The Multiple Car Pileup Known as Tom DeLay

Since I notice many are coming in today looking for information on Tom DeLay's new threats, this time targeted directly at Supreme Court Associate Justice Kennedy (not exactly a wild-eyed liberal, that Justice), note as you research that the more Tom speaks, the more he:

* displays a strange lack of understanding of the very law Congress creates and acts upon
* conflicts his own statements ("Don't be an activist judge" and "be MY KIND of activist judge")
* often seems to suggest new law (law that probably a majority of Americans might not like to see passed)
* sees the judiciary not as a separate branch but as something completely under his thumb and subject to his whims
* believes threats are the best way to proceed

At this point, I'll take my chances with the judiciary over someone like Tom. For too long, our courts have become places where people like Tom decide to mete out their own unique form of justice (and we've seen how well Tom responds to any question of his words and activities).

The Mandatory Minimum drug sentences are an example of that. These remarkably give us NO protection from the bigwigs who are responsible for the most product being distributed but lock up minimal people including those growing small amounts of marijuana for personal medical use for 10-20 years. We're spending an ENORMOUS amount of money on prisons for these minor players while the kingpins can trade and buy their way out of jail. We've handcuffed judges so they cannot say "this 87-year-old woman growing pot to relieve the symptoms of her grown son's multiple sclerosis" doesn't deserve the same 10- or 20-year sentence that some idiot who runs an active meth lab and distributes to thousands of people should get.

I don't know about you, but I think we're under more risk from a drug kingpin than from some dope who passes a joint to a friend (and Congress has a new law in discussion that brings a long prison sentence to anyone simply passing a joint - even if they didn't toke on that joint and that joint is not theirs).

But this isn't about drugs. The drug laws are just an example of how men like DeLay - who clearly enjoy and even make the taxpayers fund their own vices - use the courts to enforce their own brand of morality. Having seen Tom's morals thus far, I'm not sure he's a good choice to decide for everyone else. Take the morals out, and we're still paying a terrible price by having out-of-control prisons and incredibly expensive prison costs considering we tend to serve them bad food and subject prisoners to rape and torture at the hands of other prisoners.

Yet I stand by what I've said: Tom DeLay's corruption now has spread throughout the GOP and likely has infected some Dems and what few Independents there are as well. So keep Tom in plain sight as the notorious leader of the GOP House; forcing him out without adequate legal process just drives this snake into the high grass where he can strike at you on the sly.