The Hammer Comes Down
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By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 29, 2005; 8:12 AM
washingtonpost.com
<<...Salon's Michael Scherer says DeLay "controlled the votes like a modern-day Boss Tweed. He called himself 'the Hammer.' His domain included a vast network of former aides and foot soldiers he installed in key positions at law firms and trade groups, a network that came to be called the 'K Street Project.' He gathered tithes in the form of campaign cash, hard and soft, and spread it out among the loyal. He legislated for favored donors. He punished those who disobeyed, and bought off those who could be paid...
"For a while, the whole operation seemed unstoppable. DeLay, Abramoff, Norquist, Reed and Rove vanquished their Democratic opponents, winning election after election. The loyalty that ensued allowed for a historic cohesion in Congress. Tax breaks passed like clockwork, as did subsidies for favored industries and cuts to long-standing Democratic initiatives. The Democratic Party, which had ruled Capitol Hill for half a century, imploded in confusion. But the machine may now be coming to an end."
Slate's John Dickerson says the Dems should think twice before celebrating: "Democrats would have to be nuts to root for DeLay's scalp, something many of them admit in private. He's the best villain they'll ever have. DeLay's got troubles hanging from him like charm bracelets. Not only does he have the Texas mess, but he's been knocked three times by the House ethics committee for misusing his post, and he's been closely linked to indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. At the level of personality, he positively oozes meanness, making him a perfect foil for Democrats. His poll numbers have been tanking. And now he's under indictment. DeLay makes an even more potent symbol bookended by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who is having his own ethical inquiries into his stock sales.
"The one hope for Democrats is that DeLay is unlikely go quietly into the steam room for a sulk. It's not in his nature. After his last round of troubles in the spring, he came out swinging."
Kevin Drum : "All we need now is a Plame indictment and we'd have the trifecta. . . . I've long been of the opinion that although Democrats are obviously in trouble these days, it's still the case that they're losing elections by only a few points -- and even a moderate change in the political climate could turn that around. Well, this is it. If Democrats still can't win in 2006, then we've got serious problems."...>> |
