Tom Delay and the Michael Jackson defense

[Fight_n_back]

We've all seen the same video. A pale faced defendent with particularly bad hair starts whining about how the "DA has it in for me. Its a conspiracy. The indictment is thin. They have been out to get me for years." This time, though, the defendent was not former pop star Michael Jackson but former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. I was half expecting DeLay to claim that he "is in bed with lobbyists because he loves them, not because he wants to take advantage of them."

During his trial will he use celebrity witnesses? Perhaps Jay Leno will make an appearance glowing about DeLay's character. Will he trot out hundreds of people he DIDN'T launder money for in order to "prove" his innocence?

Perhaps he will try other Jackson tactics like feign illness and/or show up to court in his pajamas. He will most certainly use the Jackson tactic of lining up next to as many ministers as possible.

This is eerily similiar to the Jackson case in more than just the defense strategy, both defendents have been accussed of similiar things before so the real question isn't one of guilt in general but whether these specific charges have enough weight to put the craven miscreant behind bars.


There are ironies in both cases as well. Jackson purports himself to be a friend of children while he is actually nothing of the kind. Similiarly, DeLay claims a law and order lifestyle and impeached President William Clinton for something far less significant than money laundering and buying votes.

There will be huge pro Delay crowds in Texas just as there were huge pro Jacko crowds in CA. Will there be Tom DeLay impersonaters? Will there be toy hammers sold at inflated prices as momentos?

Some will say that King of Pop's crimes are more horrific than the King of Slop but Im not so sure. Jackson has assaulted a very few young boys whose lives have been altered. Tom DeLay attacks the very foundation of our society. He is an enemy of Americanism itself, the proposition that no one is above the law, that the common good outweighs the appetites of the few.


and besides, they are both so damn creepy looking...

[samdogmom]

1. But Michael got off! Is this what you expect for Delay? Yikes!

[PATRICK]

2. Not just ironic

Add high price lawyers to high profile crime and you get this line of defense for someone patently guilty and in need of public defiance as much as a way to wriggle off the hook. Of course, one COULD be innocent and persecuted by the "law". Lord knows with enough Bush judges the shoe will be on the other foot. But the defense of the innocent looks substantially different just as the cases you compare look substantially similar. This is not just tongue in cheek then but sort of a damning analytical and justified observation.

[Fight_n_back]

4. Well said

nt

[afdip]

3. i'm about ready to watch him

moonwalk into the courtroom as he waves to his cheering fans, all bought, paid for and choreographed by jack abramoff.

[newyawker99]

5. Hi afdip!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: