom Delay has abandoned his congressional campaign.

 

Rep. Tom DeLay will drop out of his re-election race, two Republican congressional sources tell CNN.

[KipWellsFan]

New York - Rep. Tom DeLay, whose iron hold on the House Republicans melted as a lobbying corruption scandal engulfed the Capitol, told TIME on Monday that he will not seek reelection and will leave Congress within months. Taking defiant swipes at “the left” and the press, he said he feels “liberated” and vowed to pursue an aggressive speaking and organizing campaign aimed at promoting foster care, Republican candidates and a closer connection between religion and government.

http://drudgereport.com/flash3.htm

[Texsox]

It's a sad, sad day, when a great American like the Hammer has to leave with his tail between his legs.

 

I guess it's on to the McCain bandwagon for me.

[FlaSoxxJim]

It's a sad, sad day, when a great American like the Hammer has to leave with his tail between his legs.

 

I guess it's on to the McCain bandwagon for me.

 

Uhm, yeah.

 

Scanlan, Abramoff, and now Rudy pleading guilty to conspiracy/corruption, and basically putting DeLay's leadership offices at the center of a criminal enterprise has me wondering just what you see in this great American.

 

The influence peddling for kickbacks scandal in the Northern Marianas Islands is going to bust wide open, and Delay is right ther ein the middle of it.

[Texsox]

Uhm, yeah.

 

Scanlan, Abramoff, and now Rudy pleading guilty to conspiracy/corruption, and basically putting DeLay's leadership offices at the center of a criminal enterprise has me wondering just what you see in this great American.

 

The influence peddling for kickbacks scandal in the Northern Marianas Islands is going to bust wide open, and Delay is right ther ein the middle of it.

 

Maybe I was wrong about him? I so wanted to see him kick some commie, terrorist butt. Like Reagan . . .

[whitesoxfan101]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060404/ap_on_go_co/delay

 

That article tells me all I need to know about how pathetic both parties are. It's already a giant smear campaign for each party to try and get their brainwashed extremist that seat.

[Texsox]

The business of politics. What is so funny, is the GOP would be doing this if it was a Dem. Same response, and lemmings will actually think this is important to our nation.

 

 

 

Dear Friend,

 

Indicted Republican leader Tom DeLay announced late last night that he will withdraw from his race for re-election and leave Congress within months.

 

This comes after Friday's news that a key former DeLay aide pleaded guilty to conspiracy and agreed to cooperate with the ongoing federal investigation of DeLay's money-for-influence machine.

 

DeLay says he made his decision because he doesn't want to let Democrats make him the issue in the 2006 elections. But Tom DeLay himself has never been the issue.

 

DeLay is a symptom of a larger disease -- a sick Republican culture of corruption that touches everyone who took his dirty money, voted for his corrupt leadership, or sat silently while their party has sold our government to the highest bidder. The corruption extends to the House, the Senate, and the Bush Administration -- and this November the accountability must reach just as wide.

 

Democrats aren't running against Tom DeLay this year. We are running to end the Republican culture of corruption and restore integrity to our government. What we stand for is clear.

 

On April 29th, when tens of thousands of volunteers hit the streets in the first-ever 50-state canvass, they will be carrying the six simple things that Democrats stand for. At the top of the list is a clear commitment:

 

    1. Honest Leadership & Open Government: We will end the Republican culture of corruption and restore a government as good as the people it serves.

 

In honor of Tom DeLay's retirement, today I am ordering another 250,000 of the door-hangers that bear this message -- that's an investment to reach another quarter-million voters on our April 29th organizing day.

 

Your $50 can put 233 pieces of literature in the hands potential volunteers and potential voters. Will you make a donation?

 

http://www.democrats.org/delayretirement

 

Already over 370 neighbor-to-neighbor organizing events have been scheduled for Saturday, April 29th. Democrats across the country will be going door to door, talking with folks in their communities about what Democrats stand for and the kind of change our country needs.

