Is DeLay a gift from God?

I don't know how other Democrats view DeLay, but I see him as a sweet gift from Heaven itself. Every Democrat should be salivating at a chance to anoint this guy as head of the Republican Movement.

As DeLay's drama unfolds his effectiveness as House Majority Leader will be weakened dramatically. He is already a liability for Rove and the Bush White House. Rove likes things he can control, that’s why he has Bush as a side-kick. DeLay, on the other hand, is happy to go a long until he feels threatened. He likes his power. He likes to feel important, and he is willing to do almost anything to hold onto that power and feeling of importance. He doesn't give a damn about the Republican Party -- he believes he is the Republican Party.

The Religious Right loves their Bugman. He's willing to become their newest whore, whispering sweet nothings in their ear for a few dollar bills and their support. The problem is, of course (despite what the Main Stream Media would like everyone to think), the Religious Right is a radical group that will easily alienate 80% of the rest of the country. The Republicans foolishly sought to tame the tiger, but are now just starting to realize that a hungry tiger will devour almost anything -- including its Masters. The Religious right is hungry for the same thing Bugman is hungry for: Money and Power.

When Bush "won" the election he claimed he had a mandate, but the Religious Right thinks differently. They feel that THEY are the ones with the mandate. They feel that Bush owes them for putting him back in the White House... and in the weeks, months, and years to come they are going to demand payment. The only problem, of course, is that while Bush and Rove are happy to pay them lip service they are intelligent enough to know that most Americans think they are a bunch of wacko's.

This is why Bush has been so anti-gay. I can guarantee anyone here that Bush does not give two shits about gay people. If he thought gay marriage would be a winning issue he'd be pro-gay marriage -- he'd sell himself. However, he has found that it is much more profitable to be anti-gay because it divides people and energizes the Religious Right. Bush has no wish for a Constitutional Amendment on gay marriage -- he would be more than happy to see it languish in Congress. Gays are "safe". The majority of people who are pro-gay and who would be offended and angered by such a thing aren't voting for him anyway, the other third doesn't care one way or another, but the Religious Right loves it. They send in money, they go out and campaign for him, they organize for him. However, if the gay issue was ever taken off the table (along with Abortion) the Religious Right would have new demands. Demands that aren't exactly all that popular and won't jive well with the rest of America.

Enter the Terri Schiavo debacle. The Religious Right demands payment for putting him back in the White House. Bush, having to feed the Tiger, fly's to Washington in the middle of the Night to sign their little piece of legislation into law. It wasn't popular, but Rove and Bush knew that it would blow over and wouldn't have a very lasting effect if they do what they have been doing all along: Keep their mouths shut. They knew Terri would die, the Religious Right would be angry, the Religious Right then would be energized and ready for 2006 -- ready to campaign and send in their money. The rest of America would have forgotten all about Terri, just like they forgot about Abu Ghraib and any other of the numerous things the Bush Administration is responsible for.

Now, enter the Bugman. Bugman has been content to stay in the background but now he's threatened. He's in trouble and is doing his damnedest to stay in power. He knows he is a sinking ship and at the first opportunity everyone is going to be jumping overboard. However, he isn't going to have that. No, he's going to fight tooth and nail to stay right where he is. Unlike most Republicans he is not loyal to the party. He is loyal to himself and in his mind he and the Republicans are synonymous. They are one and the same.

Rove and Bush want to get rid of him because he isn't easily controlled. They want someone who is going to steamroll their legislation through the House. Someone who is gonna rubberstamp anything they put before him. Once Bugman is out of the picture there will be a power vacuum which they will move quickly to fill with someone who pledges loyalty to them.

However, that scenario is the worst possible scenario for Democrats. Bugman is like a gift from God to us. Our goals should be the following:

* Make DeLay and the Republican Party synonymous. Link their names closely together so that moderates are horribly alienated.

* Carefully and skillfully manipulate the White House against Bugman. The goal would be to piss DeLay off, and like a cornered and injured animal he will strike out.

* Try and make sure DeLay stays in power. The last thing we need is for Rove and Bush to firmly cement their influence over the Republican Party. If we can turn DeLay and the White House against each other it will help neuter them both -- softening the impact of a second Bush Term.

