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A top Palestinian official said Wednesday that President Mahmoud Abbas would accept no political delays on his bid for membership in the United Nations, rejecting mounting pressure from the United States and France to first return to negotiations with Israel. The Palestinians plan to submit their letter of application on Friday when Abbas is to speak to the U.N. General Assembly, but he faced a withering lack of support as the world body opened its annual meeting. President Barack Obama said there could be no "shortcuts" in the quest for Middle East peace, a message that was echoed by French...

President Barack Obama and other administration officials are considering releasing a photo of Osama bin Laden's corpse on Tuesday, according to a report. Also being considered for release are videos from "helmet cams" of the Navy SEALS elite team that carried out the operation in a town just north of Islamabad, Pakistan, ABC News reported. The troops captured the mission on tape wearing the helmet cameras. "We are looking at releasing additional information, details about the raid as well as any other types of material, possibly including photos. We want to understand exactly what the possible reaction might be to...

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said yesterday that Republicans have done so well in cutting spending that he declared an “ongoing victory,” and said there is simply no fat left to cut in the federal budget. Mr. DeLay was defending Republicans’ choice to borrow money and add to this year’s expected $331 billion deficit to pay for Hurricane Katrina relief. Some Republicans have said Congress should make cuts in other areas, but Mr. DeLay said that doesn’t seem possible... Asked if that meant the government was running at peak efficiency, Mr. DeLay said, “Yes, after 11 years of Republican majority...

Moammar Khadafy can survive and even prevail over the vastly more pow erful and technologically advanced NATO-led coalition. To do so, the Libyan dictator can not only exploit the inherent weaknesses of any coalition, but even turn NATO's technologies into a weakness. From the Navy's Top Gun to the Army's OPFOR (Opposing Force), the US military systematically trains to think like its enemies -- to anticipate how the enemy will try to overcome US advantages, pitting his strengths against our weaknesses. This classic "Red Hat versus Blue Hat" analysis begins by comparing objectives. The United States and NATO want to...

Judge bows out of DeLay associates' trialReason for removing self remains secret; trial set for April is likely to be postponed. By Laylan Copelin AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Updated: 10:26 p.m. Thursday, March 10, 2011 The judge who sentenced former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to three years in prison removed himself Thursday from the upcoming trial of two DeLay associates, John Colyandro of Austin and James Ellis of Washington. A few hours later, Senior District Judge Pat Priest denied DeLay's motion for a new trial, kicking off DeLay's appeal of his felony conviction. In those two separate actions, Priest apparently...

Back in November, we editorialized that to get a better idea of how credible is the conviction of Tom DeLay, "look to the sentencing phase." Well, the sentence has been rendered and it's easy to see that the conviction has virtually no credibility.

AUSTIN — The three-year prison sentence meted out to former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay in a political money laundering case is far harsher than sentences recommended for two other public offenders recently convicted in Central Texas. .. likelihood that DeLay's case will be overturned on appeal before he ever sees the inside of a prison cell, according to several criminal defense lawyers. DeLay's sentence may reflect more on his remorseless attitude before visiting District Judge Pat Priest than on the seriousness of the crime, .. "Maybe DeLay flunked the attitude test in front of Pat Priest," William Allison,...

With Texas judge Pat Priest imposing a sentence of three years in prison on former House majority leader Tom DeLay, it is not an exaggeration to say that this is the culmination of an undeserved, unjustified, and unconscionable act of political persecution. It is the result of an abusive prosecution that exemplifies the drive to criminalize politics and to make the ordinary processes of raising and spending funds for political campaigns a crime. The man who should be on trial in Texas is Ronnie Earle, the unethical Travis County prosecutor who went after DeLay as part of a political vendetta...

judge has ordered U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to serve three years in prison for his role in a scheme to illegally funnel corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002. The sentence comes after a jury in November convicted DeLay on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. DeLay was once one of the most powerful men in U.S. politics, ascending to the No. 2 job in the House of Representatives. The former Houston-area congressman had faced up to life in prison. His attorneys asked for probation.

