Free Republic

Anti-Republican elements in the Justice Department (could those be the same ones who picked Fitzgerald as special prosecutor?) have leaked a 2003 memo “endorsed” by six lawyers and two analysts in the department’s voting section, which opines that the Texas legislature’s redistricting plan, since upheld twice by a three judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, may violate the Voting Rights Act, to the Washington Post.

There is a lot to be said about Ronnie Earle's indictment yesterday of Tom DeLay--and, by the way, a corrupt DA like Earle can procure an indictment of pretty much anyone he chooses, so I refuse to give Earle cover by attributing the indictment to the grand jury--but the most interesting question to me is, why did he do it? To help the Democratic Party, obviously; but I mean the question more specifically. Earle has been conducting this "investigation" for three years. He indicted three of DeLay's aides a year ago. If he thought he could get away with indicting...

Travis County prosecutor Ronnie Earle's announcement yesterday that he was indicting House Majority Leader Tom DeLay came a little more than two weeks after Earle gave clear indications that the top Republican was off the hook. "I have never said that DeLay is a target of the investigation," Earle told the Dallas Morning News on Sept. 10. Sources familiar with Earle's investigation had agreed that, before yesterday, it didn't look like the top Republican would be indicted. On Sept. 19, for instance, ace Newsweek sleuth Michael Isikoff reported that it looked like DeLay was in the clear: "Travis County District...

Don't waste your time sifting through all the garbage being churned out by the MSM on Tom DeLay indictment yesterday. I've already spent more than an hour doing it and I can give you the short version of the mind-numbing platitudes, clichés and generalities repeated in every piece of "news analysis": Republicans in trouble, vulnerable Bush loses key ally, perception of scandal hurts GOP, Democrats blast "culture of corruption," excitedly eye opportunities in 2006.

Tom DeLay has been indicted in Travis County, Texas, for conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws. Two DeLay political associates had previously been indicted. Under House Republican Party rules, DeLay immediately lost his position as majority leader, and the Associated Press has reported that Speaker Dennis Hastert has chosen Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier to replace him.This is very bad news for House Republicans. DeLay has been astonishingly effective in rounding up majorities for legislation supported by the Republican leadership and the Bush administration. He is well liked by many members. I don't know how this case will turn out...

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who was indicted three times by Texas state Democratic prosecutor Ronnie Earle in a move widely seen as a bid to derail her 1994 Senate campaign, warned after she was acquitted that Earle had a history of corruption. The same Travis County prosecutor indicted House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on Wednesday - and while so far Hutchison has been silent, she wasn't shy about criticizing Earle 11 years ago. "Ronnie Earle's record is spotted with controversy, allegations of misuse of power, and corruption," Sen. Hutchison told the Associated Press back then. "This should not be tolerated...