And Yet the Democrats Forced Tom DeLay Out...
There are two amazing things here:
1. The Democrats were trying to portray a Republican "culture of corruption".
2. The MSM is largely ignoring an excellent story which would sell lots of papers and get viewers in front of television - all because the MSM would rather die than harm a Democrats' chances.
Imagine the following scenario: during the height of election season, a high-placed Republican donor is discovered to have looted millions of dollars from the retirement funds of individuals and companies he manages, and then contributes more than $70,000 to his state GOP party. When the fraud is discovered, the state party not only refuses to give the money back to the victims, but characterizes calls from Democrats to return the ill-gotten gains as “a cheap Democratic ploy” – even as top GOP elected officials in the state demand that their party return the money.
Is it hard to imagine the virtual non-stop coverage that both local and national media would devote to the GOP scandal, with constant reference made by Democratic Party-linked talking heads and mainstream media “reporters” incessantly predicting how the scandal will derail Republicans' chances in the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races under way in that state?
The scenario described above has been unfolding for months in the Volunteer State, but it isn’t the Tennessee Republican Party on the working end of the scandal. Instead, local news reports indicate that the Tennessee Democratic Party has received $52,250 for state races and $18,000 for federal races from a major Democratic donor, Barry Stokes, who was arrested by federal officials on Friday for embezzling retirement funds from his clients – money Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Bob Tuke vowed last Friday to keep even after one of the top state Democratic Party officials, State Sen. Doug Jackson, urged his own party to return the money. In a letter to Tuke, Jackson said that keeping the money would be a “travesty.” In recent months, two Tennessee Democratic Congressional candidates have returned campaign contributions from Stokes.
When DeLay was placed under a bogus indictment, Democrats immediately called for DeLay to resign and for every GOPer who ever received a dime from DeLay or DeLay-sponsored organizations to return the money. For the Democrats, any slight connection to DeLay was radioactive and the least the Repbulicans could do is return the money...but here we have Democrats receiving clearly criminal donations, and they won't cough up. Why? Because they are (a) unwilling to ever give up other people's money and (b) they are confident the MSM will not give the story the play it deserves. A story which should utterly crush the Democratic Party in Tennessee and besmirch the national Party in to the bargain is dropped down the MSM's Memory Hole, hardly to be heard of at all.
This is, as Matt and I have discovered, par for the course activity on the part of our Democrats. For 40 years their Congressional power shielded them from scruitiny and it made them quite arrogant: essentially, Democrats felt they had a right to break the law, as long as their motives were help the poor, or whatever the liberal meme of the day was. Have sex with an underage page? No problem, as long as you vote in favor of abortion: that is how the Democrats viewed the world. This genuine culture of corruption has endured to this day because the MSM hasn't called the Democrats on it, and the GOP has been afraid to press the issue - especially afraid to press the issue to indictments and criminal convictions.
It is time for all of this to change - it is time to make Democrats understand that they must obey the laws we all live under. The best way to get the ball rolling on this, by the way, is to vote against them this November, and then pressure the GOP Congress in January to open investigations.
Posted by Mark Noonan at October 18, 2006 01:32 PM
Comments
will rodgers said that the last refuge of scoundrels is politics.
an interviewee on the randi rhoads show on air america laughed at randi being so enamored w dems. he continued by noting that the dems are as corrupt as the republicans "when they get the chance".
absent direct democracy, the only current feasible solution is to vote "checks & balance" so both parties rat each other out.
trust your barber, your grocer, even your mechanic before any politican.
Posted by: OhioOrrin at October 18, 2006 02:03 PM
And when will your 2nd nonfiction be out? You and Rove certainly have plenty to work with!
If only you had Hollywood connections. On the other hand, winning as a Republican political candidate should be a slam dunk in 08, especially if the Dems do win in November!
Thank God for the internet.
Posted by: SEW at October 18, 2006 02:07 PM
DemonRats, are simply-"Two-Faced Liars", willing to say and do anything to win elections. They have always lived by a 'double standard'....what is good for them, they don't always apply to the GOP. They have Always been the PARTY OF CORRUPTION....JUST LOOK AT THE CLINTON'S.
