When ABC announced earlier today that former Texas Congressman Tom Delay would be a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars,” we knew some would have a political field day. And right on cue, The Lone Star Project – a Washington-based Texas Democratic Party lobbying group — weighed in.
“DeLay has demonstrated quite a bit of fancy footwork over the years avoiding jail time,” they put on their website. “Here are some of the DeLay’s political moves that Dancing With the Stars audiences may not be familiar with:
*Cha Cha Cha Ching* – DeLay laundered at least $190,000 in corporate funds through the Republican National Committee to spend on Texas Republican House cronies like State Rep. Dwayne Bohac (R-138). (Source: Austin American-Statesman, September 1, 2008)
*Tango and Cash* – DeLay paid his wife Christine and daughter Dani Ferro $350,000 from his various campaign accounts. (Source: The Houston Chronicle, May 10, 2007)
Tom DeLay
*Hammer Hustle* – DeLay convinced imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff to pay for a golf trip to Europe. (Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, April 26, 2007)
*Backroom Jitterbug* – DeLay convened Energy Lobbyists to help write energy legislation that “would allow the costs of deregulation of electricity to be passed on to their customers.” In exchange, DeLay received tens of thousands of dollars in donations from the lobbyists. (Source: Texas Monthly, May 2006)
*Redistricting Rumba* – DeLay forced through a mid-decade Texas congressional redistricting plan that robbed our state of nearly 100 years of seniority and three powerful committee chairmanships, leaving Texas with arguably the weakest large state Congressional delegation in the country. (Source: Austin American-Statesman June 28, 2007)
*Beltway Boogie* – After he was indicted and faced the possibility of losing re-election in a safe Republican seat, DeLay cowardly abandoned his constituents and fled the State of Texas for the suburbs of Washington, D.C. (Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 20, 2006)
Politics is so much fun these days, especially when it can be merged with reality TV.