 

Please take a moment to find or create an event near you. Learn more about the 50-state canvass here:

 

http://www.democrats.org/50statecanvass

 

This year's election will be about fundamental change in Washington, and it's up to each one of us to fight for every vote in every single state.

 

Tom DeLay is just the tip of the iceberg. The American people have had enough of the Republican culture of corruption -- but it's going to take your involvement to make change happen.

 

Thank you for doing what you can.

 

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

 

I love it when he calls me "friend". Kerry still calls me by my given name and Bush stopped calling me all together after he ran his last campaign.

[Balance]

DeLay= "He gone!"

[whitesoxfan101]

The business of politics. What is so funny, is the GOP would be doing this if it was a Dem. Same response, and lemmings will actually think this is important to our nation.

 

That's the reason there are a lot of people like myself who are annoyed and disguisted with politics. If a party would do something beyond "the business of politics" and actually try and get something done, they'd have my vote.

[Rex Kickass]

No offense, but if people actually took time to get to know the candidates they elect, they wouldn't be so shocked when things get OMGBAD!

 

For example, do you know who the Democrat trying to get elected in TX-02 is? Yet you called him an extremist. What about his positions make him an extremist?

[Balta1701]

You know, I would very much bet This has to play into the timing of this. Over the last 5 years or so, Tom Delay's defense fund has raised over $1.5 million...much of which has been spent. Tom Delay's campaign for 2006 has raised $1.2 million...all of which can now be moved to Delay's defense fund.

 

I think it's also worth noting that in a masterful display of, well, something...in order to make sure that there's no Special Election and there's a Republican name on the ticket in October...instead of resigning, Delay is going to register himself as a citizen of Virginia, because if he moves out of the state the Republicans will be allowed to name a candidate to replace him on the ticket, while if he just dropped out...because the filing deadline has passed in Texas, the Republicans wouldn't be able to field anything but a write-in candidate.

[FlaSoxxJim]

You know, I would very much bet This has to play into the timing of this.  Over the last 5 years or so, Tom Delay's defense fund has raised over $1.5 million...much of which has been spent.  Tom Delay's campaign for 2006 has raised $1.2 million...all of which can now be moved to Delay's defense fund.

 

I think it's also worth noting that in a masterful display of, well, something...in order to make sure that there's no Special Election and there's a Republican name on the ticket in October...instead of resigning, Delay is going to register himself as a citizen of Virginia, because if he moves out of the state the Republicans will be allowed to name a candidate to replace him on the ticket, while if he just dropped out...because the filing deadline has passed in Texas, the Republicans wouldn't be able to field anything but a write-in candidate.

 

Can he legally just move the campaign money into a legal defense fund?!?

[Balta1701]

Can he legally just move the campaign money into a legal defense fund?!?

Yup. From the WaPo piece I linked to in that last post:

 

DeLay also is entitled under federal election rules to convert any or all of the remaining funds from his reelection campaign to his legal expenses, whether or not he resigns, is indicted or loses the election. Election lawyers say one advantage of bowing out of the election now is that the campaign cash can be converted to pay legal bills immediately, instead of being drained in the course of a bid to stay in office.

[whitesoxfan101]

Can he legally just move the campaign money into a legal defense fund?!?

 

Does it matter if it's legal? This is politics.

[Balta1701]

Does it matter if it's legal?  This is politics.

I think Tom Delay's broken enough election laws...

[FlaSoxxJim]

Yup.  From the WaPo piece I linked to in that last post:

Wow. Yeah, better to bow out now rather than later in that case.

 

I also see DeLay is going to push the TX legislature to try to get Ronnie Earle ousted as DA in the next legislative session. I Guess the best legal defense is to continue to be thoroughly offensive.

[Texsox]

Can he legally just move the campaign money into a legal defense fund?!?

 

Jim, Jim, Jim :headshake let's review Politics 101.

 

Who writes the laws? -- Congressmen and Senators

Who will they benefit? Themselves

What profession supplies most of the law makers? Lawyers

 

So lawyers wrote a law that would help themselves and their fellow members of the bar. Duh!

 

Here's your sign