Thursday, October 7, 2004

Twofer On DeLay

They're gangin' up on poor ol' Bugsy DeLay. It's about time. From today's NYTimes:

Representative Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, was admonished by the House ethics committee on Wednesday night for the second time in less than a week, this time for appearing to link legislative action to political donations and for sending federal officials to search for Texas legislators during a fracas over redistricting in that state.

And from today's WaPo:

The House ethics committee last night admonished Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) for asking federal aviation officials to track an airplane involved in a Texas political spat, and for conduct that suggested political donations might influence legislative action.

The two-pronged rebuke marked the second time in six days -- and the third time overall -- that the ethics panel has admonished the House's second-ranking Republican. The back-to-back chastisements are highly unusual for any lawmaker, let alone one who aspires to be speaker, and some watchdog groups called on him to resign his leadership post.

"If the Republican Conference wants the American people to believe that it takes ethics seriously," she continued, "it must insist that Mr. DeLay resign his post as majority leader."

Hear, hear. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out, asshole.

So what's Bugsy really been involved in? Well, if it was you or me, we would have been charged with: 1) setting up a major dope peddling deal; 2) political graft; and 3) air piracy. All Federal felonies. I'm sure RICO would have played in the first two.

I'm not sure if they could charge him with misuse of taxpayers' money. That's their lifestyle.

What does Bugsy get. Rebuked. Is that stronger than "admonished"?

We need a "three rebukes and you're out" law.

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