DeLay’s Been Indicted

by Steve

Details to come, but The Hammer is in trouble. He was just indicted on one count of criminal conspiracy by a Texas grand jury, a charge that could has forced his removal as House Majority Leader under the GOP’s own rules.

Note how quickly Denny Hastert, who probably had this in mind ahead of time, has already tabbed David Dreier of California to take over as Interim Majority Leader. Hastert knows a problem for 2006 when he sees it. This move to bring in Dreier, who is much better on TV and is a better face for the GOP heading into next year than DeLay would have been, looks to be someone that may be in that job for a while. Which may mean that Hastert has just thrown DeLay, and his fundraising machine, overboard for good.

Also, for the record and to rebut the already-cascading GOP spin through their mouthpieces in the media that Mr. Earle is a partisan prosecutor, please note that he goes after politicians of both parties, as his home-state paper has already noted. And frankly his political motivations will matter little in the courtroom if the evidence holds up.