Since his forced retreat from power in a corruption scandal, Tom DeLay, the former House Republican majority leader, must have been watching re-runs of “Cool Hand Luke.” That film’s cynical rationalization of life’s conflicts as merely a “failure to communicate” is Mr. DeLay’s approach to explaining the Republicans’ loss of Congress last year.
No, no, he insists in a new memoir, it wasn’t voters revolting against the quid pro quo corruption that Mr. DeLay turned into a dark art. Rather, Republicans “did not communicate their message” and overcome “short-term, media-fed issues.”
Despite Mr. DeLay’s retreat from public office after his indictment for political money laundering, the memoir is, of course, entitled “No Retreat, No Surrender.” Mr. DeLay excoriates former colleagues from Newt Gingrich to the leader of the moribund House ethics committee that finally found the temerity to admonish him. He is furious that Republicans didn’t back his attempt to stay in power after his indictment.
No, no, he insists in a new memoir, it wasn’t voters revolting against the quid pro quo corruption that Mr. DeLay turned into a dark art. Rather, Republicans “did not communicate their message” and overcome “short-term, media-fed issues.”The NYT explanation isn't any better than DeLay's. We lost because we spent money like drunken sailors, are allowing an invasion from the south, and pay little more than lip service (if that) to conservative ideology.
It wasn't corruption in the terms the NYT wants us to think, and it wasn't a failure to "communicate their message." The message got communicated; it just wasn't the one that the Republicans tried to lie us into believing.
Occasionally, truth peeks through. At one point, Mr. DeLay does allow that voters faced “a general perception of Republican incompetence and lack of principles.” Well, at least that got communicated, Mr. Former Leader.Whoa! Getting spiteful.
I do agree that the constant drumbeat by the DBM and Democrats about DeLay and Foley did cement in the minds of many voters that Republicans were unprincipled.
Of course, there were the scandals of "Freezer Stash" William Jefferson (D-LA) and Sandy Burgler, but they were barely talked about.
