At this point, let me clarify my motivation for creating this account of Congressman DeLay's trial. I don't pretend to be a legal expert, nor even an objective observer. I'm just a citizen and taxpayer.
It's hard to argue with DeLay's statement that, "money is the lifeblood of politics." He's probably correct about that. But I say, "money has become the lifeblood of politics," in a way that our founding fathers couldn't have possibly imagined. I believe political campaigns in our country are overly financed. And I object.
Our laws regarding corporate donations to political campaigns have changed considerably since the events of this trial occurred. Between McCain-Feingold and the Supreme Court's ruling on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, they have boomeranged in only eight years. And the debate is not over. I believe the reversals have destabilized our political process to the point where it's now a virtual free-for-all. Campaign spending during the 2010 mid-term elections topped all previous records, and I'm not convinced the voters were better served because of it.
Finally, I believe that Tom DeLay (with the help of Jim Ellis, John Colyandro, and probably others) helped lay the groundwork for the fund-raising orgies we're now experiencing. I believe other organizations may have been guilty of similar violations of the law at the same time — but they weren't caught. I can't help but wonder if any of the jurors will feel the same way after hearing the facts.
And now, for the rest of the story.
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