People

Tom DeLay
I don’t like him. He is the epitome of everything politicians should not be. DeLay’s recent indictment is not the first time the man has been in trouble with the law or ethics violations. He’s called the hammer for a number of reasons, mainly because he gets the job done. To briefly simplify matters for those who don’t fully understand what’s going on, DeLay’s indictment comes at the expense of being successful. I totally agree with him when he says that he is being singled-out because of his ability to redistrict the Texas map, take over the Texas legislature and add five new Republican congressional seats. DeLay accomplished his goals, has almost created a permanent Republican majority and he has basked in his glory. CLICK CONTINUE READING!

In the process of accomplishing his mighty tasks, DeLay is being charged with conspiracy to use corporate money to fund political campaigns. In Texas there’s a law against that. Did he do it? I have no idea. Was there motive for him to do it? Absolutely. He even defines his own motive for doing it:

So we had an opportunity in 2002. I wanted to redistrict the congressional seats, so I wanted to make sure and help gain a majority in the Texas House. So I came up with this idea to form a political action committee to raise money to get into state representative races so that we could win seats.

We were successful. And after that, we were successful in a congressional redistricting to the tune of gaining five Republican seats and more fairly represent the values of the people of Texas.

Still it’s not so simple. Tracing money trails and proving conspiracies are very difficult. Campaigns rarely turn down money, and funneling money from organization to organziation until it gets to a specific campaign is routine. Campaign finance laws are like gun laws, they don’t work. The only campaign finance law that is enforceable is one that says spend the money you have.

And to just add some more of my thoughts on the subject, I hate the politics of scandals. I hate it. If Republicans think that a political witchhunt is the price they pay for being successful, it’s only because Republicans are the ones who started this crap. If you don’t like the way things are politically in 2005, then you shouldn’t have done it throughout the 90s. You reap what you sow. I see no end in sight for this type of political manuevering. In the end, all it does is turn the public off to the state of affairs. And when that happens we end up with incompetent, indicted government; hence the current state of the Union.

Howard Dean
I don’t like him. He’s not a politician, not even close. He might be a rambling doctor, but not a politician. I watched him on Nightline last night and it made me angry to the point of not being able to sleep.

Republican scandals, true or not, should not be the bedrock of Democratic strategy to take back power. It’s a demented way to do politics. I didn’t agree with it in the 90s when the Republicans did it, though they have no memory of their actions then, and I certainly don’t agree with it now.

If the indictments turn into convictions then sobeit. But for Dean to be on national television screaming that they all should be in jail even before they have been to court is totally ridiculous. If people on blogs want to scream that stuff then okay. If people on the streets want to think that way, okay. But the head of the Democratic Party must have some self-control and most certainly should be focused on governing rather than scandals. How can the Dems expect to be in the majority when all they are concerned about is making scandal riddin headlines for Republicans and not about offering a different direction, an alternative in which to lead the country. I deplore it all.

I think DeLay should resign his congressional seat, or be voted out, and I think Dean needs to step aside and somehow the Dems have to find a rational, moderate voice who is concerned with direction and the people of this country.

Tags:
Tom DeLay, Howard Dean, Maureen Dowd, DeLay Indictment, Past Mistakes