The Hammer Goes Down

As you've undoubtedly heard, Tom DeLay has told friends and political associates that he's resigning from Congress and will abandon his run for re-election in November. The story his people are putting out is that he made the decision because his race against former congressman Nick Lampson would be tough (one report I heard said unwinnable). That is, of course, balderdash (to use a word acceptable in this family-friendly blog). Prosecutors have been working their way up the food chain toward DeLay: First his former press secretary, Michael Scanlon, then last week, Tony Rudy, former deputy chief-of-staff. They're getting close to the man himself, and that's why he's bugging out. You heard it here first: in a month, maybe two, DeLay will be indicted by the Justice Department.

I don't know Texas law, but I'll bet that by timing is resignation in late May or June, DeLay will avoid having a special election (which Lampson would be likely to win, given that the Hammer nailed three opponents with 62 percent of the vote in a primary last month) and go right to November. Presumably, by then Republicans hope to have a candidate strong enough to hold on to the seat.

There have now been two Republicans forced to leave office by scandal (DeLay and "Duke" Cunningham), and one more, Bob Ney, is on the way out (he's implicated by Rudy, among others) as the Ohio Republican Party implodes. Rep. Jim Ryun, of Kansas, is faced with questions about the sweetheart deal that got him a DC townhouse from a foundation controlled by former DeLay major domo Ed Buckham (who turns out to have been profiting mightily from the ostensibly non-profit organization). How many more are going to fall? (Don't forget Sen. Conrad Burns, rumored to be under criminal investigation for his ties to Jack Abramoff.) The Democrats' chances of taking back the House--a longer shot than the Senate--are looking up. Those chances will improve still if you'd give some money to Democrats in key races, or even to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee or Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.