Hot Tub Tom burns his bridges (Novak)

[deminks]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/14/AR2007031402179_pf.html

The Wrath Of Tom DeLay

By Robert D. Novak
Thursday, March 15, 2007; A19

Newt Gingrich's attempted phoenix-like rise from his own political ashes to a presidential candidacy will run next week into a harsh assessment by his former House Republican colleague Tom DeLay. The former majority leader's forthcoming memoir assails Gingrich as an "ineffective" House speaker with a flawed moral compass.

Gingrich is not the only erstwhile political ally to feel DeLay's wrath. In "No Retreat, No Surrender: One American's Fight," DeLay is even more critical of his predecessor as majority leader, Dick Armey, and assails George W. Bush as being more compassionate than conservative. Even the man DeLay handpicked to succeed Gingrich as speaker, J. Dennis Hastert, is accused along with Gingrich and Armey of opening the door to the Democratic purge of DeLay.

DeLay is an angry man after being driven from the leadership, from Congress and, so far, from public life by "a concerted effort to destroy me legally, financially and personally" through a 2005 indictment in Texas. DeLay's response to Democratic District Attorney Ronnie Earle is familiar. What is unusual are his claims that "pre-existing tensions I had with Gingrich and Armey" partially explain their role in kicking DeLay out of the leadership.

DeLay admits that the Republican leaders empowered by the 1994 elections -- comprising himself as majority whip, Gingrich as speaker and Armey as majority leader -- "were not a cohesive team, and this hindered our ability to change the nation." He puts most blame "at Newt Gingrich's door."

:popcorn:

[muntrv]

1. Pooooor Tom! He couldn't become a dictator.

:nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity:

[AlCzervik]

2. "I hate you people, you're bastard people" stomps foot.

[Pirate Smile]

3. I was hearing "and this has been another episode of 'Republicans - eating their own'"

when I read this post.

[AlCzervik]

6. lol.

i love steph, everyday when i'm driving my daughter to school we listen and chuckle all the way.

[Lasher]

4. That is sooooo Publican

Poor me. I am so victimized. All my problems are everybody else's fault. Nothing is ever my fault. I have never in my life done one single thing wrong. Everybody is out to get me. My enemies are everywhere. Boooo hoo hoo. :nopity:

[salin]

5. While I could never bring myself to buy the book (and give

tommy tub some royalty dollars) it is one of the few conservo books I would be interested in reading - just to see who he attacks among republicans - just to sit and eat the popcorn as he self-justifies himself - without recognizing for a minute that HE has been a big part of brining his party to defeat. But alas - can't bring myself to buy it - or to take it out from the Library (and add to stats per which books are in demand).

[spag68]

7. IMO the bug thing was and still is

the best place for that a-hole to spend his days. I hear some of those jails have lots of bugs.