Posted by: Jo at October 18, 2006 03:05 PM
Funny this is mentioned. Just the other evening, a lefty and I were discussing this elsewhere and I invited him to my blog to discuss it furtehr, as it was highjacking someone elses thread.
Culture of Corruption?
I'm still waiting for him to pop in.
Posted by:
Lew Waters at October 18, 2006 03:20 PM
Mark,
Your criticism of corrupt democratic politicians is right on, but your defense of Tom DeLay is a strain on your credibility.
Posted by: other_nate at October 18, 2006 06:07 PM
...but your defense of Tom DeLay is a strain on your credibility.
Why is that, other_gnat? When is Delay's trial? Is there even gonna be a trial, or was Ronnie Earle on a witchhunt for Dean and the DNC?
When is William Jefferson gonna be indicted? What about Harry Reid-tard?
Lew, don't hold your breath on that lefty joining you on your blog, which, btw, is pretty cool. Lefties are cowards, afraid of real confrontation. I've invited many to meet me for a face-to-face debate, but had no takers...
Posted by: 1H8L1BS at October 18, 2006 07:46 PM
I think that the old Lou Christie song, "Two Faces Have I" should be the dem theme song at their 2008 convention.
Posted by:
Psycmeistr at October 18, 2006 08:11 PM
Mark,
You really have your facts mixed up. Democrats weren't calling for Tom Delay to resign. If anything, they would have rather seen him stay in Congress and run for re-election. They even went to court to keep his name on the ballot.
Posted by: Brian at October 18, 2006 08:39 PM
Well, this is what happens when the media giants donate so much of their money to one party. Next time they bring up the fairness doctrine for broadcasters, I hope some bold conservative gets up and challenges them to write a bill mandating that if AOL Time Warner has to give libs as much air time as it gives cons, then it's only fair that they also give cons as much money in political donations as they give libs.
Posted by: Morris at October 18, 2006 09:07 PM
1H8L1BS says -
"When is Delay's trial? Is there even gonna be a trial, or was Ronnie Earle on a witchhunt for Dean and the DNC?"
You're kind of making my point for me there. I don't know for sure if DeLay is innocent or guilty. And neither do you, or Mark. So for anyone of us to make bold presumptions about his innocence or guilt does, necessarily, strain our credibility.
All that aside, I have my own suspicions about the shady nature of Delay's relationship with Abramoff. And apparently there's a grand jury in Texas who agrees with me.
Posted by: other_nate at October 19, 2006 12:15 AM
Brian,
They went to court to keep his name on the ballot AFTER he resigned - what they wanted was the GOP stuck with his name on the ballot, thus making a fair choice of the people of his district impossible, and that leading to a Democrat in office...the hypocrisy is stunning: they illegally switched Laughtenberg for Toricelli in New Jersey, and then sued to prevent the legal changing of candidates in Texas...
Posted by: Mark Noonan at October 19, 2006 02:06 AM
other-nate,
While I don't know DeLay personally, I have come across enough evidence to convince me of his entire innocence of the charges against him. DeLay did nothing illegal - Lobbying has a dirty political connotation these days, but it must always be kept in mind that one side's corrrupt lobbyist is the other side's sterling advocate for truth, justice and the American way. We all hate lobbyists in theory, but we love our particular lobbyists...people who are members of NOW will decry the NRA lobbyists and vice versa all the while applauding their own.
DeLay broke no laws and everything he did was above board - if you don't like what he did, then it is up to you to propose reforms which will change the system...but I'd caution that we've done this a dozen times, and it never works. Better, in my view, to just chuck all the regulations other than a strict requirement for full and timely disclosure - let the people decide if a particular politician is too cosy with special interests.
Posted by: Mark Noonan at October 19, 2006 02:10 AM
Why did Delay's top aides in his PAC help the Democrats by PLEADING GUILTY! Bush strolls hand in hand on his ranch with the Dictator of Saudi Arabia (for the world to see), where every day they create hundreds of new Wahabis(extremists)in schools under government protection,teach mortal hatred for the US and Israel,enslave women, torture and conduct regular public executions. The highjackers where mostly Saudi. Either they are for us or against us!THAT is the height of corruption AND hypocrisy!THAT is the true culture of corruption of the Republican Party
Posted by: Gray at October 19, 2006 08:57 AM
So Gray is focused on the American relationship with Saudi Arabia as the "...true culture of corruption of the Republican Party..." Hmmm What do you think we should DO, Gray, vis-a-vis the Saudis?
