What Is The Payment That Fits This Crime?
I think the issue that needs to be looked into when this whole DeLay mess shakes out is the fact that illegal campaign activities were undertaken in order to win the majority in a state legislature so that Congressional districts could be gerrymandered. Now that might sound like a just good old political gamesmanship but think about it. If these lines are not redrawn in Texas the Republicans would have gained no seats in the House in 2004. Texas went from 17(D) 15(R) to 21(R) 11(D). In the 108th Congress it was 229(R) 205(D). Now in the 109th it's 232(R) and 202 (D). If you take away the 6 gerrymandered seats it would be 226(R) and 208(D) actually a 1 seat pick-up for the Democrats.

Now if these seats were redrawn because of gains made in the state legislature and as a direct effect of Tom DeLay's illegal campaign activity doesn't that seem like cause to nullify that map? Think about it this way. What is stopping a powerful politician in the future from sacrificing their seat for the good of their party? So a member of congress, for example Tom DeLay, uses illegal means to keep his party in power. And what will his and his party's punishment be? His party will not have to give back what has been obtained illegally, state legislative and US congressional seats. And the member of congress? Banished to a life of high paying lobbying. What a punishment!

DeLay's Latest Scandals
Political Groups Paid Two Relatives of House Leader

The wife and daughter of Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, have been paid more than $500,000 since 2001 by Mr. DeLay's political action and campaign committees, according to a detailed review of disclosure statements filed with the Federal Election Commission and separate fund-raising records in Mr. DeLay's home state, Texas.

A 3rd DeLay Trip Under Scrutiny

A six-day trip to Moscow in 1997 by then-House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) was underwritten by business interests lobbying in support of the Russian government, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the trip arrangements.

- posted by Mom/Dad @ 11:31 AM