BCT Editorial – 4/6/06

This page was last updated on April 6, 2006.

No big deal; Editorial; Beaver County Times; April 6, 2006.

Both of today’s editorials are retreads of previous editorials. So I don’t commit the same error, please go to my critique of the editorial entitled “Tripped up.”

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“In regard to ethically-challenged U.S. Rep. Tom Delay’s [sic] announcement that he is resigning from Congress, don’t confuse the carrier for the disease.”

[RWC] It’s good to see the Times and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette coordinated their use of “ethically challenged.” <g> Note you’ll find no mention of specific charges and supporting evidence.

“Granted, Delay [sic] might be the Typhoid Mary of special-interest politics in the nation’s capital, and his going is no reason to mourn. In fact, his resignation falls into the just-desserts category.

“But there is no reason to celebrate it either because the corrupt system that he helped build and exploit is still in place.”

[RWC] While the editorial spews a lot of rhetoric, it fails to note Mr. DeLay has not been convicted of any crime. Indeed, he has not been charged with any federal crimes and the Texas indictments were brought by a Democrat DA with a reputation of bringing politically motivated cases to court. As liberal as Travis County, Texas, is, the DA still required multiple grand juries before he could get one to indict Rep. DeLay. Further, a member of the grand jury said in an interview his mind was made up about Rep. DeLay before he even heard testimony.

Did Rep. DeLay break any laws? I don’t know and we won’t until the cases come to trial. The Times, however, apparently doesn’t believe in “innocent until proven guilty.”

“The time for celebration will come when the people’s business is first and foremost on the minds and in the hearts of members of Congress, not special interests and their money.

“There’s still a long way to go.”