Invade them? Blockade them? Diss them? Just what do you think would be the best approach to Saudi Arabia? After all, we don't need their oil, or any allies in the Middle East, so we are free to just dump on them. Is that right, Gray?
Oh, the terrorists ("so-CALLED terrorists") were from that country! So I guess that is proof that they represented the government, eh, Gray? But Johnny Bin Walker was shooting at Americans in Afghanistan---did he represent the United States?
An illegal Mexican alien killed a woman not far from where I am sitting right now. Did he act as an agent of the Mexican government? If I go to Cancun, am I then supporting him? How far can I go before I am part of the "culture of corruption" that is reflected in the relationship between myself and Mexico? A visit to Taco Bell? Helping a Mexican woman who is having trouble with the language? Maybe merely speaking Spanish is all it would take... Clear that up for us, Gray.
Saudi Arabia is at a crossroads. Its government is aware of the need to move into the 21st Century but is also aware of the strength and danger of the fundamentalist Islamists. So what do YOU think they should do? Kill them all? Start rounding them up and putting them in prison, or just eliminating them? Clearly you think that excluding them from this country, and refusing to treat their leaders with respect, is a good way to go. Why is that, Gray? What would that accomplish?
You just don't make sense, Gray. You sound very emotional, very passionate, and very ignorant. Unfortunately, I just described the entire fever swamp Left.
Posted by: Almiranta at October 19, 2006 12:34 PM
Mark says,
-"...one side's corrrupt lobbyist is the other side's sterling advocate for truth, justice and the American way."
What? To whom was Jack Abramoff a sterling advocate for truth, justice and the American way? Seriously, do you think Delay saw him this way?
I agree there are lobyists who fight for things that are good for America. I'm a member of the NRA for just that reason. But Abramoff is not one of the good ones.
Would you defend the causes that DeLay helped Abramoff with? Perhaps their fight against republican sponsored labor regulations for the Marianas Islands? Perhaps their fight for gambling interests? Gambling, Mark? Do you seriously think DeLay was fighting on moral virtue in these cases? No, these are BAD things he did, and he did them for money. Money for him, money for his wife, influence, power, whatever.
I'll say it again, I don't know for sure if he did anything illegal. But he and Abramoff sure did some dirty things for each other. DeLay has always insisted that he's willing to jump into the mud and fight dirty just like his enemies. And the real kicker for me is that he does these things while claiming to be a Christian. Great! That really makes us Christians a great model of Christ-like behavior to the rest of the world, doesn't it? I know you understand my frustration here, Mark.
I understand your hatred of corrupt liberal politicians. I agree with you completely. But are we justified in defending the same corruption coming from our own party, just because it's our own party? Especially when the corruption threatens as much damage as DeLay's has done?
Posted by: other_nate at October 19, 2006 02:06 PM
Posted by: DM at October 19, 2006 02:07 PM
Almiranta, What do you do with Saudi Arabia?-good question. I don't formulate action plans without all the information and since I don't know all of the covert operations in play I cannot answer that question. What you don't do is tell the world the you stand for Liberty, Justice and Freedom and will not tolerate enemies of these principles and then allow photo-ops of yourself and the leader of a country that hate liberty, exacts no justice and allows no freedom. Remember this administration also facilitated to return of Saudi nationals soon after 9/11. How did they clear those people of terrorist ties in days or weeks but we have people in Gitmo that have to wait for years to be finally freed. I say capital punishment for TERRORISTS but rights for everyone until we can be sure who they are. Bush has blood on his hands that was smeared onto it when he held hands with the Saudi King/Terrorist Idealogy protector/Dictator. What does the average oppressed Saudi think? You also conveniently skipped over the Delay aides convictions. BUsh also campaigned for an Don Sherwood (politics over prinicple)on Thursday Oct 19th. NO corruption!right
Posted by: Gray at October 20, 2006 11:17 AM
Am I not going to get any response here?
Posted by: other_nate at October 20, 2006 01:23 PM
Please report any inappropriate comments to abuse (at) blogsforbush (dot) com. Be sure to include the title of the blog entry, the name of the commenter, and the text of the offending comment.
