The Delay Delay- a delay in recognizing the total corruption of the Delay K-street protections racket- and still, a reluctance by MSM to call it for what it really is- Pay to Play.
I am tired tonight, so I am just going to copy n all of this excellent editorial from Palm Beach
DeLay legacy: Corruption: "Rep. Tom DeLay is leaving Congress. He blames 'liberal Democrats,' but if he wants to blame someone other than himself - and, of course, he does - Rep. DeLay should blame Republican enablers who were content to let him misuse power so long as they benefited.
Republicans were thrilled with contributions that flowed after Rep. DeLay followed up on the GOP takeover of 1994 with the K Street Project, which coerced lobbying firms to hire Republicans and fire Democrats. That sealed the connection with Jack Abramoff, described by Rep. DeLay as 'one of my closest and dearest friends,' whose dirty contributions now taint so many Republican lawmakers."
Rep. Delay's GOP enablers include Reps. Mark Foley, R-Fort Pierce, and Clay Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale. Rep. Foley served under Rep. DeLay in the leadership and received $5,000 in donations from Abramoff and his clients. Rep. Shaw, like Rep. Foley, supported the unsuccessful candidacy of DeLay protégé Roy Blunt, R-Mo., to replace Rep. DeLay as majority leader.

Consider the favors House Republicans did for Rep. DeLay as he slid into scandal. When three of his associates were indicted on campaign finance charges in Texas in September 2004, they changed the rule that would have required Rep. DeLay to give up his leadership post if indicted. They later changed the rules to prevent the Ethics Committee from investigating Rep. DeLay. Bad publicity forced them to backtrack. But even after Rep. DeLay was indicted in Texas on money-laundering charges, GOP leaders gave Rep. DeLay a plum seat on the Appropriations Committee.

The scandal now has come so close to Rep. DeLay that his colleagues no longer can play dumb. DeLay lackeys who have pleaded guilty to various federal charges include former press secretary Michael Scanlon, Abramoff and, just last week, former deputy chief of staff Tony Rudy, who admitted taking bribes from Abramoff to influence legislation while he worked for Rep. DeLay, R-Texas.

Meanwhile, the FBI has subpoenaed records from the U.S. Family Network created by Edwin Buckham while he still was Rep. DeLay's chief of staff. Turns out Abramoff provided a big chunk of the organization's money, and Mr. Buckham and his wife paid themselves more than $1 million from the pot.

So Rep. Delay, who piously claimed the moral, Christian high ground even as he ruthlessly sought and abused power, is resigning as the immorality of his actions becomes increasingly clear. He is leaving a legacy of corruption that is likely to last until his enablers have left, too, or at least repented.