DeLay: after 6 years, no charges in Abramoff case
It took six years, but Tom DeLay has been cleared in the investigation of his ties to lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
One is tempted to make puns on “DeLay” and “delay”—six years is an awfully long time—but at least the process was bipartisan, from the Bush to Obama presidencies, as well as the Attorneys General under each man.
And nada was found:
“The federal investigation of Tom DeLay is over, and there will be no charges,” [DeLay’s attorney] Cullen said. “This was one of the longest and expensive and thorough investigations in recent memory. DeLay took a tack right from the start that he had nothing to hide, and we have been in a routine and constant dialogue with [prosecutors].
Well, the wheels of justice grind slow, and all that. Please take a look at comment #6 in response to the Politico article (made by commenter “spontaneous” at 9:40 AM today; linking to it directly doesn’t seem to work):
A moment ago this story was a simple Post It Note, the way all Republicans are cleared, buried in another story. The double standard in this town is so deep, I’m surprised they mentioned it at all. While Democrats currently accused of wrongdoing host lavish parties for themselves as they wear broad smiles for the camera, they poignantly cry for mercy. Apparently, in the current climate of the Democratic Hypocritical Culture of Corruption, it is not welcome news that their premiere Republican target that they personally destroyed was cleared. As triumphant Democrat Nancy Pelosi rode to victory back in 2006 on her Trojan Horse of Ethics, her large coterie emerged — a literal army of Democrat offenders — that have made DeLay look like a saint.
Well, I don’t know about the “saint” part; DeLay still faces state charges in Texas (and I wonder whether there’s not some cause of action against him for his execrable showing on “Dancing With the Stars”. If not there should be; click the link at your peril.)
But the double standard “spontaneous” writes about has historically been the case more often than not. Remind me—why is Barney Frank still a member of the House in good standing despite this?:
In 1991, Barney Frank received an official reprimand for reflecting “discredit upon the House.” The reprimand came as a result of his relationship with a man named Steve Gobi, a male prostitute whom Frank initially paid $80 for sex. Frank later took Gobi to live with him in his home, making him a personal aide. He paid him $20,000 in compensation (unreported to the IRS) and let him use his car. Subsequent investigation revealed that in the course of their relationship, Frank used his congressional office and stationary to fix Gobi’s 33 parking fines. Frank also used his congressional letterhead to write a reference letter to Gobi’s probation officer — Gobi was under court supervision as a convicted felon with a prison record — in which he gave false information. Most damningly, the investigation found that Gobi ran a prostitution ring from Frank’s home. In his defense, Frank asserted he knew nothing of Gobi’s illicit enterprise.
The Democrat -controlled House voted 408-18 to reprimand Frank after a heated debate during which some Republicans demanded expulsion…
After Gobi, Barney Frank become involved in another questionable — and possibly criminally tainted — relationship with a man called Herb Moses. Moses, whom Frank called his “spouse,” was a high-level executive at Fannie Mae from 1991 until 1998. Dubbed a “mortgage guru” by the National Mortgage News, Moses boasted that he helped develop “many of Fannie Mae’s affordable housing and home improvement lending programs.”…Frank continued to claim almost until the day of the collapse that the two mortgage giants were financially sound. If we lived in a sane world, Barney Frank would be compelled to testify about his culpability in the current crisis and what role his romantic involvement with Herb Moses — as well as the campaign contributions he received from Fannie and Freddie — played in his shilling for these two moribund institutions.
Ah, dream on—it’ll never happen.
Or will it? Depends on the results of the elections of 2010 and 2012, I suppose. Of course, it’s always possible that the voters in Frank’s district will make the question moot by finally refusing to re-elect him. But I wouldn’t sit on a hot stove waiting for that to happen, either.
Never happen?
they LOVED mussolini!!!!
We love you, Benito!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0oZMGtI95s
(Very Rare!) Mussolini’s Speech – in English! (1929 Fox Movietone Newsreel)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTXhez2mNmM
and look what happened to him….
[and hundreds of others not famous enough to be reported]
first is movie news reel. note that the reel said it was for leading his country to ruin (with Hitler).
Mussolini Executed! 1945/04/30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFSsRTDACCo
This second one shows what the public did (graphic as they left the bodies on the street and everyone passed by spitting, kicking, hitting them)
Benito Mussolini – Milano Piazzale Loreto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_6C5jUI5p4
Just remember when it gets bad enough, your own guards will get you… Amar Ibrahim was killed by his own guards
Ovid warns of Alebas a tyrant of larissa whose own guards killed him.