Post a comment
will rodgers said that the last refuge of scoundrels is politics.
an interviewee on the randi rhoads show on air america laughed at randi being so enamored w dems. he continued by noting that the dems are as corrupt as the republicans "when they get the chance".
absent direct democracy, the only current feasible solution is to vote "checks & balance" so both parties rat each other out.
trust your barber, your grocer, even your mechanic before any politican.
And when will your 2nd nonfiction be out? You and Rove certainly have plenty to work with!
If only you had Hollywood connections. On the other hand, winning as a Republican political candidate should be a slam dunk in 08, especially if the Dems do win in November!
Thank God for the internet.
DemonRats, are simply-"Two-Faced Liars", willing to say and do anything to win elections. They have always lived by a 'double standard'....what is good for them, they don't always apply to the GOP. They have Always been the PARTY OF CORRUPTION....JUST LOOK AT THE CLINTON'S.
Funny this is mentioned. Just the other evening, a lefty and I were discussing this elsewhere and I invited him to my blog to discuss it furtehr, as it was highjacking someone elses thread.
Culture of Corruption?
I'm still waiting for him to pop in.
Mark,
Your criticism of corrupt democratic politicians is right on, but your defense of Tom DeLay is a strain on your credibility.
...but your defense of Tom DeLay is a strain on your credibility.
Why is that, other_gnat? When is Delay's trial? Is there even gonna be a trial, or was Ronnie Earle on a witchhunt for Dean and the DNC?
When is William Jefferson gonna be indicted? What about Harry Reid-tard?
Lew, don't hold your breath on that lefty joining you on your blog, which, btw, is pretty cool. Lefties are cowards, afraid of real confrontation. I've invited many to meet me for a face-to-face debate, but had no takers...
I think that the old Lou Christie song, "Two Faces Have I" should be the dem theme song at their 2008 convention.
Mark,
You really have your facts mixed up. Democrats weren't calling for Tom Delay to resign. If anything, they would have rather seen him stay in Congress and run for re-election. They even went to court to keep his name on the ballot.
Well, this is what happens when the media giants donate so much of their money to one party. Next time they bring up the fairness doctrine for broadcasters, I hope some bold conservative gets up and challenges them to write a bill mandating that if AOL Time Warner has to give libs as much air time as it gives cons, then it's only fair that they also give cons as much money in political donations as they give libs.
1H8L1BS says -
"When is Delay's trial? Is there even gonna be a trial, or was Ronnie Earle on a witchhunt for Dean and the DNC?"
You're kind of making my point for me there. I don't know for sure if DeLay is innocent or guilty. And neither do you, or Mark. So for anyone of us to make bold presumptions about his innocence or guilt does, necessarily, strain our credibility.
All that aside, I have my own suspicions about the shady nature of Delay's relationship with Abramoff. And apparently there's a grand jury in Texas who agrees with me.
Brian,
They went to court to keep his name on the ballot AFTER he resigned - what they wanted was the GOP stuck with his name on the ballot, thus making a fair choice of the people of his district impossible, and that leading to a Democrat in office...the hypocrisy is stunning: they illegally switched Laughtenberg for Toricelli in New Jersey, and then sued to prevent the legal changing of candidates in Texas...
other-nate,
While I don't know DeLay personally, I have come across enough evidence to convince me of his entire innocence of the charges against him. DeLay did nothing illegal - Lobbying has a dirty political connotation these days, but it must always be kept in mind that one side's corrrupt lobbyist is the other side's sterling advocate for truth, justice and the American way. We all hate lobbyists in theory, but we love our particular lobbyists...people who are members of NOW will decry the NRA lobbyists and vice versa all the while applauding their own.
DeLay broke no laws and everything he did was above board - if you don't like what he did, then it is up to you to propose reforms which will change the system...but I'd caution that we've done this a dozen times, and it never works. Better, in my view, to just chuck all the regulations other than a strict requirement for full and timely disclosure - let the people decide if a particular politician is too cosy with special interests.
