Save Tom Delay!

We all know the drill by now. Dems can't win an election, so they head to the courts to try and get their way.

We also know that if a Republican dares to be effective in defeating them and their agenda, that person becomes a target for retribution by any means, fair or foul.

And Democrats, especially the few left in Texas, know a thing or two about foul. Some of the same folks trumping up phony charges against Tom Delay were involved in pushing phony documents about President Bush's National Guard service shortly before the presidential election.

Peter Flaherty, of the National Legal and Policy Center has the goods on this story. I spoke with Peter last year regarding the Jesse Jackson corporate shakedown routine and have long been a fan of his excellent research.

In a column he wrote for the American Spectator, Peter lays it all out:

At stake in 2002 was control of the Texas legislature, which was to redraw congressional district lines. Corporate contributions to legislative candidates are illegal in Texas. The DeLay aides stand accused of violating that prohibition, along with eight companies like Sears Roebuck that provided the funds. The corporate money, however, never went to the candidates. Instead, it went to a much larger fund for state elections controlled by the Republican National Committee in Washington. That committee made contributions to Texas legislative candidates, constituting what Earle now charges is "money laundering."

The only problem is that similar transactions are conducted by both parties in many states, including Texas. In fact, on October 31, 2002, the Texas Democratic Party sent the Democratic National Committee (DNC) $75,000, and on the same day, the DNC sent the Texas Democratic Party $75,000. On July 19, 2001, the Texas Democratic Party sent the DNC $50,000 and, again on the same day, the DNC sent the Texas Democratic Party $60,000. On June 8, 2001, the Texas Democratic Party sent the DNC $50,000. That very same day, the DNC sent the Texas Democratic Party $60,000.

And since we're cataloging Democrat misdeeds, let's not leave out House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi:

Earlier this year, the Federal Election Commission fined two so-called leadership PACs associated with Pelosi in response to a Complaint by the National Legal and Policy Center. The purpose of leadership PACs is to make contributions to the campaigns of other Congressional candidates. House and Senate Leaders are allowed one leadership PAC in addition to their own campaign committee.

Pelosi set up two. Her second PAC made $5,000 contributions to thirty-six campaigns that had already received the $5,000 maximum from the first. The treasurer of both PACs candidly admitted that the "main reason" for setting up the second PAC was to "give twice as much (sic) hard dollars."

When Nazi Pelosi is removed from her leadership position and indicted for campaign finance violations, THEN come and talk to me about Delay. Until then, the old maxim applies: Standards of conduct and ethics rules are ONLY meant to be applied to Republicans.

Flaherty has more on Pelosi here.

Thanks Moonbattery for reminding me of the Spectator article.