The imperial guards at the palace defended against the attack, and Li Chongjun hesitated — hoping to be able to converse with Emperor Zhongzong himself to plead his case. The eunuch Yang Sixu (楊æ€å‹—) took the opportunity to counterattack and kill Li Chongjun’s forward commander, Li Duozuo’s son-in-law Ye Huli (野呼利). Emperor Zhongzong then spoke to Li Chongjun’s soldiers, urging them to desert. The soldiers thereafter turned against Li Chongjun and killed Li Duozuo, Li Chengkuang, Dugu, and Shazha; in a separate attack, Li Qianli and his son Li Xi (æŽç¦§) the Prince of Tianshui were killed in battle. Li Chongjun fled with some 100 soldiers toward the Qinling Mountains, but soldiers deserted on the way, and by the time he reached Hu (戶縣, near Chang’an), he only had several soldiers with him. As they were resting under a tree, the soldiers killed him and surrendered.
history never helps only one side…
But Barney Frank believes in the right things!!! He cares about the little guy!!!
j/k.
You know that if it ever comes to blows in this country between left & right, who will get off easy even if they do worse stuff? I am not looking forward to it.
what i really liked about Delay was his mugshot-he had a huge campaign smile, not the usual Nick Nolte messed up look.i giggled for days.
The morons in Bawney Frank’s district refuse to re-elect him for any matter involving morals and ethics? HaHaHaHaHaHa!
Yeah, right! “Take my wife…Please!” Ba-da-bing!
“But Barney Frank believes in the right things!!! He cares about the little guy!!! ”
Depends on which “little guy”… ahem…
***
Remember all one thing: Barney Frank’s district voted for Scott Brown last January. Just sayin’.
Every decent person should be impressed by what Tom DeLay and his wife have done for foster kids. (And most of us should be impressed by the way he turned his life around.)
As for this investigation, it is obvious that it went on far too long. I was struck by the fact that they never even got around to questioning him.
Anna, if that should happen, the Reds will not get off easy. Trust me.
The state charges that Tom is facing down here are placed by the DA in Austin. The same DA that got his head handed to him when he tried the same thing against Senator Hutichinson.
The “case” against De Lay will never come to trial, the DA knows he’d have his head handed to him again. Meanwhile the Travis County DA’s office, which is the one for Austin, the state capitol, can’t be bothered to take on the gang activity there, nor does it bother to go after Democrat crooks in state and federal government. Much like the Holder “Justice” Dept.
I miss having the same laws for everyone.
Peter: ah, so the rot extends to Texas.
Peter was too kind to say it, but Austin is a free range asylum for the politically deranged, thoughtfully maintained by the State of Texas to leech the poison away from the productive parts of Texas.
Here in Austin, we have the municipal ethics of Chicago, the political sobriety of Ann Arbor, and, in August, the climate of Hell. Having both the University of Texas and the Legislature, we are spared the expense of maintaining a public zoo.
Neo:
Austin, in Travis County, is not Texas, anymore than San Fran is California. For all the same reasons. It is a way-station on the march of the Gramscians.
> But I wouldn’t sit on a hot stove waiting for that to happen, either.
LOL, I wouldn’t bother sitting on a cold stove either…
Neo, I am disappointed to see you insert some snarky comments about De Lay in your post. I saw the same kinds of comments from avowed lefties on other sites. So, a lot of people didn’t like De Lay. The reasons the Dimocrats didn’t are obvious and understandable. He was a warrior, who was not intimidated by them. Others have their own reasons. Well and good.. But, I do think that Tom DeLay has been pilloried enough, and there is no reason to get little jabs into a story about his vindication.
DeLay has paid a high price for his service. Higher than he should have by any reasonable measure.
Neo, criticising Delay for his political positions and his way of doing things is certainly fair game but criticising his performance on Dancing With the Stars is a low blow. I give the man props for just showing up. Anyone who goes on that show without some background in physical perfomance is prolly not going to cover his/herself with much glory. Few want to do something where they will come off bad. But old Tom did. Takes some moxie. Just sayin’.
Occam, if by “reds” you mean “red staters” and not communists, then that is exactly my position on the matter.
You know how cops throw the book at a “good” person when they slip up, to make an example of them? But when a “bad” person does the same old same old, the cops are like “oh its just them acting up again”. It will be the same situation here. Grandmas will get booked while black panthers get a pass.
Peter/Walter, that is a hoot. I am part Texan myself but not from Travis county.
I have a lot of Texan friends/fam. Funny, but all of the ones from Austin are flaming liberals…
Oldflyer: the snarky comments are about DeLay’s dancing ability. He was embarrassingly awful, so awful that after a while I could not watch. It made me embarrassed to look.
That awful.