Tom, The Dancing Bug-Man

The following is a guest post. It was sent in as a comment, but I thought it would work better as a post. The author calls herself Pat the TX DAMNocrat.

Of course you've all heard by now that ABC's Dancing with the Stars has invited Tom Delay to be on the show. They have even authorized the "Texas Two-Step" as one of the dance routines for the ex House Majority Leader who was also known as "The Hammer".

It's so odd to see Tom DeLay back in the spotlight. The charges that are still pending against him have not exactly brought him into the limelight lately. Maybe he thinks that by keeping a low profile, the charges will just go away. Since it IS Texas, they may just disappear.

Perhaps by the time he appears on Dancing with the Stars he will be doing the Texas Two-Step in leg irons. An ABC News Video http://abcnews.go.com/... asked him about his costume. They wanted to know if he would be wearing sequins or possibly something that was PINK. Now, if he were to be imprisoned in Arizona, his prison garb would be pink. Yes, we can see him wearing pink, but some Texans would rather see him in gray and white stripes.

http://www.cbsnews.com/...
Quoting CBSNews.com/blogs dated 08/17/09:
For those who missed the former Republican Majority Leader's 2005 political meltdown, a refresher: DeLay was indicted by a Texas grand jury on criminal charges that he had conspired to violate campaign finance laws. DeLay pleaded not guilty, but Republicans Conference rules forced the 62-year-old to resign from his position as Majority Leader in the US House of Representatives. His case has not gone to trial.

But while DeLay may have been tossed from Congress, the man who some call the "Hammer" for his tough political style may yet have a chance to win it all on "Dancing with the Stars."

Here are copies of his indictments. One was dismissed, but the money laundering charge remains.
http://fl1.findlaw.com/...

http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/...

In closing, I think the problem with the indictment is, if I am understanding correctly, the transactions were done by check. The money-laundering statute under Texas State Law (written in 1993), was to combat illicit drug activity by focusing on the CASH in the criminal transactions. This law did not apply to CHECKS at the time DeLay was accused of laundering corporate money into campaign donations. The Texas Legislature changed the law in 2005 to include checks. But even under the original indictments, isn't the INTENT of the law the point here? (You lawyers out there chime in on this one.) If you are armed with a water pistol instead of a real .38 when you rob a store, doesn't the INTENT of the law still see it as ARMED ROBBERY? If the term "CASH vs. CHECKS" is the problem, how then could anyone be prosecuted for writing bad CHECKS? If we are talking about one law for the average citizen and another for a politician then things are more upside down than I already thought they were. The INTENT of an illegal action is to circumvent the INTENT of the law. It shouldn't matter what handle you wear-The Hammer-The Texas Two-Stepper-The House Majority Leader. The LAW should be the same for everyone.

So, we are glad to see Tom DeLay step out of the shadows. Former Travis County District Attorney, Ronnie Earle should have held out just a little longer before leaving office. With leg-irons at the ready, Ronnie could have nabbed the Hammer right after his first dance number.