As I was listening to Al Gore's new book today, it struck me that perhaps I was only surrounding myself with information that supports my left-leaning preconcieved notions. Perhaps I was guilty of the same subjectivity that I accuse the Bush/Cheney administration of. Maybe I just don't like him becuase he has a really creepy face and oily skin? So, with that I went over to my local Borders and started skimming through Tom DeLay's new book No Retreat, No Surrender.
In the book, he manages to be critical of just about everyone on the right and left from Bill Clinton to Newt Gingrich, his own ability at self reflection seems to follow a pattern that goes something like:
I may have made some mistakes, but with the help of Jesus (cause I'm a born again Christian, so all those shots of whisky I took from hookers' belly buttons in the 80's are forgiven) I have worked through those issues. Nobody is perfect, but with the help from Jesus...
You get the idea. This book wasn't written to convert anyone, it was written (or most likely ghost-written) to sell to the devoted following that think Delay was simply a great man who fell victim to those vicious, scheming, manipulative LIBERALS. Of course, the book does not admit to any serious wrong doing, accept maybe being too humble and perhaps just loves America too much. He even provides a top 10 list of commonly held falsehoods about him.
In the spirit of fairness, I should list some democracy-shredding falsehoods and tribulations the vile liberals have subjected poor Tom to:
- Gerrymandering of Texas congressional districts to the benefit of the Republican Party.
- Using government resources including Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration to obtain whereabouts of Democratic Members of the Texas House who had fled Austin in a plane to prevent above gerrymandering.
- Criminally conspiring with two political associates to inject illegal corporate contributions into 2002 Texas state elections.
- Using his political action committee, Texans for a Republican Majority (TRMPAC), to launder corporate money to Texas state campaigns in 2002, a violation of state law.
- Founding "The K Street Project," which pressures Washington lobbying firms to hire Republicans in top positions (and thus have access to influential officials) and to punish firms with Democrats in top positions.
- An unprecedented four admonishments by unanimous votes of the bipartisan House Ethics Committee
- Employing various bullying techniques and threats to get congressional votes, earning him the name "The Hammer"
- Getting a paid trip to Scotland to play golf from a Native American lobbying group
- Accepting illegal gifts of foreign travel, lodging and an exclusive golf outing from lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
- A trip DeLay took in 1997 to Moscow may have been underwritten by business interests lobbying on behalf of the Russian government.
- DeLay's political action and campaign committees have paid his wife and daughter more than $500,000 since 2001.
- Forced through the Medicaid bill condition which prevents the federal government from negotiating drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies
- Called those who wanted to remove Terri Schiavo's feeding tube "an act of barbarism." He turned off life-support for his own father in 1988.
- Taking trip to South Korea with other House Members and staff funded by Korea-U.S. Exchange Council, a business-financed group created with the help of a lobbying firm headed by DeLay’s former chief of staff.
- Suffering the humiliation of being arrested.
- That he became a born again Christian as a political strategy to gain votes.
Worst of all, they have produced this terrible documentary about him called "The Big Buy". How can he take this abuse? Here is a clip dealing with the gerrymandering.
I only hope that Tom can somehow get through this terrible time. It seems even when the Republicans controlled the Senate, House AND Oval Office, those damn liberals still find ways of casting dispersions on the good character of these upstanding public servants. Hang in there buddy. And buy some stridex, 'kay?
Keith Olbermann on the DeLay equating liberals to Hitler:
SOURCES: Wikipedia, Common Cause, "The Big Buy"
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