Court Jester

This could be considered a follow-up to The Character of a Nation because it is still National Character week, a week that George Bush called upon, among others, "public officials" to observe with "appropriate activities."

With this in mind, it seems "appropriate" to note that Tom DeLay made his appearance in a Texas court to enter a plea on charges of money-laundering and conspiracy. DeLay has a slightly different take on those felony counts and claims

I have been charged for defeating Democrats. I have been charged for advancing the Republican agenda.

This, of course, explains why he then asked that the sitting judge, Bob Perkins, recuse himself from the case because Perkins is an avowed Democrat in the Democratic Travis County. And ... the judge agreed, saying the the trial should be decided by the region's Republican chief judge.

If any of this sounds absurd to you, well, that's because it is. It appears that we are now on a downward spiral into a realm of jurisprudence where the most important factor in trial proceedings is party affiliation.

But, buried in the story, a little noticed info-bit popped out. Irony stabbed me in the eye when reading that DeLay was flown to his court appearance in Texas to answer charges of "conspiring to inject illegal corporate funds into that 2002 campaign" by none other than R.J. Reynolds on that company's private jet. Reynolds claims, naturally enough, that the jet was "used in compliance with regulations," though just how much different that is from non-compliant favours Reynolds has done for DeLay is hard to gauge. Reynolds has also given DeLay's defense fund $17,000 to help him fight those partisan charges of "advancing the Republican agenda." The Republican agenda, it would seem, is on full display and Tom DeLay is the window dresser.

National Character, stand up a take a bow.