Lobbymoneyhead

Perhaps politics was the only way Tom DeLay avoided becoming a crackhead. Though, considering the damage DeLay has done, not only to the political environment of the country, but the legislative one as well, as a crackhead, DeLay would probably have inflicted far less damage to the country than he has as a lobbymoneyhead.

Of course, it can easily be argued that there really is no difference between the political and legislative realms anymore and that this condition is due, in large part, to the corrosive existence of the now indicted Mr. DeLay. DeLay and his equally notorious lobby partner, the also the admittedly guilty Jack Abramoff, have together been like caustic lime to the pipes of American government for the last ten years.

And so it is not without chagrin that we see DeLay demonstrating his fealty, once again, to what he considers his true source of political power: his lobbyist friends. On the evening of his Texas primary, rather than spend that time in his constituency, DeLay will instead remain in Washington, hobb-knobbing with his lobby chums:

Rep. Tom DeLay, whose association with lobbyist Jack Abramoff has left him politically vulnerable, is spending Texas' primary night Tuesday at a fundraiser hosted by two Washington lobbyists.

His lobbyist friends offering an excuse for this as only well-connected 'tonians can:

[lobbyist Bill] Paxon said if DeLay were to go to Texas for the primary, he would be criticized for leaving Washington while Congress was in session.

Ahh, Bill, that does sound good.

But, really, do you know when DeLay was criticised for leaving Washington while Congress was in session? When he was freaking indicted for corporate money laundering and was flown to Texas for his arraignment by the good graces of RJ Reynolds, who provided DeLay with their private jet just for the special occasion. You know, the indictment of a Congressional House Majority leader doesn't happen every day.

So, rather than spend the primary with volunteers, campaign workers and, god forbid, voters, DeLay is choosing to hang out with his made guys. And maybe they'll smoke a little lobby while their at it.