It is almost like a game of Risk where the best goal is always to make your enemies battle each other and then once a clear weakened victor has emerged -- you rise up and easily pick him off.

I almost get giddy at the thought of DeLay calling for investigations into some of Bush's corruption. Wouldn't that be ironic? Bush has plenty of skeletons in his closet that could easily get him hanged. Bugman is not an enemy that they want or can even afford. I say, we should do everything in our power to exploit both sides and do our best to stroke the flames. It is just a small flame right now, but I think with the right love and care it can grow and become an inferno -- one that will consume the Republican Party and pave the way for a Democratic Congress and White House in 2008 while at the same time minimizing the effectiveness of the Republican Agenda.

take a small plane ride.

He has thrust himself in public for a reason. First of all him being in the public eye will make getting rid of him quite difficult. DeLay has thrown down the gauntlet. He isn't going peacefully or quietly. Killing him isn't even an option especially now that he is firmly planting himself in the public spotlight.

The only way to silence DeLay would be to pay him off, assuming that he would even TAKE the money. I do not think money concerns DeLay as much as keeping his power does. DeLay can raise and make money easy -- especially now that he has the backing of the Religious Right.

We should publicly condemn DeLay at every opportunity and do everything in our power to link him to Bush and Rove in an effort to force them to publicly take a stand against DeLay. Bugman is already nailing himself to a cross, crying about "liberal persecution". Rove and Bush know damn well that Bugman is guilty as sin, and is just as corrupt as they are -- they can't have him connected with them like that. They are just barely keeping their own scandals concealed.

We should give DeLay what he wants: A liberal persecution. Persecute him. Vilify him. Call out the most left wing of the left wing to help nail him onto his cross, and at the same time make Bush and Rove take a stand. They will be in a lose-lose situation. If they stand with Bugman they will be standing with a soon-to-be convicted criminal. If they stand against Bugman, he will set out to expose their own corruption. If they say nothing then it will look as if they are supporting the "liberal persecution", so remaining silent isn't a good choice for them either.

Hell in the weeks to come, after Bugman has twisted in the wind a bit, I bet he'd even be willing to cut a deal with Democrats to help expose Bush, in exchange for keeping him out of prison or whatever other fate awaits him.

Let's hope some of the Dems in DC - and some of the 'liberal' talking heads - get a chance to read and absorb your thoughts.

watching the party implode.

It pleases me and good points. I think this could go either way. DeLay might not go down alone if he does go. I think it'd be great if he let out some secrets he knows on Bush and the others who dump him. They don't have any democrats who they can go after so they're now going after each other. Bush, Rove and all the others are getting away from DeLay and I definietly can't wait to see what happens next. I've noticed with republicans they may be all buddy-buddy with each other at events and conventions but in reality it's a type of thing where each person is on their own and if one goes down too bad.

I did have this strange thought that maybe they know about their interaction causing a kind of gridlock - and that is just fine with them. Barring that sort of conspiracy, I think you are right that we need to squeeze little DeLay for all he's worth - no point in getting rid of our new ally now :D

You've hit the nail right on the family. No wait, that was food on the family.


http://www.kliljedahl.net

DeLay is just fine right where he is. The stronger the link to Bush, the better.

LONG article but has lots of info on Travis County's case against Delay:


http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1329/is_6_29/ai_n6336395/pg_1


HOUSE MAJORITY leader Tom DeLay is not a physically imposing man. "Five-foot-seven if he's wearing high heels," in the words of Fort Bend County sheriff Milton Wright, whom DeLay once spent $70,000 to defeat in an election because the sheriff had hired a woman whose husband had sued DeLay.

<snip>

As his stature has increased, DeLay's tactics have grown bolder and more aggressive--and therein may lie the seeds of his present troubles. Buried in the exhibits supporting the lawsuit filed against him in Austin is a letter that encapsulates the civil and criminal investigations threatening him. It's addressed to a Texas-based political action committee, Texans for a Republican Majority (TRMPAC), but the salutation reads "Dear Congressman DeLay." The letter is from the Williams corporation, a natural gas and pipeline company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It says: On behalf of the Williams Companies, Inc., I am pleased to forward our contribution of $25,000 for the TRMPAC that we pledged at the June 2, 2002 fundraiser.

