September 30, 2005
The indictment of House Majority Leader Tom Delay on conspiracy charges to violate Texas campaign contribution laws is, depending on your politics, a victory against arrogance and abuse of power, or the latest attempt by prosecutor Ronnie Earle to play politics with the law.
Earle has a history of going after conservatives - some democrat, some republican.
He recently bragged at a democratic fundraiser that he was going to get Delay.
Delay denies any wrongdoing and predicts vindication.
There is speculation that Earle has more than he is revealing right now...possibly one of Delay's associates who may turn on him; possibly evidence of money laundering.
But so far that is just speculation.
Delay has been a very effective republican leader and that is mainly why democrats hate him.
He has helped turn Texas into a republican state.
Previously, republicans were an endangered species in that state.
I have no idea about the guilt or innocence of Delay, but I do know this smells of politics.
Term limits would help, but the people who would vote on term limits are the very people who benefit from the current system.
I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.
