DeLay Becomes an Extinguished Christian Statesman

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, the Bible-thumping bug exterminator from Sugar Land, Texas, who inexplicably is one of the most powerful people in the United States, has been indicted for alleged campaign fraud.

DeLay is fond of giving God all the "glory." We'll have to wait for the trial in Texas to see who got the payoffs.

Read the four-page indictment here. The website Jurist's Paper Chase page keeps track of the breaking details and offers links.

The news is busting, of course, because nobody in Congress has lorded over the Democrats — and Republicans — like this guy. And of course he's known for issuing veiled threats to judges. He calls his behavior "God's work." Other people know him as "The Hammer."

And now Texas D.A. Ronnie Earle has nailed him. Because DeLay has to step aside (though not lose his seat), the GOP anointed Missouri's Roy Blunt, the current Republican whip, to take over most of his duties temporarily.

And it looks as if California's David Dreier, America's most prominent closeted anti-gay congressman (and also chair of the Rules Committee), will share some of those duties.

For more on Dreier, read my June 26 item. Better yet, read Doug Ireland's outing of Dreier, published last year in L.A. Weekly (which is owned by the same people who own the Voice).

If prosecutor Earle is correct, the Ten Commandments that Tom DeLay brays about aren't exactly written in stone.

DeLay's alleged to have broken No. 8. For my money — and DeLay's, actually — I'd say he's already broken No. 2. That's the one that says you're not supposed to worship other gods.

DeLay has been worshiping the god of Abramoff for several years now. That's Jack Abramoff, the D.C. lobbyist and GOP fundraiser who's accused of being at the center of a number of scandals, including this one. I wrote about this last October, but I was hardly the first. The Washington Post, among others, has been dogging this story for years. Cut through the b.s. and look at the Post's chronology of DeLay's career. And see Lou Dubose's Salon piece from last April.

For more than you ever want to know about DeLay, see this page from the Religious Freedom Coalition of the Southeast.

Ronnie Earle's probe was sparked by Texans for Public Justice. Oh, and Karl Rove is mentioned here and there, too. One of the people with whom DeLay is accused of conspiring is John Colyandro, who used to work for Rove's old direct-mail firm.