DeLAY DEATH WATCH-- JANUARY 9: TX COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS REJECTS GOP CRIME BOSS' REQUEST FOR DISMISSAL

I bet you're glad you're not Tom DeLay! No matter how much purloined loot the little bug man is sitting on, his life must some ragged hell! Last week he was forced by his own colleagues-- who he used to lord it over as the much feared HAMMER-- to renounce his absurd pretensions of taking back his position as Capo di Tutti Capi of the House GOP. How the mighty have fallen! Many of those colleagues are now throwing the ill-gotten money he had lavished on them back in his face. Even formerly slavish DeLay clowns like Heather Wilson (R-NM), Jeb Bradley (R-NH), Kenny Hulshof (R-MO), and Steven LaTourette (R-OH) have thrown DeLay's filthy lucre back in his face, fearing that their own lucrative careers will be jeopardized by association with his corruption.

And today, driving him further towards his ultimate destiny, Texas' highest criminal court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, denied his plea that they dismiss the money laundering charges against him. The Travis County money laundering charges against DeLay are relatively small compared to the far more serious charges being prepared against him in relation to the corruption scandals swirling around former DeLay consigliere, Jack Abramoff. Abramoff has agreed to a plea bargain including cooperating against his former partner in crime which is likely to send DeLay to prison for 30 years.


4 PM UPDATE: DELAY AIDE SINGING FOR THE FEDS

Michael Hedges, in yesterday's HOUSTON CHRONICLE opus surveying all the problems plaguing DeLay thus far-- and there are enough to keep the whole court system busy for years!-- points out that longtime top DeLay aide Tony Rudy (aka- "Staffer A") "is reportedly working with federal investigators probing Abramoff's web of corruption." If that's the case, the gig is up for the little bug man and DeLay will be hoping all he gets is 30 years!


ANOTHER UPDATE: DELAY SCANDAL DU JOUR

Apparently right after some of Abramoff's Indians "donated" some money to one of Tom DeLay's political action committees, DeLay tried pressuring his pals inside the Bush Regime to close down an Indian casino Abramoff wanted to put out of business. The second sleaziest congressman from Texas, Pete Sessions, was in cahoots with DeLay and Abramoff on this one. One wonders if there is any end to this ruptured sewer line of right-wing graft and corruption!