<snip>
One of very few things you cannot do under Texas campaign finance law, however, is accept a corporate donation to be used in a political campaign, with a narrow exemption for administrative expenses. In September, an Austin grand jury indicted Williams and seven other companies for making illegal contributions to TRMPAC; three DeLay fundraisers, including a key political aide, were also indicted.

<snip>

Ronnie Earle doesn't buy it. The 62-year-old district attorney is approaching the end of 27 years in office and has said he would have retired were it not for this case. Earle has the somber countenance of a hanging judge and a sense of humor as arid as his West Texas origins. Investigating the TRMPAC case has been slow, he says, because it's like "watching clowns climb out of a Volkswagen. There are a lot more in there than I imagined."

since he has raised money for almost all of them. They are all sullied by him.

Sleep with a dog, don't be surprised when you wake up with fleas.

The argument becomes even more enhanced by the fact that DeLay and other far right Conservative Groups are DEMANDING loyalty to him. They are basically asking for one of Bush's blood oaths. DeLay and those that support him aren't going to allow anyone to stray too far from the script. If they do, they will go out of their way to crush them.

This is why we need to link DeLay directly to Bush and the White House. The Democrats can then paint themselves as reformers. The Party that is going to clean up Washington. Force Bush to come out against DeLay and by doing so anger DeLay and those loyal to him -- and suffer the backlash. If they come out in support of DeLay (to avoid their own dirty laundry getting aired out) then that will confirm what the Democrats would be saying, linking them directly with a criminal. Force the White House to take a public position. Don't allow them to be silent by letting DeLay hang himself. Use DeLay like a pawn instead, playing him against the White House. In the end, no matter what happens, it will be Rove and Bush who suffer losses not the Democrats.

then Delay is a gift from God to the Democrats.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1709015

and any Dem that wants to get him gone yesterday is a fool, IMO.

Cuz if you google info about this baby shower and the daughter/lobbying $$, you get stuff dated from Sept 2003..yet it JUST makes the MSM NOW???? Puhleeze...Blogs had this info 2 yrs ago.

http://www.offthekuff.com/mt/archives/002326.html


So we have tons of newspapers now publically dissing Delay <including hometurf TX newspapers in Dallas, Ft Worth, and Houston> and all this old info suddenly being published as new discoveries??? Someone <Rove?? Newly returned Hughes?> is escorting Delay to a plank, all that's left is the "splash" and the quaint "Thank you for your service, Tom, sorry you are opting to resign because of <insert excuse here---health problems, family issues, tired of being a distraction to the administration>.
My bet is it's Hughes since alot of this "drip, drip" stuff kicked in after her return to the regime.

They both want him out. Once he is gone that will leave a power vacuum which they can fill with someone willing to comply with their every demand. I would be shocked if this wasn't at the top of their 2005 Agenda once they had "won" the election.

Either way he can be a useful tool. We just need to make sure he is used properly.

In time that will happen, I'm sure. However, for the time being I think the Bugman can be a useful pawn.

I hope it pays off soon

"Make DeLay and the Republican Party synonymous. Link their names closely together so that moderates are horribly alienated."

Yes, the Democratic Party spokesmen have to start using more rhetoric that stimulates imagery such as that. There is nothing more effective than destruction by association.

I just have to wonder what the leaders of the party are doing with the whole DeLay thing. Mostly, it appears at least, that they are sitting on their hands. Although I don't know if anything is going on behind the scenes. I would sincerely hope that the leaders of the party see this for the golden opportunity that it is, and not waste a single moment in seizing it.

which brings up a good view on the DeLay situation. I personally feel that this should be on the front page (for those people who don't read forums) and I think it would be a good addition to the greatest section.

And welcome to DU. :hi:

Bush and Delay, Bush and Delay

Over and over and over again until they are one entity and the public starts to associate one with the other:

bushanddelay, bushanddelay, bushanddelay, bushanddelay

Repeat it over and over again. Repeat it so many times that it becomes unconscionable to separate the two. It's a Republican tactic, and it works.

The repubs do it all of the time. Look what they did to Kerry, for crying out loud.

Say something enough times and it becomes the truth, right? Except in this case, it is the truth!

I 100% agree with your comments about Bush and Rove not giving 2 shits about gay issues; I would expand that to include all cultural issues. Abortion, race, women's rights, guns, religion -- all of it. None of them care. Money and power is the only game.