Making Hay with DeLay

dontblamemeivoted4kerry.com

Politics: "The conduct of public affairs for private advantage." Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

Attacking Tom DeLay has become an online cottage industry, and I'm loving every minute of it.

As news about the ethically-challenged House Majority Leader escalates, liberal dot-orgs are grinding out websites like sausages. And I use that metaphor deliberately. Consider the offensive, abhorrent and just plain icky stuff those things are made of -- kinda brings to mind Tom DeLay, doesn't it.

Bloggers have been bashing DeLay for a long time, but now that the Big Boys have ramped up the volume, it's really a fair fight. Where better to spend Liberal partisan contributions than in an effort to get this Conservative loser fired. The sites are slick and professionally designed, so they're not operating on our measly donations alone. You gotta believe big bucks went into these enterprises.

The top sites on any list would have to be the American Progress Action Fund's DeLay’s Dirty (Baker’s) Dozen at thinkprogress.org; the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Tom Delay's House of Scandal; and the Democratic National Committee's Tom DeLay Case File, aka Scandal Man.

The Campaign Money Watch is Taking On Tom DeLay on its site through their stated mission of Holding Politicians Accountable. As is CREW: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. A laudable cause if ever there was one.

The Public Campaign Action Fund offers All DeLay All the Time. And as usual, MoveOn Pac doesn't mince words: Fire Tom DeLay.

Then there's my personal favorite, wikiquote.org, which provides a handy list of classic DeLay quotes, dating back to 1991. If only we'd seen the handwriting on the House bathroom wall a few years ago, "The judges need to be intimidated. They need to uphold the Constitution. (If they don't behave) we're going to go after them in a big way." Washington Post [9/14/97]

And well, the mind boggles at this vintage DeLay quote: "Emotional appeals about working families trying to get by on $4.25 an hour are hard to resist. Fortunately, such families do not exist." Congressional Record, H3706 [1996 April 23] Oookay. Ever visit a trailer park or housing project or retirement home, Tom? Of course the millions of Americans subsisting below poverty levels are just a figment of some pantywaist liberal's imagination.

I'm sure those trying to eek out enough money each week to feed their kids would be thrilled to know DeLay himself has not one, not two, not three, but FOUR official websites, all on the taxpayer's dime. One has a repugnant teaser claiming "Victory In Iraq" which points to the ultraconservative WWW.FREEDOM.GOV (You just knew these whackos would trumpet their website in all caps, didn't you.) Go there at your own risk -- the blatant abuse of patriotism can cause noxious side effects.

And finally, you have to hand it to the guys at (read it carefully) dontblamemeivoted4kerry.com. They're cashing in on the American Dream with a site full of ani-DeLay merchandise Progressive Anti-Right Wing Products. I'm particularly fond of the Government For Sale T-shirts featuring DeLay.

Whether that's true or not, it's increasingly clear nobody's buying Tom DeLay as a viable leader any more.