AUSTIN, Texas – Prosecutors abruptly concluded presenting their case in the sentencing hearing of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, convicted last year on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

I cannot help but notice the overwhelming silence from the GOP on the matter of ex-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's prosecution and trial. Ever since he was forced to step down back in 2005, he has been in a kind of limbo or worse. Two things stand out to me: He was extremely focused and effective in his efforts -- none of which benefited him personally but which benefited his party and his state immensely. His success has earned him the abandonment of his party's members. No one says a peep about him. He may as well have dropped off...

Delay comes as a result of Obama's difficulties in pushing next year's budget through Congress due to Republican opposition. American aid to Israel for developing and buying additional Iron Dome anti-rocket batteries might be delayed for at least a few months due to President Barack Obama's difficulties in pushing next year's budget through Congress. The delay will mean a long wait before the weapons can be bought from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. In May, the House of Representatives approved Obama's decision to grant $205 million in special aid to Israel to buy the additional batteries and intercept missiles. Israel has...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is likely to delay the start of his Christmas vacation to help several of his key legislative goals pass Congress before the end of the year, the White House said on Monday. Obama is tentatively scheduled to depart on Saturday for Hawaii, where the family traditionally spends its year-end vacation. But lawmakers are still debating the extension of Bush-era tax cuts and a new nuclear weapons deal, both of which Obama is eager to see approved. "The president will be here for as long as Congress is here," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs,...

Around Washington, Rep. Tom DeLay was known as "the Hammer." It's a title he earned for his effective ness when he served in the role of majority whip. The whip is the person tasked with counting votes and building support for legislation. As whip, Mr. DeLay was uniquely effective at enacting and implementing the Contract With America and key portions of the George W. Bush agenda. He also was able to flex his political muscle within the state of Texas to leave his mark on the redistricting process. Tom DeLay was a very skilled politician. He understood the legislative and...

AUSTIN, Texas – Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay — once one of the most powerful and feared Republicans in Congress — was convicted Wednesday on charges he illegally funneled corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002.

Short clip of Delay, moments after the verdict saying 'I still maintain that I'm innocent"

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay—once one of the most powerful and feared Republicans in Congress—was convicted Wednesday on charges he illegally funneled corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002. Jurors deliberated for 19 hours before returning guilty verdicts against DeLay on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He faces up to life in prison on the money laundering charge. Prosecutors said DeLay, who once held the No. 2 job in the House of Representatives and whose heavy-handed style earned him the nickname "the Hammer," used his political action committee to...

For five years, the case against Tom DeLay for money laundering through his Texans for a Republican Majority PAC has been seemingly trapped in the Texas courts facing pre-trial appeals. On November 1, it finally made it to trial and today the verdict is in: guilty on both money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The slightly-less-than-humble DeLay lost his majority leadership in Congress after the indictment came down, but he has maintained his claims that this case was politically motivated throughout the entire process right up to defense attorney Dick DeGuerin's closing arguments. The jury clearly didn't buy...

Jurors considering the political money laundering case against former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on Tuesday delved deep into the evidence, but asked so many legal questions that the judge warned them that they were getting off track... DeLay had with him a copy of Empire of the Summer Moon, a recent nonfiction book about the Comanche people and their famed chief, Quanah Parker, and a TouchPoint Bible that allows readers to find Scripture relevant to their lives. "No demons, nor angels nor DAs can keep you separated from the love of Jesus Christ," DeLay said, playing off of...

Five years after former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay demanded a speedy trial on political money laundering charges, a Travis County jury is now determining his fate. The six-man, six-woman panel showed up at court Monday with a majority of the members dressed in black. They elected one of the women as foreman. And when they returned three times to the courtroom to ask the judge questions during their four hours of deliberation, they all looked away from DeLay. The jurors also were asking visiting Judge Pat Priest questions that indicated they were buying into DeLay's defense that no...