TOM DELAY'S CULTURE OF CORRUPTION UNRAVELING AS ANOTHER AIDE PLEADS GUILTY. NEXT-- A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE?

Another day, another Republicrook pleading guilty and turning states evidence. This morning I woke up and saw the news about yet another Jack Abramoff/Tom DeLay crony admitting to his crimes and doin' the ole plea bargain one-two, this time close DeLay aide and confidant Tony Rudy. I had no intention of even mentioning it in the blog and then I thought maybe I should do a brief update on my latest DeLay crime post since I talked about Rudy on that. But I didn't bother. There'll be so many Republicrooks pleading guilty to so many crimes, why not just wait for some of the bigger names like Cheney and DeLay himself? But when I was having lunch with my friend Craig I mentioned the idea behind a graphic Sadie and Sophie are working on that included DeLay, among a gaggle of other soon-to-be-jailed Republican solons and Craig said something to the effect of "What? DeLay? They'll never get DeLay!"

So... here we are. Who's Rudy and why is this important? When DeLay was the Republican House Majority Leader and the Capo di Tutti Capi working out the fine details of the Culture of Corruption that has come to pervade Washington, DC, Rudy was his Deputy Chief of Staff reporting directly to the very crooked Ed Buckham, DeLay's Chief of Staff, the man who knows where every body is buried (mostly because he's the one who buried 'em). Rudy ratted out Buckham to the Federales, specifically in one of the Abramoff casino deals (for which Mrs. Rudy accepted a $50,000 bribe). His testimony can be corroborated by two big-name Republican crooks, Abramoff and DeLay aide Michael Scanlon, each of whom is now a federal witness. It is widely believed that these three guys will be able to help send at least a dozen crooked Republican congressmen to prison, even beyond DeLay, including, but not limited to, the 11 bribe takers who voted yesterday to prohibit a congressional investigation into... themselves (Bob Ney, Roy Blunt, John Doolittle, Richard Pombo, J. D. Hayworth, Pete Sessions, Tom Feeney, Eric Cantor, Don Young, Ernest Istook, and Dennis Hastert).

Buckham is also key to unraveling the fake tax-free "charity" groups DeLay set up to collect and launder money a key part of the operation of his whole crime syndicate. James Vicini, for Reuters, has a widely circulated story about the Rudy's plea and how it might impact DeLay. "Tony Rudy, DeLay's former deputy chief of staff, entered the guilty plea to one count of conspiracy in federal court as part of a deal with U.S. Justice Department prosecutors in which he has agreed to testify completely and truthfully. Abramoff, the lobbyist at the heart of a corruption scandal that has rattled top Republicans, has been cooperating in the investigation into whether Washington politicians gave his clients favorable treatment in exchange for campaign contributions, Super Bowl tickets and other illegal gifts. Rudy worked for DeLay from 1995 through 2000, while DeLay was a Republican leader in the U.S. House of Representatives. Rudy then joined Abramoff as a lobbyist. They conspired together to influence members of Congress, prosecutors said... Rudy accepted $86,000 from Abramoff while working as a staffer for DeLay, according to the court documents. In return, Rudy asked lawmakers to vote against an Internet-gambling bill that would have harmed one of Abramoff's clients." In all likelihood the first congressman who will be indicted is Bob Ney of Ohio whose hands have been in virtually every single illegal influence-peddling scam in Washington in the last few years.

If Hollywood ever decides to make a movie of this sordid episode in our nation's history, an angle that could appeal to the general public can be found in today's WALL STREET JOURNAL, Behind Unraveling of DeLay's Team, A Jilted Fiancée. It's a story meant for the big screen (depending, of course, on who they get to play the principals: Emily Miller, Michael Scanlon, Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, and Tony Rudy). It is "the story of the star-crossed Capitol Hill romance -- and its repercussions in national politics -- [that began] in 1997, when Mr. Scanlon arrived in Rep. DeLay's office as press secretary. There he worked closely with Mr. Rudy. Both press aides were veterans of Republican politics and eager sportsmen. Mr. Scanlon, a native of suburban Washington, could run five miles in under 30 minutes, while Mr. Rudy, of Brooklyn, N.Y., played in an amateur ice-hockey league. The two shared a pit-bull political style and pushed Mr. DeLay to lead the charge in 1998 for the impeachment of President Clinton. 'This whole thing about not kicking someone when they are down is B.S.,' Mr. Scanlon once wrote to Mr. Rudy in an email published in THE BREACH, a book by Peter Baker about the impeachment. 'Not only do you kick him -- you kick him until he passes out -- then beat him over the head with a baseball bat -- then roll him up in an old rug -- and throw him off a cliff into the pound surf below!!!!!' The two staffers often lent a hand to Mr. Abramoff, according to court documents and former colleagues. The lobbyist helped Mr. DeLay raise millions of dollars. Mr. Abramoff frequently treated Mr. DeLay to dinner at his sushi restaurant on Capitol Hill and took the congressman on trips overseas. Mr. Abramoff spoiled Mr. DeLay's aides, too, taking them on trips to casinos and golf courses owned by his clients, according to travel disclosure forms."

And Emily? As vicious, partisan, corrupt and scummy as her fiancée and his pal Rudy. They met when Scanlon was already married but these two black hearts beat as one. The court case will be awesome-- and breath new life into the dismal career of that horrible Nancy Grace-- but the film... I can barely wait!