Just when America needs a real hero

Howard Kurtz covers a lot of ground on the illustrious House Majority Leader in this article, but then there is a lot of ground to be covered.

Turning on DeLay

By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff WriterTuesday, March 29, 2005; 8:37 AM

(Excerpt)

Let's be clear: The Journal's editorial page, champion of conservatives and scourge of liberals, has a biblical quality for many on the right. They look to it for guidance, if not divine inspiration.

[snip]

Which is why yesterday's editorial slapping the Texas congressman is likely to reverberate for some time to come, and perhaps embolden DeLay's critics. The Republican Party has been solidly behind DeLay (except for the likes of the former House ethics chairman who got bounced by the leadership after the panel admonished the majority leader three times last year). The Washington Post, New York Times and Los Angeles Times have written numerous pieces about ethics allegations involving DeLay, from fundraising questions (three of his associates are under indictment back home) to lobbyist-financed foreign junkets. But it hasn't been much of a television story--too complicated and all that--and conservative commentators haven't really broken ranks, until now.

Some added fuel for the cognitive process comes from thinkprogress.org in the form of :

DeLay’s Dirty Dozen

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has been a busy man these last few years. Whether bribing congressmen, threatening political opponents, vacationing with lobbyists, or gutting House ethics rules, it’s been hard to keep up with all the Hammer’s activities. Here are twelve highlights from DeLay’s illustrious career: