Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) once called the jurors in his recent trial his “brothers and sisters.” His view has changed a bit since they convicted him and he was sentenced to three years. DeLay has been making the talk show circuit and said on “The Today Show” that the jury was a liberal cabal led by a Greenpeace activist.
DeLay stated “I was tried in the most liberal county in the state of Texas and, indeed, in the United States. The foreman of the jury was a Greenpeace activist.” Yet, he added: “So, I’m not criticizing the jury. The point is this is a political campaign.” That does not track completely. They are a bunch of liberals led by a greenie as part of a political campaign, but I am not criticizing them in the least.
There is no question that Austin is extremely liberal — particularly for Texas. I also admit that, if I were representing DeLay, I would not be delighted with the Austin jury pool. However, DeLay’s interview stands in sharp contrast to his statement “I know them like they’re my brothers and sisters.”
Source: TPM
Republicans arent the only ones,
The first stanza would still work with your suggestion–but your other suggestions break the rhythm in the second and third stanzas. In addition, I think the second stanza needs the verb “looks.” Without it, the stanza doesn’t make much sense. I’d add that each of the stanzas is a quatrain in which the first and second lines have the same end rhyme and the third and fourth lines have the same end rhyme. The three-stanza poem is supposed to have the following rhyme scheme: AABB, CCDD, EEFF. The second stanza with your changes would be CDEE–and wouldn’t follow that rhyme scheme.
He’s a “Wild Thing” that’s for sure!
Watch him dance across the floor.
“The Hammer” shakes his aging booty
Cha cha chaing with a dark haired beauty.
Dressed all in brown,
This slick-haired louse,
This feral chocolate bunny.
It’d sure be sad if it weren’t so funny!
A “Wild Thing” at his age,
He should be locked in a cage…
And not out dancing with the stars—
But stuck behind some iron bars!
Bill Anderson:
“Ours is a politicized society, and politicized societies are sick.”
***************
You may be right (and I doubt it), but you must admit we’ve been polarized since 1776 and the debate between the Federalists and the anti-Federalists. Polarization isn’t the evil; it’s believing that no amount of evidence can change your opinion. That’s fanaticism and that’s the name of the real danger.
Emerson said a mouthful when he said, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.”
Note the emphasis on “little stateman,” “philosophers,” and “divines.” They’re lumped together for a reason.
BTW, throw a scare into us and that polarization will melt right away as it did on 12/7/1941 & 9/11/2001.
“Republicans arent the only ones”
Nobody here claims virtue resides only in the Democratic Party. There are many good, honest Republican folk who are just as agahst at the actions of their leaders as we on the other side. We’ve got plenty to be agahst about too, by the way, and we say it.
However, there is always the question of magnitude, and the “toothpick” you cite won’t stack up to the “woodpile” of transgressions across the aisle judging from recent events.
http://www.correntewire.com/refresh_your_memory_the_gop_has_always_been_the_party_of_perverts
What I find interesting about most of the comments is this: the people want Tom DeLay to go to prison because of who he is. They don’t like his politics, so he should go to jail.
Furthermore, we have to ask ourselves if we want political trials in this country, as this was a political trial. Ronnie Earle, the former Travis County DA, shopped a number of grand juries before he could find one that would indict Mr. DeLay. Furthermore, as the media has said, the DA relied on “novel criminal law theory” in order to press the case.
So, this is what passes for “justice” in this country. People don’t like someone else, and that is enough for us to want that person to go to prison.
Is there any wonder why the USA has more people in prison than any other country? Is there any wonder why our “justice” system has become a sewer, as is well-documented in this blog?
No, I am not a Republican, nor a supporter of Tom DeLay. However, I do support a justice system based on something else other than one’s political proclivities.
The USA is Prison Nation, and the people who have made comments here have demonstrated why. No doubt, most of the people consider themselves to be paragons of morality and justice and goodness.
By the way, according to Harvey Silverglate in his book, Three Felonies a Day (Mr. Silverglate is NOT a Republican), most of us can be indicted and tried and convicted for violating federal criminal statutes. Federal prosecutors engage in the very “creative” ways of applying criminal law in a way that apparently most people commenting here like.
Ours is a politicized society, and politicized societies are sick. That people would cheer because someone with whom they disagreed is going to prison simply because of the disagreement, then there is no hope for this country. We will get what we deserve.
Well that was a good laugh…Ole Termite Tom and TootToot Tootie should hitch up and hit the comedy club circuit…
I think it needs to read: cha cha chaing with a dark haired beauty.
I would also take out “looks like a” and ad “This”.
Dressed all in brown,
This slick-haired louse,
This feral chocolate bunny.
