TOM DeLAY-- STILL A HERO TO MANY ON THE FRINGES OF THE EXTREME RIGHT

OK, I'll try to make this my last mention of Tom DeLay until his trial; no promises though. Yesterday's Houston Chronicle got to the bottom of why 4 board members of the American Conservative Union resigned when the ACU brought on the Little Bug Man. I mean, we all know why-- no one wants to be associated with an outrageous and exposed crook like DeLay-- but what's interested is how they couched their disdain for their former champion.

DeLay's roles in ramping up government spending and establishing a system of raising money through close dealings with lobbyists were cited by resigning members as their motive for moving on.

"He was part of a congressional leadership that oversaw a massive expansion of the government, which conservatives opposed," said Robert Luddy, a North Carolina businessman among the board members who resigned. "It is one thing to call yourself a conservative, but you have to act on it."

The sentiment was echoed by political strategist Marc Rotterman, another board defector.

"Conservatives looked to Tom DeLay to cut government not grow it. He was complicit in the largest expansion of government in recent times."

In defending his controversial decision to bring DeLay on, ACU 25 year Chairman David Keene, a notorious K Street lobbyist, said he felt DeLay's "contacts" (he means sources of money for vicious disinformation campaigns) would be valuable. "When I introduced him (to ACU members) I said that, like a number of Republicans, Tom had done some work on the dark side," Keene recalled. "Now, he wants to harness his abilities for our agenda... Who can you think of better than Tom DeLay to be sitting in the room when you are setting priorities with Congress?"

An anaconda? A cobra? Python?