Likes rats on a sinking ship, Howard Fineman weighs in on Delay

[AlCzervik]

The disassembly of Tom DeLay
When a Majority Leader's state-of-the-art
money and power machine falters
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas.
By Howard Fineman
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 4:29 p.m. ET March 30, 2005
WASHINGTON - A new drama of survival has begun here – political, not physical; legal, not spiritual. The central character isn’t a woman in a hospital bed but a controversial Republican leader in the House of Representatives. Rep. Tom DeLay may not want to admit it to himself, but he’s fighting for his political life.

wouldn’t have said so two weeks ago. But I’ve seen enough of these dramas unfold to know when I’m watching a new one, and now I am. You know the story line, which dates back to the Greeks: a powerful, hubristic leader is brought low by his own flaws. Think Jim Wright, Newt Gingrich, Bill Clinton.

A key but cautious leader of the Republican leadership put it to me this way in private recently: “Members want us spend our time protecting them. They don’t like having to spend their time protecting us.” Meaning: their idea of fun and productive use of time in the capital is not “DeFending DeLay.”

By melodramatically linking his own destiny with that of Terri Schiavo, DeLay didn’t help himself. He made himself look vulnerable and scared – which is all his enemies needed to convince themselves to step up their attacks. If you want to watch a passion play, fine. But don’t cast yourself in the lead.

more at link
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7336386/

[chaumont58]

1. Clueless Fineman

from the article:

snip>

"DeLay is right to decry the hypocrisy of “K Street,” which has been run by Democratic fixers since the days of Franklin Roosevelt. The majority leader, with a determination that even Gingrich didn’t muster, has been the lead player in an effort to root out Democratic influence peddlers and replace them with Bush-era Republicans. All’s fair, right? No it’s not."
end snip>

If K Street is the home of beltway lobbiest, it is still mostly Democrats? Good lord, the Dems haven't had Congress since 1995, and haven't had the Executive Branch since 2001, but still own the lobbiest? I would bet Howard the Duck that can't possibly wiggle his ears, because he had his head up his ass.