It’d sure be sad if it weren’t so funny!
And change this:
Still a “Wild Thing” at his age,
Tom should be locked up in a cage…
to this:
A “Wild Thing” at his age,
He should be locked in a cage…
I think it reads a little better this way.
Remember Tom Delay on Dancing with the Stars?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epZlsCTNegw&fs=1&hl=en_US]
Here’s a poem I wrote about The Hammer after he appeared on Dancing with the Stars:
Dirty Dancing with the Stars: A Poem about Tom DeLay
He’s a “Wild Thing” that’s for sure!
Watch him dance across the floor.
“The Hammer” shakes his aging booty
While cha-cha-ing with a dark-haired beauty.
Wearing a sequined vest, silk blouse…
Dressed all in brown, this slick-haired louse
Looks like a feral chocolate bunny.
It’d sure be sad if it weren’t so funny!
Still a “Wild Thing” at his age,
Tom should be locked up in a cage…
And not out dancing with the stars—
But stuck behind some iron bars!
*****
I know I posted the poem here before. I couldn’t resist posting it again.
rcampbell,
“Someone noted that the most liberal liberal in Texas is still more conservative than the most conservative conservative in Mass.”
That’s one of the reasons I like living here in Massachusetts!
Remember Ed Mezvinsky…….
>
>
>
> WHO ! ? ! ? ! ?
>
> Edward “Ed” Mezvinsky, born January 17, 1937, is a
> former congressman. A Democrat, he represented Iowa’s 1st congressional
> district in the United States House of Representatives for two terms, from
> 1973 to 1977.
>
> In March 2001, Mezvinsky was indicted and later pleaded
> guilty to 31 of 69 charges of bank fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud.
>
> Nearly $10 million was involved in the crimes.
> Shortly after his indictment, he was diagnosed with
> bipolar disorder, but the judge at his trial disallowed a mental illness
> defense. After serving five years in federal prison, he was released in
> April 2008. He is expected to remain on federal probation until 2011, and
> owes substantial restitution to his victims.
>
> Who, exactly is “Ed” Mezvinsky?
>
> He’s Chelsea Clinton’s new father-in-law.
>
> Nary a mention of this in any of the media.
>
> If the man was a Republican, the news would have
> replaced the oil spill.
There should be no further DeLay sentencing this scoundrel.
The defense team tried to change venue to Dallas county, but failed. I am sure DeLay’s lawyer (deGuerin) did whatever he could to keep as many “libruls” off the jury as he could. Yes, you can do background checks on jurors and there are companies that specialize in this. The judge is a republican. Delay could have gotten life. Justice was served here. It took them long enough with deLay’s delaying tactics. DeGuerin is very well thought of among the TX defense bar. I can’t wait to see Delay out there in 100 degree heat working on the road gangs employed by the Texas Dept of Corrections. They don’t use chains anymore but they’re out there working on roads wearing orange jumpsuits accompanied by Dpt of Corrections guys on horses with shotguns.
This sentence reflects the reality of a statement I read shortly after GWBush was “elected”. Bush had made the claim that as Governor he had worked well with the Democrats in the Texas legislature. Someone noted that the most liberal liberal in Texas is still more conservative than the most conservative conservative in Mass. At just three years, I’d say he got away without punishment.
Waaaaaaa!!
At least he got a trial. How many people are the government holding that don’t even get that privilege?
There is no way to get a just trial in America. Any justice that does occur is an accident or a bestowing from above.
And I don’t mean heaven.
Big law is worse than Big Oil and Big Tobacco. And Big law’s handmainden Big Academia.
In other words, we are screwed.
Justice DeNied is Justice Delayed….or is that Justice DeLayed is Justice DeNied…..Maybe Rick can make up for poor little ole Scooter just having to take a commutation of sentence…
Austin is socially liberal and very fiscally conservative…or at least the people I hung with were cheap…
I find it sort of creepy that Tommy appears to have done some background checks on the jury. I don’t know how you would prevent that but it just seems wrong.
“Hey, nice to have you on the jury . . . oh, by the way we know where you live.”
Errrrr….how is he allowed to do that? Nothing to prevent this in the USofA. In Australia that would be considered contempt I believe, and it also falls under provisions intended so that the potential identity of a juror might not be revealed.
From the article:
“The prosecutors “made the jury hate politicians,” [DeLay’s lawyer, Dick DeGuerin] said.”
*****************
Nope, Ol’ Tom the Termite did that all by himself.
Sayonara there “Hammer” –try a few rocks this time!
Can’t wait until “The Hammer” is taken to the slammer.
Travis County is a blue oasis in a desert of red. A harbor of sanity. It’s a fun place, too.