The Pot and the Kettle: a Tale of Two Congressional Leaders

Tom DeLay has stepped down as Majority Leader in Congress. Unlike those with very close ties to him, he has acted with prudence.

I think it's possible that Mr. DeLay will not survive the Abrahamoff investigation. There are too many indications that those in a position to influence his official position were being paid to do so. And may have succeeded in doing so. Unlike the work performed by registered lobbyists acting on behalf of paying members of an interest group, this is illegal. What is unclear, and ultimately omnipotent, is how the scandal, which has so many ins and outs, will play out in the media and with voters.

If he does survive it, he will not come out unscathed, and I'm relieved that he is not going to try to keep his post as Majority Leader.

This does not excuse Ms. Pelosi from being an embarrassment to reality:

"For years, at the expense of the American people, the House Republicans have enabled and benefited from the Republican culture of corruption engineered by Tom DeLay. The culture of corruption is so pervasive in the Republican conference that a single person stepping down is not nearly enough to clean up the Republican Congress."