DeLay's Statement
Here's a statement from Rep. Tom DeLay, announcing his formal decision to withdraw from the Texas 22 race. The next step: find a write-in candidate to endorse. But DeLay doesn't say that here... or even hint at it.
Earlier this year, I resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives and became a resident of the State of Virginia to establish my new business, and where I now legally reside, pay taxes and vote.
This decision was and is irrevocable, which I made clear from Day One.
My action was taken in accordance with Texas law, federal precedent and common sense. I felt it was my duty to allow Texas Republicans to choose a new candidate for the Fall Election Ballot.
In November, voters in the 22nd District of Texas deserve a choice between candidates who actually live in the District, between a Republican and Democrat, and between those two people whose names should appear on the ballot.
Unfortunately, the Federal courts have slammed the door shut on a fair ballot choice between two 22nd District residents representing our two major parties. The court ruling allows a Democrat - who just moved into this community -- to have his name appear on the ballot, but denies the Republican Party the opportunity to place a District Republican resident on that same ballot.
Voters should be concerned. While judges are denying Texas voters a fair choice this Fall, the courts allowed the Democrat Party in New Jersey to withdraw Robert Torricelli and substitute Frank Lautenberg in a similar case just weeks before the 2002 U.S. Senate election. As a Virginia resident, I will take the actions necessary to remove my name from the Texas ballot. To do anything else would be hypocrisy.
I strongly encourage the Republican Party to take any and all actions necessary to give Texas voters an up-or-down choice this Fall between two major party candidates.
I hope Tom doesn't wind up like Ken Lay. These guys couldn't take a loss. The criminal indictments wouldn't stop for quite some time. I'm worried for "The Hammer" though. He seems like such a nice fellow.
That darn activist Scalia!
With respect to Delay's comments, recall
(1) the Constitution's eligibility requirement is that the Congressional candidate live in the state, not in the district, and
(2) in Delay's absence, there are still two candidates in the race, namely Nick Lampson (D) and Bob Smither (Libertarian).
Delay always cast himself as a victim of circumstances beyond his control, and this latest offering is more of the same.
He's funny.
What drivel. Shall we fisk?
"withdraw Robert Torricelli and substitute Frank Lautenberg in a similar case" Similar in that both DeLay and Toricelli are crooked as a boxer's nose.
"the Federal courts have slammed the door shut" That would be the Republican stacked Supreme Court that Tom helped install
"My action was taken in accordance with Texas law" An outright lie. It was his violation of Texas law that got the door slammed on him.
"Democrat - who just moved into this community" Another outright lie. Lampson is the guy Tommy defeated to represent TX-22 in the first place.
"I felt it was my duty to allow Texas Republicans to choose a new candidate for the Fall Election Ballot." Oh puhLEEZE! If he cared about such imaginary duty, why did he run in the primary and drop out the day after he won? Was his momentous decision to resign made in a 12-hour bender or something?
Does "up-or-down choice" even make sense? I mean, at some point you should draw the line on the use of right-wing catchphrases.
Dear All,
If the American's people are not sick of these Republicans, I don't know what it will take. It is shameful how these people, who have been given this great power to run the country have behaved.
"Enough is Enough
Norman Brown
Ha ha ha. New Jersey law is different from Texas law. As a lawmaker, Delay should understand this.
The hypocracy is his.
This is a new low, even for Tom Delay.
For someone who quit on his constituents, who not only found loopholes within the redistricting laws, but broke federal laws to gerrymander districts, and who failed to withdraw in time now complains about judges making his party live up to the laws they enacted!
What a hypocritical piece of trash.
Damn activist judges. Fat Tony's had it in for the Republican Party from Day One.
Hey Tom,
when you crap in your well, don't complain about the bad taste....
Tom, buddy, you're still a registered voter in Fort Bend county, according to their registrar:
http://progprod.co.fort-bend.tx.us/WebVoter/certificate.asp?ID=5532
TPM Muckraker pointed this out some time ago. Maybe you should have listened, called the office to take your name off and boster your case. But you didn't.
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001009.php.
the New Jersey move was BLATANTLY contrary to the law
There is a key difference between the DeLay and Toricelli cases.
With Toricelli, the New Jersey Supreme Court found unanimously that New Jersey law and past rulings require "election statutes should be liberally construed."
By contrast, every judge in DeLay's case ruled that they must follow Texas law that rulings must be "strictly construed against ineligibility."
DeLay was doomed by the strict construction clause in Texas law, by his subterfuge in trying to get himself declared ineligible rather than simply withdrawing, and by his stubborn refusal to stay in the primary. Even now he stubbornly states he will try to "remove my name from the Texas ballot" even after every court has said he can't do that.
Hey Hammer your cutting and running is going to hurt the troops in Iraq.Is anyyhing ever a Republicans fault?