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December 13, 2005
Ronnie Earle Rubs It In
In Tom DeLay's political world these days, time is his enemy. Since the Sugar Land Congressman's indictment a few months ago, Mr. DeLay has been forced to at least temporarily resign his House Majority Leader post, and thus cede his real power in Washington.
In response to Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle's charges, Mr. DeLay has sought a speedy resolution to his case, which would enable him to resume his leadership post as soon as possible.
Mr. DeLay's attorneys failed to persuade Judge Pat Priest to throw out all the charges against him, though he did dismiss one conspiracy count. Judge Priest declared that Mr. DeLay's trial would begin shortly after the new year, and House Republicans seemed to indicate they would give Mr. DeLay more time to resolve his legal issues before permanently electing new leadership.
Well, Ronnie Earle just slowed things down. By appealing Judge Priest's dismissal of a conspiracy charge, Earle has now delayed Mr. DeLay's actual trial until the appeal is resolved, likely a few months. House Republicans will now have to wait that much longer to know if Mr. DeLay is free to reassume his leadership post, and have that much longer to get used to life without him at the top.
Additionally, federal investigations into Mr. DeLay's connections to fallen lobbyist Jack Abramoff continue, and likely present much greater legal jeopardy for the Congressman than Earle's state charges.
Meanwhile, the 2006 campaign cranks up. Erstwhile DeLay opponent Mike Fjetland has announced that he will again seek the Republican primary nomination in District 22. Certainly, no-one expects Fjetland, a perennial candidate, to win, but he further complicates life for Mr. DeLay.
Recent District 22 polling suggests Mr. DeLay is vulnerable to a general election challenge from former Congressman Nick Lampson.
We keep expecting Mr. DeLay to bottom out, politically, and begin to regain his footing, but the floor keeps falling. Wow, sucks for him.
Posted by houtopia at December 13, 2005 04:43 PM