Hammer Time = 7 Years To Life

Back in August, the Justice Department ended its investigation of Tom DeLay without bringing charges. No indictments on money-laundering, corruption, illegal channeling of campaign funds or any of the raft of dodgy deals he'd had had a big fat hand in. The Hammer was off the hook and able to scamper onto Dancing With The Stars as a free man. But Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, spoke for many when she expressed her frustration with the JD's decision:

“We have a rather timid Justice Department that always seems to let members of Congress go... [This] will embolden members to think that anything is permissible.”

Not so fast... although the mastermind behind the GOP takeover of Texas was cleared by the Feds, there was still a court date in Austin to come. It might be right in the belly of the beast, deep within the gerrymandered red-state DeLay himself had built... but instead of facing another panel of pointless blowhards, DeLay would finally be up in front of a jury. Did he worry? He should have:

After nearly half a decade of legal proceedings, former US House majority leader Tom DeLay was convicted today in a Texas court of money laundering and conspiracy related to a 1903 Texas law that bans corporate contributions to state political campaigns.

In other words, a Texas jury has done what the Justice Department was too p*ssy to do: it convicted DeLay. Even though Texas Republicans were the ones that benefited from DeLay's illegal activities, it is Texas that's finally put his slick ass in jail for 7 years to life.

DeLay's conviction reminds me again of MLK's words: "The arc of the Universe is long but it bends towards justice". Sure, it might seem a stretch given the slack attitude to right and wrong prevalent in DC these days. But DeLay's downfall is proof that right can and will win out - even if it takes half a decade and happens in spite of, rather than because of, the oxymoronically titled "Justice Department".

Have fun in the big house, Tom!