July 7, 2005
Tom DeLay Makes Us Sick
Everyone has a pretty good idea that House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is a real piece of crap who has used dirty politics to get where he is and has allowed private business to bribe him. This is not news. However, now, for the first time, a private company has publicly confirmed that it paid DeLay's political action committe in exchange for a meeting and possible legislative help. Westar Energy of Topeka, Kansas has admitted that it paid DeLay’s political action committee $25,000 to attend his golf tournament and have a meeting with him in hopes of getting an exemption in federal law.
Westar denies that they expected to receive favorable treatment for the donation. Yea, they were probably just bribing DeLay in order to get the early tee time and stay out of the heat of mid-day. And by some huge coincidence, the provision Westar sought did make it into a bill on the House floor – a bill supported by DeLay. However, once investigations into DeLay’s improprieties began in 2002, the bill disappeared. Weird, huh?
The company also professes that the donation had nothing to do with the Texas Legislative elections. Of course, it is illegal to pay a lawmaker with the hopes or guarantees of affecting legislation. Yea, yea, illegal shmillegal. This former exterminator from Sugarland represents everything that is wrong with politics. Where the hell is conscientious campaign finance reform when we need it? Oh yea, neither side really wants that, do they?
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I read yesterday that Howard Dean wants to make anti-corruption a main plank of the Democratic Party, an idea which received a very cool reception from House and Senate Democrats. Something about not wanting to be tarred with the same brush, or something.
Yeah, right. Don't want us to look too closely at the sausage factory, eh fellas?
This is the ultimate non-partisan issue. Taking bribes is wrong, no matter who's side the politician is on. Let's not lose sight of this in all the "red vs. blue" BS.
exactly, Hank, that is why my post says, "neither side REALLY wants that, do they?"
nobody wants to change the rules or they would be changed. we are veryclosely related to someone who ran for US Senate on just that platform, campaign reform. You have not heard of this perosn probably, for obvious reasons.
No they don't.
What bothers me is when folks like my Republican family members in Houston say things like, "The Democrats want to get him because he's too conservative." Ugh, bullshit, the guys' a world class scumbag.
But if campaign reform and ethics seems worthy, it looks like people who might actually have a clue, like Dean and possible Texas gubernatorial candidate Chris Bell, are taking up the cause. It'd be nice to see these folks recognized for taking up a worthy issue instead of ignored by party establishment.
Well, yeah, what Matthew said. I was agreeing with you, but in a rather unfocused way.
I guess I was wondering whether we voters (the majority, anyway) will ever get past this artificial red vs. blue stuff and start evaluating parties and candidates on their merits. But like you said, not gonna happen as long as the vested interests are, well, vested.
I wish I knew the answer. Instead, I just vent on blogs.
from all i can tell, the best way is to get involved at the most grass-roots level possible. then again, i know someone who recently got railroaded out of a county party chairmanship for all the wrong reasons. bash on egardless, i guess. but try not to watch too much cable news of any shade.