Why did Delay's top aides in his PAC help the Democrats by PLEADING GUILTY! Bush strolls hand in hand on his ranch with the Dictator of Saudi Arabia (for the world to see), where every day they create hundreds of new Wahabis(extremists)in schools under government protection,teach mortal hatred for the US and Israel,enslave women, torture and conduct regular public executions. The highjackers where mostly Saudi. Either they are for us or against us!THAT is the height of corruption AND hypocrisy!THAT is the true culture of corruption of the Republican Party
So Gray is focused on the American relationship with Saudi Arabia as the "...true culture of corruption of the Republican Party..." Hmmm What do you think we should DO, Gray, vis-a-vis the Saudis?
Invade them? Blockade them? Diss them? Just what do you think would be the best approach to Saudi Arabia? After all, we don't need their oil, or any allies in the Middle East, so we are free to just dump on them. Is that right, Gray?
Oh, the terrorists ("so-CALLED terrorists") were from that country! So I guess that is proof that they represented the government, eh, Gray? But Johnny Bin Walker was shooting at Americans in Afghanistan---did he represent the United States?
An illegal Mexican alien killed a woman not far from where I am sitting right now. Did he act as an agent of the Mexican government? If I go to Cancun, am I then supporting him? How far can I go before I am part of the "culture of corruption" that is reflected in the relationship between myself and Mexico? A visit to Taco Bell? Helping a Mexican woman who is having trouble with the language? Maybe merely speaking Spanish is all it would take... Clear that up for us, Gray.
Saudi Arabia is at a crossroads. Its government is aware of the need to move into the 21st Century but is also aware of the strength and danger of the fundamentalist Islamists. So what do YOU think they should do? Kill them all? Start rounding them up and putting them in prison, or just eliminating them? Clearly you think that excluding them from this country, and refusing to treat their leaders with respect, is a good way to go. Why is that, Gray? What would that accomplish?
You just don't make sense, Gray. You sound very emotional, very passionate, and very ignorant. Unfortunately, I just described the entire fever swamp Left.
Mark says,
-"...one side's corrrupt lobbyist is the other side's sterling advocate for truth, justice and the American way."
What? To whom was Jack Abramoff a sterling advocate for truth, justice and the American way? Seriously, do you think Delay saw him this way?
I agree there are lobyists who fight for things that are good for America. I'm a member of the NRA for just that reason. But Abramoff is not one of the good ones.
Would you defend the causes that DeLay helped Abramoff with? Perhaps their fight against republican sponsored labor regulations for the Marianas Islands? Perhaps their fight for gambling interests? Gambling, Mark? Do you seriously think DeLay was fighting on moral virtue in these cases? No, these are BAD things he did, and he did them for money. Money for him, money for his wife, influence, power, whatever.
I'll say it again, I don't know for sure if he did anything illegal. But he and Abramoff sure did some dirty things for each other. DeLay has always insisted that he's willing to jump into the mud and fight dirty just like his enemies. And the real kicker for me is that he does these things while claiming to be a Christian. Great! That really makes us Christians a great model of Christ-like behavior to the rest of the world, doesn't it? I know you understand my frustration here, Mark.
I understand your hatred of corrupt liberal politicians. I agree with you completely. But are we justified in defending the same corruption coming from our own party, just because it's our own party? Especially when the corruption threatens as much damage as DeLay's has done?
On a roll girl!!
Almiranta, What do you do with Saudi Arabia?-good question. I don't formulate action plans without all the information and since I don't know all of the covert operations in play I cannot answer that question. What you don't do is tell the world the you stand for Liberty, Justice and Freedom and will not tolerate enemies of these principles and then allow photo-ops of yourself and the leader of a country that hate liberty, exacts no justice and allows no freedom. Remember this administration also facilitated to return of Saudi nationals soon after 9/11. How did they clear those people of terrorist ties in days or weeks but we have people in Gitmo that have to wait for years to be finally freed. I say capital punishment for TERRORISTS but rights for everyone until we can be sure who they are. Bush has blood on his hands that was smeared onto it when he held hands with the Saudi King/Terrorist Idealogy protector/Dictator. What does the average oppressed Saudi think? You also conveniently skipped over the Delay aides convictions. BUsh also campaigned for an Don Sherwood (politics over prinicple)on Thursday Oct 19th. NO corruption!right
Am I not going to get any response here?