E.J. Dionne Jr.: Reach, brazenness set this political machine apart

I thought this was a good Summary of Delay and Co.



WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The indictment of Tom DeLay challenges a system of power. It is a blow against a national political machine that blurs the lines between parties, interest groups and the relentless pursuit of political money.

Defenders of politicians under attack typically say, "But everybody does it." That excuse does not work here. DeLay, who was forced to step down as House majority leader, was a pioneer in something entirely new: a fully integrated political apparatus that linked Republican Party committees, lobbyists, fundraisers, corporations, ideological organizations and the process of governing itself.

There was a candid shamelessness, even genius, about how the operation worked. Traditional limits on what was permitted in politics were dismissed as the obsessions of squishes and goo-goos, a term coined long ago to deride advocates of good government.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/5649475.html