Thoughts on the DeLay Scandal

I haven't really followed the DeLay scandal. Not because I believe it's all a smear job - I couldn't possibly know that without actually following the story. And not because I think it's okay for him to violate ethics rules - it's not, and I won't defend Republican leadership from legitimate criticism. Rather, I've assumed that if there's anything to the story, those with a visceral hatred for the man (Kos, Atrios, Josh Marshall et al) will bring him down without my help, and the ins and outs of Congressional rules on which form you need to fill out before flying to Scotland ... well, I just don't care.

That said, I'd like to make two points. The first is a response to something I heard Rush Limbaugh say yesterday. It seems that Nancy Pelosi has a little egg on her face because in spite of her criticizing DeLay, her own travels have now raised some eyebrows, and it would certainly be the height of irony if she's throwing stones in her glass house. According to Rush, a Republican congressman (don't remember which one) called Pelosi a hypocrite for insisting on an investigation into DeLay's actions without insisting on an investigation into prominent Democrats (see here for more, including: "Although House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is by far the most high-profile lawmaker caught up in the scandal so far, to this point, more Democrats than Republicans have found themselves the subject of news reports outlining potential violations of House ethics rules for taking trips funded by registered lobbyists or lobbying firms.")

Rush criticized the Congressman by saying, and I paraphrase, "he shouldn't wait for Pelosi to call for an investigation, he should do it himself."

I think Rush misses the point. It is true that House Republicans can call for investigations into Democrat violations, and it may be true that more Dems than Repubs will go down. But isn't it far sweeter to get to stand on the House floor and call Nancy Pelosi a hypocrite? Especially if you can do both?

My next point is that I wouldn't mind seeing some people go down for this. The partisan in me wants DeLay to keep his job, simply because any charges that stick to DeLay will hurt the party as a whole, and although I have little love for the party as such, I'd rather have it in power than see the Dems take back the reigns. But other than that one point, I have no real reason to support Delay. If he didn't know what his staffers were doing to finance his trips, that's a problem. If he's breaking rules just to enjoy even more perks, that's a problem. And I have no love for the guy, personally (he's not my congressman), and I'd just as soon see politicians - any politicians - get the axe when they get caught stealing more than usual.

But I will continue to leave the actual discovery of incriminating evidence to those who care more about DeLay than I do.