Delay Indicted, Finally!

From MSNBC:

WASHINGTON - A Texas grand jury on Wednesday charged Rep. Tom DeLay and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme, an indictment that could force him to step down as House majority leader.

You might recall our Republican friend Tom Delay (aka: the "Hammer") from his days as a bug exterminator in Texas. No? How about when he was investigated by the (Republican-controlled) house ethics committee on several occasions? No? How about when he tried to use a brain-dead woman as a political tool to distract from his ethics violations and blame them on a vast left-wing conspiracy?:

One thing that God has brought to us is Terri Schiavo, to help elevate the
visibility of what is going on in America," Mr. DeLay told a conference
organized by the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group. A
recording of the event was provided by the advocacy organization Americans
United for Separation of Church and State. "This is exactly the issue that is
going on in America, of attacks against the conservative movement, against me
and against many others," Mr. DeLay said. Mr. DeLay complained that "the other
side" had figured out how "to defeat the conservative movement," by waging
personal attacks, linking with liberal organizations and persuading the national
news media to report the story. He charged that "the whole syndicate" was "a
huge nationwide concerted effort to destroy everything we believe in."

1 corrupt wing-nut down, many more to go...

(For a good summary of all the current corruption scandals plaguing Republicans right now (and believe me, there are a LOT), check here.)

UPDATE!!! They replaced him with what, you ask? More of the same! Are you kidding me? Check out this 2003 Washington Post article about Delay's new interim relacement, Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri. The title sums it up pretty well: "GOP Whip Quietly Tried to Aid Big Donor - Provision Was Meant To Help Philip Morris" -- here's the link.

Only hours after Rep. Roy Blunt was named to the House's third-highest
leadership job in November, he surprised his fellow top Republicans by
trying to quietly insert a provision benefiting Philip Morris USA into the
475-page bill creating a Department of Homeland Security...

Ahh, another Republican with all our best interests at heart. While some lawmakers busied themselves trying to create a Department of Homeland Security to help protect us from terrorist attacks, this piece of work was busy coddling to the cigarette company that "contributed more than $150,000 to political committees affiliated with Blunt since 2001, according to Federal Election Commission records." Maybe it also helps that "Andrew B. Blunt, one of the lawmaker's sons, is a lobbyist for Philip Morris" ???

Our democracy has been bought and paid for.

UPDATE (Pt. Deuce): Turns out this Blunt guy paid a "consultant" who just happens to be one of those indicted along with Delay in Texas. (Click me!)

These people are dirty.