It is a duck

The secret word is “laundering”

Lots of whoopin’ and hollerin’ in Texas yesterday as a judge dismissed one of the three charges against Tom DeLay. The one dismissed was for conspiracy to violate election rules. Two charges related to money laundering were left standing.

Here’s what happened, in case you haven’t been paying attention. DeLay collected $190,000 in corporate contributions, which are illegal in Texas state campaigns. He had the money donated to Republican political action committees. Then these same Republican PACs coincidentally donated $190,000 to the campaigns of seven Republican Texas state house candidates.

As they say, if it walks like a money laundering duck, and quacks like a money laundering duck, it is a money laundering duck. The conspiracy charge was not dropped because there was no conspiracy. It was dropped because the conspiracy clause in the Texas law wasn’t in effect when DeLay pulled his stunt. Yes, even in Texas they have heard of ex post facto laws.

So, DeLay will be going to trial on this in January…and who knows for what else when investigators get to the bottom of the Jack Abramoff matter. Can we start calling DeLay a lame duck anytime soon?

Legalities aside, you just have to keep in mind what DeLay was up to with the illegal contributions to the Texas Legislature candidates. He wanted to redraw the Texas Congressional districs to ensure more Republicans in the House of Representatives. He succeeded. He was absolutely blatant and unapologetic about it. He even called his own PAC Texans for a Republican Majority, not even Texans for Good Government, or anything remotely indicative of a sense of doing what’s right instead of what’s right wing.

You can see DeLay’s map of Texas here. Take a good look at the shape of districts 15 and 19 if you want a graphic representation of what lengths he’d go to to gerrymander his majority into permanent status.

So, what’s the hierarchy’s take on this? Cheney was in Texas on Monday for a fund raising appearance with DeLay. Bush will be here on Friday to raise money for Mark Kennedy.

I don’t know about you guys, but more Republican money in Minnesota scares me. We could be just a couple of well placed contributions away from a solid Republican congressional delegation here, too. And some pretty funny looking maps.

Technorati Tags: ethics, Tom Delay, Mark Kennedy