A closer look at Tom DeLay’s email:

0: References to DeLay ally and corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff

25: Number of times the email portrays DeLay opponents as “partisan” or politically-motivated

0: References to high-profile criticisms from the Wall Street Journal, David Brooks, Newt Gingrich, Bob Dole, Reps. Christopher Shays and Tom Tancredo, and at least ten conservative ex-congressmen

4: Number of times the email claims that the media is treating him unfairly.

4: Number of times the same email quotes major media sources to purportedly bolster DeLay’s case.

4: References to Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle as “partisan”

12: Number of Democrats prosecuted by Earle during his 27 year career

3: Number of Republicans prosecuted by Earle

6: References to the fact that former Rep. Chris Bell (D-TX) was found to have violated procedural rules when he included inflammatory language in his formal complaint against DeLay

0: References to the fact that the Ethics Committee accepted Bell’s complaint because “it also contained allegations that warranted Committee consideration.”

2538: Total number of words

1273: Words devoted to complaining about other people’s conduct

There were a lot of names thrown around in Tom DeLay’s e-mail to supporters yesterday: Texas D.A. Ronnie Early, Common Cause’s Mary Boyle, Public Citizen’s Craig Holman, former President Ronald Reagan, Congressman Rahm Emanuel, Congressman Chris Bell, Congressman Nick Smith.

But amazingly, DeLay left out the name of “one of his closest and dearest friends,” Jack Abramoff. That DeLay fails to even mention Abramoff – who stands at the nexus of many of the most serious allegations surrounding the majority leader – is consistent with his refusal to clearly address the charges against him. Abramoff has more than a bit part in the drama, after all. To review:

1997 – Abramoff arranges junket to Saipan, gets DeLay to stand up against sweat shop reform: Abramoff, a lobbyist and former DeLay aide, arranges a lavish overseas trip to the American territory of Saipan for DeLay, his wife, his daughter and several aides. He writes in a memo obtained by ABC News that such trips are “one of the most effective ways to build permanent friends on the Hill.” The Saipan junket is part of Abramoff’s effort “to stop legislation aimed at cracking down on sweatshops and sex shops” on the island. A prominent factory owner on the island says DeLay “promised to stop the reform laws.”

2000 – Abramoff helps finance European vacation, gets DeLay to kill anti-Internet-gambling provision: Abramoff serves as go-between for a deal where eLottery, an online gaming company, helps finance a European vacation for DeLay. Two months later, DeLay helps kill the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, which “would have made it a federal crime to place certain bets over the Internet and was opposed by eLottery and the Choctaws.” Read more

Two weeks ago Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) stated that he thinks House Majority leader Tom DeLay “has to come forward and lay out what he did and why he did it and let the people then judge for themselves.” Well, DeLay came forward somewhat by sending an e-mail to his supporters. However, instead of focusing on explaining “what he did and why he did it,” DeLay spent more time on:

What Others are doing:
Democrats and their Outside Front Groups are Colluding to Target DeLay
Texas Indictments: A Political D.A.’s Attempt to Criminalize Politics
The Texas Civil Trials are “Sour Grape” Attempts by Failed Candidates to Get Rich Quick and Use the Legal System to Undue the Will of the People.
The Texas Matters Are About Politics, Not DeLay

What he couldn’t possibly be expected to do:
No Member Should be Responsible for Deceptive Behavior by Outside Organizations

What he was gracious enough to do:
Changes to the Conference Rule Were Not Driven by Tom DeLay, but Tom DeLay did Personally Make the Request to Reinstate the Old Rule

What the Ethics Committee didn’t think he did:
Tom DeLay Has Never Been Found in Violation of Any Law by Anyone

And, of course,

What someone else did:
The Only Person Found by the Committee to Have Violated the Rules was Chris Bell

Over the weekend, the Washington Post reported that the Heritage Foundation dramatically changed its assessment of Malaysia after a consulting firm founded by Heritage President Ed Feulner signed a lucrative contract to represent Malaysian business interests.

As it turns out, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. In 2001, John Judis of the New Republic chronicled a strikingly similar story about Heritage’s approach to China.

In the 1980s Heritage wrote position papers on China like this:

[S]hould a free nation under any but the most compelling circumstances establish a policy of seeking close relations with a regime whose policies are anathema to free men?… [E]ven in the cynical world of realpolitik, does not the abandonment of an old friend and ally … constitute the crossing of a fundamental moral line which would be morally reprehensible for the greatest free nation in the world?

Then in the early 1990s many Heritage donors began to invest in China:

To overcome its isolation after the Tiananmen Square massacre of June 1989, China opened its doors, first to Taiwanese and other Asian businesses and shortly thereafter to American ones as well. Soon many Heritage corporate donors had a stake in the Chinese market-and no longer wanted the foundation to antagonize the Chinese government.

By 1996, Ed Feulner was writing editorials blasting those who opposed Most Favored Nation trading status for China:

In Washington, pressure will be applied to “teach the Chinese communist leaders a lesson” by with-drawing Most-Favored-Nation trade status when it comes up for its annual renewal in June. This would be a mistake and counterproductive. The only beneficiaries would be trade officials at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) in Tokyo and at the European Union headquarters in Brussels. They would quickly pick up the orders and the long-term business relationships that U.S. companies would be forced to relinquish.

There’s lot’s more in Judis’s full article. Check it out.

Note to Tom DeLay: If it takes 2540 words to explain why you didn’t do anything wrong, you’ve probably done something wrong.

UPDATE: Full rebuttal in today’s Progress Report.

Dear Friends and Supporters -

I want to thank all of you for your continued assistance and words of encouragement – your thoughts, prayers, and advice have been of great value to me as we continue to work on furthering the ideals of lowering taxes for all Americans, strengthening our homeland security, winning the war on terror, and moving our country’s economy forward.

It should come as no surprise that following the 2004 election-year attacks on the President that the Democrats, their syndicate of third party organizations (Common Cause, Public Citizen, Move-On, etc.) and the legion of Democrat-friendly press would turn their attention to trying to retake Congress. It is abundantly clear that their fundamental strategy revolves around attacking me and working to tear down Republican leadership.

Many of you have requested a “fact versus fiction briefing document” that can be shared via e-mail or in clubs, organizations, or groups you are affiliated with. It would be quite easy to write an entire book about how Democrats, and many in the press, have chosen to selectively report and strategically ignore many FACTS about me and my work as Congressman for the 22nd District.

Rather than run the laundry list of unfounded attacks, I thought it would be helpful to briefly outline some recent issues and provide you with information that tells the real story. I think when you see the consistent pattern of information that has been largely ignored or unreported it will help you dispel any other unsubstantiated allegations.

I am grateful to you and voters of the 22nd Congressional District for allowing me an opportunity to continue to serve you in Congress. The success we have had in electing other Republicans and passing legislation that is anathema to the 40 years Democrats controlled Congress is the main reason why these attacks are occurring.

As always, I thank you for your support, welcome your advice, and look forward to seeing you soon. Take care and God Bless.

Sincerely

Tom DeLay Read more