Funny How Things Connect

You may have missed it, what with all the coverage of the domestic terrorism in Arizona, but former Texas Representative Tom Delay was sentenced to 3 years in prison today.

3 years.

The first series of Star Trek was only on TV (first run) for 3 years.

Attached to the coverage of the Arizona-based domestic terrorism is the discussion about turning down the heated political rhetoric as it may, you know, damage the body politic or something.

Guess what?

Tom Delay was a practitioner of heated political rhetoric.

From my favorite rag, the Tribune-Review from 2007:

Democratic leaders are acting like traitors by opposing the Iraq war, and President Bush must answer with a toughened stance, former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Monday.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "are getting very, very close to treason," DeLay said in a meeting with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

"We have people dying," he said. "Not just our soldiers, but innocent citizens dying in Iraq and Afghanistan at the hands of these evil people, and you have your elected leaders making these kinds of statements that embolden the enemy. It's unbelievable."

Yep he said that. He said that failure to support Bush's war was "very very close to treason." And that Senator Reid and then-Speaker Pelosi were traitors.

And he's going to jail. The Hammer's going to jail.

Today: One Turkey Pardoned and One Turkey Convicted

One Turkey Pardoned:

And

One Turkey Convicted:


Happy Thanksgiving!

.

I'm with stupid ->

"There were a couple of people in the crowd “with YouTubes.” [meaning cameras]
- Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT)


"Will you ask the President to show me his gift certificate — I mean, his — gift certificate — his birth certificate."
- Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Dancing With The Stars)

The "controversy" over First Lady Michelle Obama's shorts.
- Here (and everywhere)

.

Republicans ♥ Failure

Rush Limbaugh reaffirms that he wants the President of the United States of America to fail:


Michelle Malkin Agrees:


Tom Delay chimes in:


Even Lil Ricky Santorum gets in on the act:


The Rush statement has a bonus Steelers mention. Anyone else feel dirty listening to Rush talk about rooting for the Steelers? Anyone else remember when it was considered evil, unpatriotic and downright traitorous just to say you were embarrassed by the president?
.

Tom Delay - In Pittsburgh

I thought I detected a whiff of sulphur (or is that brimstone) on Monday. Tom Delay was in town talking to the Tribune Review.

Democratic leaders are acting like traitors by opposing the Iraq war, and President Bush must answer with a toughened stance, former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Monday.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "are getting very, very close to treason," DeLay said in a meeting with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

"We have people dying," he said. "Not just our soldiers, but innocent citizens dying in Iraq and Afghanistan at the hands of these evil people, and you have your elected leaders making these kinds of statements that embolden the enemy. It's unbelievable."

Treason? Really? His "logic" seems to be:

Disagreements with our leader emboldens our enemies
Emboldening our enemies is (by definition) treason
Therefore
Disagreeing with our leader is treason

I'm not sure the Founding Fathers would agree with such "logic." Tom (or at least his ghost writer on his blog) is among those who try to make the case that withdrawal somehow equals surrender:

For political reasons all their own, the Democrats seem anxious to declare defeat. In point of fact, whatever euphemism they use: strategic redeployment, phased withdrawal, tactical relocation – we should not be deluded as to their true meaning.

Even though according to a Fox "News" Poll a majority (61%) of the American people actually disagree with that position (check out question 34).

Does that make the majority of us traitors?

Speaking of which, things are getting interesting up in Vermont:

In a stunning reversal, the Vermont Senate approved a resolution early Friday morning calling for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

The vote makes the Senate the first state legislative body in the country to call for Bush's impeachment. At least nine other states have similar resolutions pending.The 16-9 vote urging the U.S. Congress to begin impeachment hearings came without debate.

The vote fell mostly along party lines, although three Democrats joined six Republicans in opposing it.

I wonder if The Hammer thinks the state of Vermont to be traitorous? Or would that just be The Senate up there? Or maybe just those 16 who voted for impeachment? But what of all of the people up there who agree? If those 16 in the Senate are traitors, surely their supporters are, too.

Right, Tom? Tom?