New York Times, April 6:
The wife and daughter of Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, have been paid more than $500,000 since 2001 by Mr. DeLay’s political action and campaign committees, according to a detailed review of disclosure statements filed with the Federal Election Commission and separate fund-raising records in Mr. DeLay’s home state, Texas.
This is the man the Republican Party chose as a leader. The Republicans knew the kind of man Tom DeLay was when they chose him.
Why do the Republicans hate integrity? Why do the Republicans reward corruption?
Let me first say that I think Tom DeLay has turned into exactly what he came to Congress to fight. He is no better, or worse, than most…A huge disappointment and a hypocrite himself.
But I’d like IR to point out what part of paying his wife and Daughter to run campaigns and put together events is corrupt and unethical by House Standards?
You should clean your own house before, or at least while, you trash others.
No where in the NYT piece does it sight eithical or rules violations. The NYT’s also says this practice is not unusual and gives your infamous Barbara Boxer as an example. Harry Reid, Jesse Jackson Jr, Bart Stupak & Gene Taylor have all done the same.
Does IR have selective outrage? Seems like it, so I’ll be the only one to point out that they are all shady!
No, they’re all wrong to do it. But, gee, what Tom DeLay has done is at the level of FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, more than 33 times as much as what Barbara Boxer’s done. Is $15,000 enough to corrupt a Senator? Doubt it. Is FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, not even counting the other instances of corruption unearthed, enough to corrupt Tom DeLay? Oh, yes indeedy.
Of course I’m miffed with Barbara Boxer’s $15,000. But scale, man, scale.
I have been watching the shenanigans that take place at every level of politics in the USA since I came of age to vote back in 1971… yes, the “long-ago-time”…I’ve seen some of our leaders that I would have a hard time believing if they tried to convince me that the sun really rises in the east. Now, this extends to both sides of the isle, folks. I am the first one to admit that there are plenty of Democrats whose record leaves much to be desired…But this A—hole Delay gives a bad name to even Texas politics…and that’s hard to do…Good God even LBJ wasn’t that bad! Nixon looks good by comparison! And these are the people who voted to impeach Bill Clinton for lying about an extramarital blowjob? Hypocrasy just seems too…inadequate…
Texas seems to breed corrupt politicians who like a disease, could be fatal to our democracy. Two of the last three American presidents- and three of the last eight- have been Texans. Lyndon Johnson, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. All got to the White House by exploiting a network of money and power that no other state can match. Texas is politically conservative, religiously conservative, racist, unhealthily devoted to oil and red meat, polluted, and culturally unsophisticated. Texas as a former slave state was built on land stolen from darker-skinned people. Textbooks that tout evolution don’t sell in Texas, and Texas is a big enough market that textbook publishers pander to it. Texas jerks around US foreign policy, subjecting the U.S. to fight bloody wars, decimate civilian populations, cozy up to corrupt dictators, and even make ourselves the target of terrorist attacks in order to keep slurping up oil. Texas is devoted to the death penalty to the point of executing criminals who were minors when they committed their crimes. Texas is home to the small town of Tulia, where the police arrested 10% of the town’s black population, convicting these victims of selling drugs solely on the false testimony of one racist, white cop.
So my question to Hoosier and Kevin is what is it about Texas, where it’s citizens not only tolerate this kind of corruption, but you also promote it? (I for one, have never forgiven your state for the assasination of John Kennedy.)
First off, I really don’t claim Texas as my state. I am a die-hard hoosier until the day I die.
I can’t argue against the fact that Texas politics has alot of corruption. But it is on both sides. as far as a republican state, that’s debatable in the context you put it. It has been primarily a democratically controlled state up until this year.
Don, take your medication my man. Most who are voted president followed a big money network for the most part. As far as racist, yeah, in more remote parts of the state. You really don’t see it much here. Look at all of the hispanics. In fact, I feel like I am in the minority.
As far as toleratint the corruption, I have sent a number of emails to my state reps in the past few months to voice my opposition to bills I do not agree with. I guess it it gets too bad, I’ll move back to Indiana.
One thing good about Texas though, most of our military men come from here and protect you and me on a daily basis.
Protect me from what – imaginary weapons of mass destruction?
No, Junga, it’s the aliens!
Quickly, go put on your tinfoil hats.
Hoosier, what’s up with “Don, take your medication my man.”? I didn’t personally insult you. I merely wanted to know why Texans are so tolerant of corruption, and promote those who are corrupt.
I’m well aware that Texas has been a stronghold for Democrats in the past, and when it was, it was just as corrupt as it is now. LBJ stole his first congressional election in 1948-yet he continued to be promoted by your state right to the Presidency (albeit by assasination). In my opinion one party is the same as the other (Note: Clinton has been pretty cozy with the Bush family recently.)
Enron was a Texan company, and so is Halliburton – but as much as I hear you complaining about paying taxes, it doesn’t seem to matter to you that Halliburton, on more than one occasion, continues to overcharge and commit fraud against the government wasting your and my hard earned $’s.
I know that there is corruption everywhere, but Texas does it on a grand scale (these kinds of things don’t happen in my state – not since Neil Bush left us with his Silverado S&L scandal). I don’t hold you personally responsible for this per se, but I really hoped that you could shed some light on why people there tolerate this.
DON O’TREPLY?
DO NOT REPLY?
Well, then why ask Hoosier questions?
Many a thing has been born out of a blond moment, such as good ole Don – Same excuse for asking Hoosier a question.
Very clever J. Matthew!