Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

In addition, DeLay fantasized about being a GOP campaign strategist, claiming he has "ideas for new techniques that will allow Republicans to 'sneak up on the Democrats, and they will never see what's coming.'" Clearly Mr. Delay's techniques have worked wonders thus far.

As though blessed by a fallen angel, Delay has led the charge to get Republicans at the top of every facet of the government. And the only cost so far has been his dignity, reputation, and soul.

Seems the Republican party has paid a price too. Though they've succeeded on some of their more ambiguous projects (faith-based 'this 'n that', and Supreme court appointments of John Roberts and Samuel Alito), they've failed on most fronts to which they've paid tribute -- Social Security (Private Accounts), National Security (Port Security, Wiretapping, CIA Leak, FEMA), Medicare (i.e. "The Whale"), the judiciary (Harriet Myers), Fiscal Responsibility (LOL), 'Bringing dignity back to the White House' (Only if you exclude Treason -- Valerie Plame outing, global respect, and sexual predation of 14-year-old girls)... and oh yeah... Iraq.

Is this what Delay intended?

Clearly stunned from his incalculably swift fall from grace, Delay, in his last act of attrition chose not to make amends or, God forbid, admit fault...

Although he has been indicted in Texas on money laundering and conspiracy charges, two of his former aides have admitted to committing crimes while on his payroll and federal authorities continue to investigate his relations with lobbyists, DeLay said he would have done nothing differently.

"I'm proud of my record... I'm proud of the last 11 years of changing this country and, indeed, changing the world. Why would I feel bad about it?"

...but rather chose to strike a final deathblow to irony, threatening "to make one of his last acts an ethics complaint against Representative Cynthia McKinney, who later apologized for striking a Capitol Police officer."

Is it dead yet?

But fear not, troubles bubbling, the king-maker mourns not. Instead, he basks in the glory that is Delay, wresting morality from deserving hands and burying it deep within his fetid bowels -- a simple task when cowering behind a façade of piety and moral self-righteousness that only a coward could believe is real.

[Delay] says he prayed repeatedly and even fasted, and made the final decision [to step down] the day after receiving a thunderous response to a speech he gave in Washington at a 'War on Christians' Conference on March 28. "The enemies of virtue may be on the march," he said, "but they have not won. And if we put our trust in Christ, they never will."

Seems the veil of religiosity can often serve as a shield against conscience if applied adroitly as Delay clearly has. Even as he stood before the camera of shame, waiting to having his mugshot taken, Delay claims to have prayed that people should 'see Christ through him'. To most self-respecting Christians, however, Delay is the last person through which they would want others to see Christ.

The Mugshot

And finally, there is the actual Delay mugshot, the final smirk of a fallen man who has already wrought his damage on our nation, humanity and the world.

When you see that image, and you consider Delay's dubious legacy and false piety, you start to wonder, "With whom -- or with what -- did Delay have to make a deal in order to obtain the fleeting power that he so selfishly abused and destroyed?"

Asked if he had done anything immoral, Delay replied, "We're all sinners."

... what he left out was that some are more egregious offenders than others.