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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Friday, March 29, 2024

Meredith Pickett | The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You

Here in the Tufts bubble, not many of us hear about what's going on in the world. Most of us are more concerned with how we're going to finish our problem sets or read entire books for homework than the day-to-day progress of the American government. That's okay - we're all guilty of it. But something just happened, and I think that everyone should care. Tom DeLay was just indicted for conspiring to use corporate funds in the House elections of 2002, which is illegal in Texas.

Why should you care, you ask? Because I'm from Texas. Well, that's not really why you should care, but that is why I'm writing about this. The fact is everyone should care because Tom DeLay is the House Majority Leader. Everyone should be paying attention because this scandal is a how-to on how not to use your power. This is Tufts. It's a good school, and I'm willing to bet that at least a handful of you reading this are going to be fairly successful some day. In case you happen to be one of the lucky few, I want everyone to pay attention to this important ethics case in American politics.

I am from Houston, Texas. I live in the Ninth Congressional District, and Tom DeLay represents the Twenty-Second Congressional District. That is but a mere hop, skip and a jump away from my house. I can drive to his office in four minutes. I'm so close to Tom DeLay that I'm a little scared to write this article because I'm afraid that he's going to read it and decide to build a freeway through my house.

This is the man called "the hammer." He has two leather bullwhips in his office. He is often accused of using "hardball" tactics to help the GOP. He helped lead the impeachment trial of President Clinton and tried to get Newt Gingrich ousted from office. The House Ethics Committee has rebuked him three times. He used the Federal Aviation Administration to hunt down the Democratic Texas legislators who went to Oklahoma to avoid voting on a DeLay-engineered redistricting plan.

That incident was the peak of my Texas pride. I have never been prouder to be a Texan than when I saw those senators getting off the coach bus in Oklahoma. I mean, who else would do that besides Texans?

Delay has been in Congress since 1984. If he's so bad, why does he keep getting elected? I can't speak for my brethren across the street in the twenty-second, but as far as I can tell, it's because he used to be an exterminator. And in Texas, we love our bug guys. If he can keep a roach off your pillow, he can surely help run the United States Government, right?

And run it he did. He helped the GOP take six house seats in Texas from the Democrats through redistricting and cemented the control of the Republican Party in Congress. Now we learn that he used corporate funds to help do so (allegedly - he goes on trial later this month).

Scandal is as old as politics. It happens all the time, to legislators in both parties. But why did DeLay have to commit a crime? I personally have no doubt that he is guilty, because in November 2004, while being investigated, the House passed a rule that lets him keep his job as majority leader even if indicted. Let's all remember that he controls the House and its rulings. The rule was later reversed, but that in my mind is a pretty convincing argument to his guilt.

Why did Tom DeLay abuse his power? I think it's because he thought that he would not get caught. One hundred and ninety thousand dollars is not that much money in a game that deals with millions. He probably could have raised the money in some other way. Republicans are a majority in Texas, and with the swing towards conservatism in this country, he most likely could have won the seats anyway.

But I think in the back of his mind Delay thought that he could do it because no one would dare touch him. He's the majority leader of Congress, and the President is also a Republican and fellow Texan. Texas is overwhelmingly Republican. Who could go up against him? He now faces a potential penalty of six months to two years in state jail and a fine of $10,000. Was it worth it?

This is an example of how not to use power. We can all learn something from DeLay. No one is invincible, and in this country, you can get caught. If you make enemies along the way, they are going to come back to hurt you. If you are given rope, make sure you don't hang yourself.

The story of Tom DeLay may end here with this scandal, and it may not. I personally hope that he gets convicted, because I'm tired of Texans going to Washington and making a bad name for the state. Politics is a tough game, but I'm pretty sure it can be done without becoming a criminal.

Tom DeLay should have stuck with killing bugs.

Meredith Pickett is a sophomore majoring in history. She can be reached via e-mail at meredith.pickett@tufts.edu.