Tough times ahead for The Bug Man?

Today there are two articles which indicate that Tom DeLay, a/k/a The Bug Man, could finally be facing political consequences for all the crap he has perpretrated. One article is in today's Washington Post, and the other is in the March 21 issue of Time magazine.

Each article expresses the theme that all the ethics charges against The Bug Man are starting to erode his support within the Republican Party.

"What charges?" one might ask. The full answer to that question would require several posts (even at my usual length), so for now here is a synopsis from the Time article:

Now the machinery that DeLay and his pastor (and former chief of staff Ed Buckham) built threatens to derail DeLay. He was slapped three times last year by the House ethics committee for violations of House rules, and finds himself potentially facing more serious trouble on multiple fronts. Each day seems to bring another embarrassing headline and more lawmakers' being caught up in allegations of impropriety that surround the lobbyists--many, like Buckham, former DeLay staff members--who have traded on their access to him. The Washington Post reported last week that DeLay (as well as six other Representatives from both parties and several congressional aides) had over the past four years accepted trips to South Korea, paid for by a registered foreign agent--a violation of House rules.

And let us not forget that the District Attorney of Travis County, Texas has indicted three of DeLay's associates--including the head of DeLay's political action committee--and is still considering bringing charges against DeLay. The Washington Post article describes some of the political problems that could develop for DeLay:

With some members increasingly concerned that DeLay had left himself vulnerable to attack, several Republican aides and lobbyists said for the first time that they are worried about whether he will survive and what the consequences could be for the party's image.

"If death comes from a thousand cuts, Tom DeLay is into a couple hundred, and it's getting up there," said a Republican political consultant close to key lawmakers. "The situation is negatively fluid right now for the guy. You start hitting arteries, it only takes a couple." The consultant, who at times has been a DeLay ally, spoke on the condition of anonymity, saying he could not be candid otherwise.

At least six Republicans expressed concern over the weekend about DeLay's situation. They said they do not think DeLay necessarily deserves the unwanted attention he is receiving. But they said that the volume of the revelations about his operation is becoming alarming and that they do not see how it will abate.

And the Time article quoted "a senior G.O.P. Congressman" as saying that the growing furor around DeLay "just isn't going away." Time also found a Congressman willing to go on the record. Mark Souder of Indiana, while supportive of DeLay, nonetheless conceded that "There's a general feeling from all of us that Tom could be more careful. The accumulation of Mariana Islands, Korea, the stuff in Texas has some people wringing their hands more than others." The Washington Post also got a quote from someone willing to go on the record:

Thomas E. Mann, senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, said that DeLay remains generally strong within his party and is an effective leader and operator, but that "signs are emerging that both the number and nature of charges being raised against him could put him in serious political peril."

And why did it take this long to happen? Why have the Republicans supported and defended DeLay and basically disregarded all his bullshit up to now? One answer is rather obvious: money. Here's what Rep. Souder said to Time: "With Tom, it's going to have to be more than just allegations. Tom has done so much fund raising[.]" And Time also noted that "For most Republicans, the occasional controversy used to seem a small price to pay for the prodigious amounts that DeLay was raising and contributing to their campaigns." Time also described how DeLay

has always been solicitous of G.O.P. Representatives as individuals--adjusting the House schedule to accommodate a daughter's recital, knowing who needs a place to smoke and who is having a family crisis, making sure there is pizza in his office to tide members over during late-night votes.

Gee, what a great guy. In spite of such generosity, "much of the goodwill toward DeLay has begun to evaporate over the past year, as controversies have piled up like bricks in a wall around him." It's about damn time.

So why are Republicans only now starting to question DeLay? Well, apparently, it is not the ethical violations he has committed. Apparently, it is not the fact that DeLay could still face indictment in Texas. According to Time, what has Republicans upset is

a vote he engineered in December in the House Republican conference to change its rules so that G.O.P. congressional leaders could keep their posts even if they were indicted for a crime--a move that was clearly designed to protect his power if the Texas case took a bad turn. The move blindsided even Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.

This was the infamous "DeLay Rule," which was withdrawn in January of this year, in part because, as Rep. J.D. Haywaoth (R-Arizona) told the Washington Post, members of Congress heard plenty of complaints in their home districts. "Consituents reacted," Hayworth said. It's so nice to know that many Republicans in the House (but certainly not all) needed negative reactions from their voters instead of having any kind of moral backbone to realize what a big steaming pile of hypocritical crap the DeLay Rule was.

In any event, the negative reaction over the DeLay Rule could prove to be The Bug Man's downfall. Here's one more excerpt from Time:

After the debacle over the ethics rules, more than a few House members say they can ill afford to put their necks out much farther for DeLay. And their support could erode further--and quickly--if they start hearing complaints about DeLay from their constituents at home. "As members head home, they'll review the various media reports," says Arizona's Hayworth, who has been burned by revelations that he used a skybox supplied by Abramoff for fund raising. "I'm sure that it's in the best interest of the majority leader and the majority to have an accounting of what transpired."

Indeed, it would be in the interest of the majority, but it will never happen unless many more Republicans decide to have a true accounting.

I ain't holding my breath.

Still, the Republican members of the House need to wake up and realize that DeLay's reign needs to end. At least today's articles give some reason for hope.