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Trouble with DeLay: while the indictment of Rep. Tom DeLay may be a partisan "witch hunt," the former House Majority Leader has a lot to answer for.(CONGRESS)

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From: The New American
Date: 20051031
Author:Grigg, William Norman

"Behind every great fortune is a crime," wrote French novelist Honore de Balzac in words that could have been penned by Karl Marx. That invidious assessment is in need of a crucial clarification: every political fortune is built on crime--generally in the form of what Frederic Bastiat called "official plunder." When viewed in that light, Balzac's cynical maxim may apply to the ongoing travails of Representative Tom DeLay (R-Texas), the former House majority leader.

Within a week, Rep. DeLay was indicted by two separate grand juries in Texas. The first indictment accused DeLay ...

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