Inside Politics

DeLay’s critic

A Texas district attorney who denies partisan motives for his investigation of a political group founded by Republican leader Tom DeLay was the featured speaker last week at a Democratic fundraiser where he spoke about the congressman, the Houston Chronicle reports.

A newly formed Democratic political action committee, Texas Values in Action Coalition, hosted the May 12 event in Dallas to raise campaign money to take control of the state Legislature from the Republicans, organizers told reporter Michael Hedges.

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, an elected Democrat, helped generate $102,000 for the organization.

In his remarks, Mr. Earle likened Mr. DeLay to a bully and spoke about political corruption and the investigation involving Mr. DeLay, the House majority leader, according to a transcript supplied by Mr. Earle.

“This case is not just about Tom DeLay. If it isn’t this Tom DeLay, it’ll be another one, just like one bully replaces the one before,” the paper quoted Mr. Earle as saying.

The crowd of 80 to 100 Democratic activists responded by making donations that exceeded the event’s fundraising goal, the paper said.

Political analysts said Mr. Earle’s appearance left him open to questions about his motives.

“It may help Tom DeLay establish his case that Ronnie Earle’s investigation is a partisan witch hunt,” said Richard Murray, a political scientist with the University of Houston.

Media blackout

“If a Democrat falls in the forest and the liberal media doesn’t report it, does it make a noise? Predictably, we’re still waiting to find out,” Donald Luskin writes at National Review Online (www.nationalreview.com).

“On Monday, Florida Congressman Robert Wexler broke ranks with fellow Democrats by offering a plan to reform Social Security. Amazing! After months of party-line stonewalling, Wexler made a gesture of bipartisanship. And yet there hasn’t been one solitary word about it in the ‘paper of record,’ the New York Times,” Mr. Luskin said.

“This is big news. Why the silent treatment from the liberal media?

“Could it be the liberal establishment is hoping that if they pretend Wexler’s initiative doesn’t exist, it will just go away, allowing the Democrats to get back to business as usual by boycotting President Bush’s efforts at reform?”

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