The tenure of U.S. Representative Tom DeLay, R-Texas, as a public official has come to an end. The embattled former House Majority Leader who became embroiled in a corruption scandal announced yesterday that he will resign from Congress and give up his bid for reelection.
Although DeLay has not been directly linked to any wrongdoing in the Jack Abramoff case, the high-powered lobbyist recently sentenced to prison, two of DeLay's former staffers have been. That, in addition to criminal charges filed against him in Texas, has created a climate where DeLay can no longer perform effectively in his post. DeLay's departure is a welcome turn of events for his own party, Congress and the public at large.
According to an article on CNN.com, DeLay has said that his decision is an attempt at safeguarding his seat for a potential Republican replacement.
I refuse to allow liberal Democrats an opportunity to steal this seat with a negative campaign
DeLay said in the April 4 article.
Sadly, DeLay's statement is a misguided attempt to direct attention away from the real issue ' the culture of corruption in Congress ' and instead is using the situation as another chance to rag on the Democratic Party. Although some might see DeLay's self sacrifice as noble, in truth it is merely a last ditch-attempt to preserve the GOP's image. Clearly, the likelihood of a Democrat winning the seat in the heavily Republican state of Texas is remote, but if that were to occur it wouldn't amount to theft. For all intents and purposes, DeLay opened the door to a serious Democratic challenger the moment the pending criminal charges were filed against him, not to mention his list of numerous other alleged ethical violations during his tenure as a congressman.
So whether the Democratic Party can win his House seat really is inconsequential in the larger context. The important thing is that DeLay, and all the baggage that he comes with, is gone. And in his wake lays the remnants of the 1994 GOP Contract with America which promised an end to big, incompetent government but instead has only amplified those criticisms.
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Parting shots don't address real issue
