DeLay's only regret: not doing more for Green
WashPost report:
DeLay Pulls No Punches In Final Speech to House"And I'd give more PAC money to my friend Mark Green of Wisconsin. I didn't know at the time he'd be running for governor, so I only gave him $30,000 someone stuffed into my suitcoat pockets.
Unrepentant, 'the Hammer' Urges GOP to Keep Up Fight
By Michael Grunwald
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 9, 2006; Page A03
Former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) said goodbye to Congress yesterday in typical fighting form, delivering a pugnacious defense of the iron-fisted partisanship that defined his decade in power.
"Given the chance to do it all again, there's only one thing I'd change," DeLay said in a defiant retirement speech on the House floor. "I'd fight even harder."
"I wish I had done more for Green, because he voted with me damned near every time, ever since he got to the House. He was somebody I could count on when the chips were down and Republicans with a conscience were jumping ship. With Green's solid help in voting however I wanted, and working as an assistant whip to threaten or buy off other Republicans, we got a lot done.
"Hell, I wish I'd given him $300,000. That's my biggest regret."
Green is still sitting on the $30,000 in tainted money from DeLay. Although there are ways he legally could have disposed of it, Green announced that he wanted the state law changed to allow him to give it to charity. His Republican friends who run the legislature didn't change the law and now have gone home to run for reelection. And Green still has DeLay's money.
It is not clear what Green will do if the state law never changes, which appears to be the likely outcome.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Xoff also contributed to this story.)
UPDATE: Green campaign manager Mark Graul says he has been unable to firm up a date for DeLay to visit Wisconsin for a Green fundraiser. "It will depend on what kind of electronic monitoring restrictions Tom has, and whether political fund-raising qualifies for work-release," Graul said. "I've asked my friends in Jack Abramoff's office to help. We're making every effort to make this happen. That $30,000 is chicken feed compared to what a DeLay event would bring. I know Paul Ryan would be right there with his checkbook and maybe even be a co-sponsor."
Graul rejected Democratic Chair Joe Wineke's idea to have DeLay in a dunk tank, which Wineke said might even raise some money from non-traditional donors who haven't yet contributed to Green.
posted by xoff @ 11:05 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Why do you keep mentioning that Green has not returned Delay's money but fail to talk about Doyle not returning the Adelman cash?
Despite being on the other side of the aisle, I tune into your blog almost daily because I think you bring a lot of 'insider experience' from campaigns that most of us don't have, but then you go and blow whatever respect I have for your background by simply attacking the Republican candidate who is in the same situation as the Democrat candidate: taking questionable campaign cash.
Well, let's see if there is any difference between Tom DeLay and Craig Adelman.
DeLay has been indicted on money laundering charges, among other things, and has resigned from the House rather than defend himself in the fall campaign.
Green has said he will get rid of the $30,000 from DeLay, but hasn't done so.
Adelman has been charged with nothing. Nor has Doyle. Adelman made a perfectly legal contribution.
See any difference?
That whole innocent until proven guilty concept.... i forgot that just does not apply to righties.
Keep up the ads Xoff, your boys numbers are getting even worse, 38% approval readings I bet you are proud.
I think the real key distinction here is that the PAC which contributed to Mark Green has never been accused of any impropriety, and has nothing to do with the charges brought against Delay, nor could any reasonable person conclude that there was any quid pro quo for the donations. What, would Mark Green actually have voted against the party if his majority leader had not given him campaign donations?
Whereas, the entire situation surrounding the Adelman donation and contract award has been the subject of a local, state and federal investigation and has resulted in the indictment of a state employee who apparently cited political reasons for inflating her scoring.
Lastly, as I recall Delay is charged with getting contributions made to separate organizations, who would in turn spend that money on races in Texas, because there were different contribution limits and he could not outright accept the donations into his PAC. Isn't that exactly what Doyle did with his Indian casino contributions, have them made to an outside group who would in turn spend it on the WI gov race?
See any difference?
1. One difference is that Green has acknowledged that he should dispose of the DeLay money, but hasn't done it. If he's going to keep it, he should say so. If he's not, he should get rid of it.
2. There is still no evidence -- even after the show trial of Georgia Thompson -- that Adelman's contribution had anything to do with the award of the contract.
3. The difference in the contributions by Wisconsin tribes and those for which DeLay was charged is that DeLay controlled the Texas contributions and directed where they should go. What the tribes did in Wisconsin was done independently and entirely legally.
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