AM Feed - June 9: DeLay's Last Day
Hot Topics
- Today is the end of Rep. Tom DeLay’s (R-TX) tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives – he will step down from office at the end of the day. This marks yet another step in DeLay’s fall from power: He already lost his position as majority leader, he’s under indictment in Texas, and he’s facing increased scrutiny for his ties to corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff. So how did DeLay exit Congress? By delivering a speech extolling the virtues of partisanship, of course. (No, really.) “You show me a nation without partisanship, and I’ll show you a tyranny,” DeLay said in the House chamber last night. [link]
- Fittingly, DeLay’s departure from Congress coincides with news about shady dealings by another of his former aides. A study by the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity has found that Susan Hirschmann, DeLay’s chief of staff from 1997-2002, before she became (what else?) a lobbyist, took 18 privately financed trips at a cost of $85,000. This means that Hirschmann was the second-highest recipient of privately funded travel among congressional staffers from 2000 to 2005. The leader is Brian Gaston, now the chief of staff to Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO). [link]
- Chalk up another legislative failure for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN). Not long after his ill-fated attempt to push a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, Frist advanced the idea to repeal the estate tax – which has long been a conservative dream. The measure failed, as Frist couldn’t round up enough votes to close debate on the topic. The estate tax currently impacts less than one percent of America’s families – and it is targeted almost entirely at the wealthiest one percent. [link]
Quote of the Day
“The K Street project and the K Street strategy I am very proud of.” – Rep. Tom DeLay, during his farewell speech in the House
Morning Snark
- Of course DeLay is proud of the K Street project – he essentially crafted his own golden parachute for when he exits Congress today (through the revolving doors, of course).
Comment
- New career for Tom DeLay?
The slimey bastard will probably hook up with that other venomous snake—Ann the Man—and start a political consulting company.
— micki Jun 9, 11:58 # - Hi micki – I was thinking that once he gets out of jail he will start his own megachurch, but your idea of hooking up with MAN Coulter may be right…
— John Jun 9, 12:16 # - John – LOL – I thought about the megachurch, too. Hey, maybe they’ll do both—double revenue streams!
— micki Jun 9, 12:21 # - I’m gonna send him a “good luck in jail” email.
— Anita Jun 9, 12:22 # - Frist is not done yet. They want to amend the constitution to outlaw flag burning. How many flags are burned each year? One, maybe two. I think we should all Fed-ex our little Memorial Day flags to him. We can also quit buying all those flags made in southeast Asia.
As for Delay, I hope he gets what he deserves. If he goes to jail can he collect his Pensions? I don’t think you can collect Soc Sac in prision. He should be treated like any other criminal. Equal Opportunity For disgaceful congressman.
— Rosalie Stern Jun 9, 12:23 # - Good morning Anita – that’s a good idea – I think I’ll do the same…
Rosalie, that goofy flag-burning ban proposal bobs to the surface every election cycle or when the reactionaries get in trouble – it’s a solution in search of a problem and is just a cynical device to fire up the always smoldering hatred of poor white rednecks who are too stupid to know they are being endlessly manipulated by the parasitical elites. And you can always count on some doofus Democratic politician like Feinstein and Hillary to tout it as well. God, our political landscape is so fatuous and so vicious at the same time!
— John Jun 9, 12:36 # - BUT WHO’S GOING TO GET A “GET OUT oF JAIL” CARD WHEN BUSH LEAVES OFFICE? LORRAINE
— Lorraine Baldwin Jun 9, 12:43 # - Hi John – I used the form at http://www.congress.org/ – “I hope all goes well with you in jail. Be productive and be safe. Be careful not to align yourself with dangerous gangs like the Neo-Nazis, the Terrible Terrorists or the Criminal Congressmen. We’ll be praying for you.”
— Anita Jun 9, 12:43 # - Oh yeah, I forgot to mention other tried-&-true issues that invariably come to the fore when regressives are desperate such as the FMA, federal Marriage amendment, which declares that marriage is solely between a man and a woman – are these louts hung up on sex, or what? And don’t forget fetus worship – fetuses are the only form of life they care about outside of rich white regressive males. And they care even more about fetuses during election years.
— John Jun 9, 12:46 # - Anita, I should send you a bouquet of wild flowers… I love irreverant rebels…
— John Jun 9, 12:50 # - Hi Lorraine, I do wonder who will be pardoned by Bush in the twilight of his atrocious tenure in our White House. Who will pardon him for his war crimes if he is ever impeached in the House, convicted in the Senate, jettisoned from the White House and then charged with crimes against humanity?
— John Jun 9, 12:55 # - You’re Pro-Life? That’s Fine – Now Get One & Stay Outta Mine!!!
— Teekleman Jun 9, 12:59 # - :) blush
— anita Jun 9, 13:03 # - I’ve noticed that the tone of today’s forum is very jovial and celebratory, for a change. I guess a little justice meted out to those who so richly deserve it brings out the less gloomy sides of our nature. Let’s savor the moment.
— Countess Sofia Belinskaya Jun 9, 13:16 # - Haha, that’s the bumper sticker that I want!
— brian Jun 9, 13:35 # - Well it seems that they’ve gone and done it and eliminated this forum – at least, Monday’s AFV email is devoid of a space for communication between readers. I’m going to wait a couple of days to see if this is going to be a permanent condition – I’ve saved all of my AFV emails when Chris planted a seed of doubt in my mind that this forum would soon be jettisoned because people posting comments were critical of many things, but criticism of AIPAC was what he figured would trigger the forum’s demise. I’m going to email everyone that has posted a comment to demand AFV reinstate that forum immediately or we’ll boycott it unsubscribing from their listserve.
— John Jun 13, 10:47 #
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