Posted on 09/23/2013 4:47:09 AM PDT by iowamark
Sliding under the radar on Thursday was the announcement that former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay had been exonerated of all charges stemming from the politically motivated prosecution orchestrated by Democrat shill and former Travis County (TX) district attorney Ronnie Earle.
Thats right. Exonerated. The Texas Court of Appeals ruled that not only was the evidence presented not sufficient to sustain a conviction but that no law had even been broken. So after nearly a decade since the original indictment, Tom DeLay is a free man though he is deeply in debt from the protracted litigation and his political career lies in ruins.
Ronnie Earle is no stranger to weaponizing the law in the service of the Democrat . A quick look at his career shows that he made a habit of targeting Republican politicians for indictments on the most bizarre of pretexts. And unfortunately Ronnie Earle, a tiny man devoid of honor and integrity, will continue to walk free despite the lives he has ruined out of spite and political ambition.
Ronnie Earle, though, represents a substantial and profoundly dangerous train of thought within the Democrat party which seeks to criminalize political differences. Historically, one of the traditions that has separated the United States and nations like Great Britain from the third world is that politics is not a bloodsport. Unlike Egypt and Pakistan we dont imprison and execute former leaders because when you know you are going to be hanged if you lose and election you tend to have the army vote for you.
This started in a big way under Ronald Reagan when the Democrat Congress, frustrated by Reagans insistence on fighting communism in Central America (communist aggression that was fully supported by our current Secretary of State), decided to prosecute Reagan staffers for pursuing the policy.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was harassed for years on bogus ethics charges in retaliation for him having wrested what had been a Democrat fiefdom from the Democrats.
Fast forward to the Bush (43) administration and we have the spectacle of Scooter Libby being prosecuted for something no one exactly sure what. We have Justice department staffers put in judicial jeopardy for replacing political appointees these being people who are appointed by the President and whom can be removed at his pleasure who were compliant with the demands of various Democrat politicos with others not so compliant.
The conviction of Tom DeLay, though, represented a nadir even by the standards of Democrats. DeLays PAC followed campaign finance law, obtained advisory opinions, and did what virtually every other PAC did but somehow the morally obtuse Ronnie Earle decided that handing the Democrats ass to them in the House was a crime that merited a prison sentence.
One is torn on how to proceed on this. On the one hand it is obvious that if such behavior degenerates into a tit-for-tat then the political fabric of the nation may be irreparably damaged. On the other hand, if you dont extract some retaliation then the Democrats, being bullies to the depths of what passes for their soul, will be emboldened to even greater excesses.
I remember when this happened.
I was Very upset at the time, as there was no “Crime” and it was an obvious frame-up.
I also remember that, before this happened, Tom DeLay was a very effective voice for our side.
what I don’t understand is WHY nothing can ever be done to stop this? Corruption, abuse of power and nothing can be done? Seriously? No laws can be changed to fix this?
Bump
Sadly, at the time of Tom DeLay's "conviction", we all knew that there was no "there" there. We knew that DeLay had done nothing wrong and that Ronnie Earle was simply a small man trying to make a name for himself. Well, he got one . . . . . "assh*le". He was a tool and a shill for the Dems who, in a jaw-dropping decision from a kangaroo court, brought down one of the brightest Republican stars in the House. For his efforts, Earle lost his job.
Fast forward to today. The inability to stop or even bring the Dems under control has led to a "judicial" system in America that is a caricature of itself. From the lowest courts in the land all the way up to the SCOTUS, justice is no longer meted out on the basis of guilt or innocence, but on the politics of the day.
We have truly allowed our country to become a third world craphole by not stopping this stuff when we could. And, the price we are paying is a dear one.
The socialists have been waging bloody, hot and lethal war for decades, and not once have they been met with the fire they should be met with.
There WILL be a backlash. It may take cities going up in mushroom clouds.
If this is used to drastically curtail the power of prosecutors since that power is abused ona daily basis, and start holding those people financially and criminally accountable to the people they wrongfully or maliciously prosecute, them I’m all for it. But if this is just going be a pitty party for some politician, I have more important things to worry about, like how many jalapeños I should put in the salsa tonight.
Earl should be put in jail and the state should restore Delay’s finances. There should also be a very public attempt to restore his reputation as well. That’s the only way you will stop thugs in power from destroying people for the fun of it.
... Tom DeLay is a free man though he is deeply in debt from the protracted litigation and his political career lies in ruins.
The words "political career" don't even belong in the same sentence. We may have liked his politics, but this guy was in public office for 27 freaking years (21+ in Congress) before he resigned in 2006.
You sleep with dogs, you're likely to end up with fleas. Cry me a river, Tom.
The insane Leftist press is already writing articles excoriating Republican congressmen who dare to vote against Obama in the budget battles. They wail that “elections have consequences” and no one should oppose The Won....which they certainly did not practice when Pres. Bush wone.
Just to “get even” and teach these dem. bastards a lesson, Delay should run for congress again, get elected, and make the dems. lives miserable as much as he possibly can.
I agree and everyone knows Ronny Earle is a POS and it wasn’t legal for him to charge DeLay.
Yet, nobody can give him those ten years back. (sigh)
I'm not seeing a whole lot to like. Under his "leadership" we got the largest expansion of medicare since LBJ, no child left behind and the patriot act. Like I said before, if he's useful in scaling back leviathan, great. Otherwise he could drop off the face of the earth tomorrow and the world we be just that much lighter without him.
Now, we need a “Night of the long Knives” to go after each and every one of his persecutors—AS WELL AS those who did not defend him.
It’s time for “Loser pays” in all cases.
Rule of law? What rule of law? That was back in the days of our constitutional republic.
Add Ted Stevens to the list too.
Yes there was a crime. Those men who worked for DeLay plead guilty to the crime. DeLay's defense was the had nothing to do with, didn't know what his employees were doing.
Also be aware that Newt led the charge against House Speaker Jim Wright over his "book deal". Then the dems went after Newt over his book deal.
As for Scooter Libby, evidently George Bush thought Libby was guilty because he refused to pardon Libby.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.