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Printer-Friendly ModeDeLay symbolizes corruption
October 10, 2005 —
If "absolute power corrupts absolutely," then the United States should be scared. Very scared. Apparently, someone forgot to tell the leaders of the Republican Party this, as we have witnessed graft and greed on an unparalleled level in recent national history.
The House of Representatives' majority leader, Tom (the Hammer) DeLay, was forced to temporarily abdicate his post after being charged with conspiracy to commit election fraud (a week later he was also charged with money laundering). This is paralleling the investigation of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist for insider trading, selling off stock the day before its price dropped, in what was supposed to be a blind trust fund.
Does this sound like the face of morals and family values that has dominated American politics for the past decade? If you say no, you likely are not paying enough attention to the situation that is currently devolving. Republicans rose to power in 1994, claiming to reform the government, which they have done ... in the way tuberculosis reforms your lungs into coughing up blood. Republicans have managed to remove power from the corrupt, entrenched Democratic majority and reform the system to fit their own corrupt needs; needs which primarily benefit large, callous corporations and religious crazies out in rightfield so far that they cannot smell the muck of corruption that they are associating with.
In a recent Newsweek article, DeLay was criticized by several members of his own party - anonymously. The members remained anonymous for fear of retributive actions if DeLay was acquitted of his charges. Is this how a democracy works, where a leading politician cannot be criticized, lest his punishment comes down with the full brunt of his fury? Such statements would be better suited in a theocracy, which ironically is where many of DeLay's interests lie.
DeLay is a born-again Christian evangelical, which is something to this day I do not quite understand; but that's another topic. In typical fundamentalist rhetoric, DeLay extols family virtues (he is adamantly opposed to homosexuality, abortion, and other social "vices") yet he is estranged from his mother and siblings. DeLay called a special session of Congress to intervene in the Terri Schaivo controversy, yet he removed his own father from life support in the 1980s. DeLay professes his Christian faith openly, yet openly admits the hardest part of Christianity is where it says to love your enemies. DeLay is another example of why people like me are turning away from Christianity, when we see this pompous hypocrite upheld on a pedestal as the Christian.
His influence in Washington D.C. cannot be discounted - when told he could not smoke in a D.C. restaurant due to federal law, DeLay replied haughtily, "I am the federal government." However, DeLay's hubris and arrogance have paid benefits for local Republican politicians, with eight of nine Michigan Republican House members having received campaign contributions from DeLay. Congressman Dave Camp, the Midland Republican, has supported DeLay in the past, receiving $225 in campaign contributions from the Texan since 1990, an amount that would surely be higher if Camp was in a competitive district.
Some people would say there isn't anything Michigan residents can do to eliminate the stench of the corruption in Washington. After all, how could Michigan residents eradicate a government weasel from Texas? There's plenty you can do - put pressure on local and state Republicans by tying them to Tom DeLay. If the Republican base begins to turn away from the party, surely the party would be smart enough to cut its ties with the bombastic representative. I would imagine Camp's support of DeLay would dwindle if Camp sees a significant reduction in his margin of victory in 2006.
Some may see this as a partisan attack on all Republicans - it's not. For all my misgivings towards Republicans, I want the Republican Party to stamp out its corruption, and engage the Democrats one on one.
Only when this occurs can the nation have an honest debate about what direction to take. Eventually Democrats will return to power, and I'm sure in time they will grow just as shiftless as the current Republican leadership. At that time, I will gladly call for the ouster of the ruling party, even if I identify with that party. But until then, there is one thing we can do if we are a democracy: throw the crooked Republican leadership out of power. It doesn't take being a Democrat to realize that the leaders of the Republican Party are leading our nation into a downward spiral of corruption.