Delay abandons leadership hopes

It was my intent to write a post with my opinion that Delay should walk away from hopes of getting back his majority leader position. This morning AP reports that he has done just that, with the GOP likely to push him out if he had not gone voluntarily. While Democrats will trumpet this as an admission of guilt of sorts, it cannot be denied that for now the Democrats have scored a victory. By walking away, Delay reduces damage and pockets the opportunity to reverse this against them.

I have been accused of hypocrisy where it comes to Tom Delay and other GOP "corruption". The fact is that so far, prosecutor Ronnie Earle has made no public case against Delay with any smoking gun evidence. Liberals blogs have merely taken three facts to form a conclusion of guilt: he was indicted, he is GOP and he breathes. No matter the indictment process was appeared the equivalent of a blind man stumbling through an obstacle course, the other two factors are enough for them. It is possible Delay is guilty, but according to evidence it is just as possible that this is a partisan witch-hunt.

Even if innocent, the Democrats combined with help from the media and the GOP house rules have scored them a strong hit for now. Without the fast vindication of an aquittal or the case being thrown out fully, Delay and the GOP can only lose points by forcing the issue at this time. If Delay is found guilty of this or any other crime, he deserves punishment which I am all for. If Delay is later vindicated in court, today's action of walking away from this will be strong capital to decry both the Democrats and the media. A vindication will be twice as effective now than if he had demanded his rights and made a political 'scene'.