Tom DeLay is done-for. Lashing out at “liberal Democrats” to the bitter end, his reign is over. And just as his bully tactics helped expand Republican control, so, too, does his demise play a role in theirs. With his tax provided life-time pension (don’t expect him to renounce that), he’ll stay busy as a talking-head in conservative media — unless they shun him for a while, in which case, he still may return like Newty Gingrich.

I’m chortling and trying not to crow too loudly. I despise DeLay. But, current scoundrels have lead many of us to say semi-seriously, “I miss Nixon,” so, one day, I may miss this vile pissant, too. It should be a good long time before that happens. mjh

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After DeLay, a New Approach? By David S. Broder

Symbolically as well as practically, the departure of Tom DeLay from Congress signals the end of an era of Republican dominance. The question now is whether the retreat that clearly has begun will turn into a rout. …

It is almost as if [Republicans] hope that by sacrificing their erstwhile commander, they can appease the public demand for change.

As much as Newt Gingrich embodied the aggressive strategy that enabled Republicans in 1994 to break the Democrats’ 40-year grip on the House, DeLay was the man who showed them how to consolidate — and use — their new power. As whip and then as majority leader, he built the GOP fundraising and policy alliance with the business lobbies and social conservative movements, then used that leverage to impose party-line discipline on almost every key vote. …

With DeLay’s departure, the Democrats lose their most convenient symbol of abuse of power by the Republican majority — but they have not lost the issue. …

The old game of muscling bills through by rounding up Republican votes through a combination of political and financial force — the game at which Tom DeLay excelled — is over.

I reached the following article through Tim McGivern’s blog. McGivern wrote: “[A]nywhere there is need for sensible, competent U.S. leadership … what we get is Dubya, Dick and Rummy, and it just ain’t even worth the sarcasm anymore.” mjh

‘Unit’s’ military expert has fighting words for Bush By David Kronke, TV Critic

Eric Haney, a retired command sergeant major of the U.S. Army, was a founding member of Delta Force, the military’s elite covert counter-terrorist unit.

Q: What’s your assessment of the war in Iraq?

A: “Utter debacle. But it had to be from the very first. The reasons were wrong. The reasons of this administration for taking this nation to war were not what they stated. (Army Gen.) Tommy Franks was brow-beaten and … pursued warfare that he knew strategically was wrong in the long term. That’s why he retired immediately afterward. His own staff could tell him what was going to happen afterward.

“We have fomented civil war in Iraq. We have probably fomented internecine war in the Muslim world between the Shias and the Sunnis, and I think Bush may well have started the third world war, all for their own personal policies. …

“For the first thing, our credibility is utterly zero. So we destroyed whatever credibility we had. … And I say “we,” because the American public went along with this. They voted for a second Bush administration out of fear, so fear is what they’re going to have from now on.

“Our military is completely consumed, so were there a real threat – thankfully, there is no real threat to the U.S. in the world, but were there one, we couldn’t confront it. Right now, that may not be a bad thing, because that keeps Bush from trying something with Iran or with Venezuela.

“The harm that has been done is irreparable. … Their lies are coming home to roost now, and it’s gonna fall apart. …

“The only reason anyone tortures is because they like to do it. It’s about vengeance, it’s about revenge, or it’s about cover-up. You don’t gain intelligence that way. Everyone in the world knows that. It’s worse than small-minded, and look what it does. …

“This administration has been masters of diverting attention away from real issues and debating the silly. Debating what constitutes torture: Mistreatment of helpless people in your power is torture, period. And (I’m saying this as) a man who has been involved in the most pointed of our activities. I know it, and all of my mates know it. You don’t do it. It’s an act of cowardice. I hear apologists for torture say, “Well, they do it to us.” Which is a ludicrous argument. … The Saddam Husseins of the world are not our teachers. Christ almighty, we wrote a Constitution saying what’s legal and what we believed in. Now we’re going to throw it away.“