Tom Delay's Future ; a New Movement for the Republican Party?

Summary

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It was surprising that Tom DeLay got to write his own narrative for his exit from Congress. One might have expected a greater degree of media and partisan skepticism directed at his self-portrait of his exit as a man seizing a political opportunity to extract maximum benefit for his party. At least, if my former deputy chief of staff had copped a plea to corruption charges the very same week, with more to come, I would expect skepticism.

But no, the story was that Mr. DeLay, having defeated a primary challenge, chose the moment to step down in order to clear the way for another Republican to take his place on the ballot in the general election, thus potentially saving a seat for the GOP in the year that poses the greatest challenge to its majority of its 11- year run so far. Admittedly, that sounds a lot better than: He's trying to outrun the long arm of the law.

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Extract

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Tom Delay's Future ; a New Movement for the Republican Party?

I think Mr. DeLay got away with his story line because of the sense in Washington that he's finished. The dictates of political realism tell us that you don't waste your energy on the dead. Democrats ma...

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