Yuckety-yuk-yuk.

the scribe was going to post a loving essay/homage to the Andalusian poet, Juan Ramón Jimenez today, but Tom DeLay got indicted. Heck, the effect these crooks are having on American culture is staggering. highwayscribery has lit blog pretensions, but with (r)epublicans (Safavian, Frist, Brown, Abramoff) clogging up the courtrooms, deposition offices, and hearing chambers of this country, it’s tough to get around to the poetry.

Not that the Democrats are strangers to this kind of stuff, they’ve reveled in it, which is what got them into their present troubles.

But these are the (r)epublican “revolutionaries” of '94 with their “honesty and integrity,” their no government purity, and their “Jesus is Lord” cant.

So let’s see what the impact of a political alliance with God has been.

The “New York Times,” quoting directly from the indictment handed down there in Texas, said: "The defendants [DeLay wasn’t alone in this], entered into an agreement with each other, or with Texans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee, to make a political contribution in violation of the Texas election code...”

The Texas election code! Imagine how loose that thing is and how foul one must have behaved to well, run afoul of it.

Back to the indictment: “The contribution was made directly to the [r]epublican National Committee within 60 days of the general election.”

What’s it all mean you ask?

Let the scribe connect some dots for you. After juicing the (r)epublican contingent running for office with ill-gotten corporate gains, the party took control of the Texas legislature for the first time since U.S. Grant sent the army down to Austin and put nigras and nigra-lovers ta runnin’ things.

That was back when Democrats were for slavery and Republicans against it (now it's the other way around).

Anyway, the (r)epublicans elected on corporate money arranged for by DeLay from his powerful perch in Washington D.C., couldn’t wait until their seats were warm to redraw the congressional districts in Texas to suit their aims, needs, and ambitions.

What’s wrong with that?

Well, back when legislators made believe they were gentlemen, they made a gentlemen’s agreement about when districts would be redrawn...and this was not when it was supposed to happen.

Texas Democrats, who could smell DeLay’s skunky hands all over the affair, literally left the state so that there would be no quorum and the redrawing would thus be stalled.

In a moment of infamy, DeLay contacted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to try and track these legislators down and return them to Texas so he could ram the redistricting through.

That was, on top of unethical, probably illegal. What with the dikes of (r)epublican suppression finally collapsing (pardon the Katrina metaphor), time may come when DeLay has to face the music on that affair, too.

Anyway, they managed to round up one turncoat Dem, of which there are always a few on hand, to return and give them their quorum. They redrew the districts and the (r)epublicans subsequently picked up SIX, count ‘em, SIX new Texas seats in the debacle of 2004.

And now the bill’s due.

DeLay is the House majority leader and a damn harsh one. His own political kin refer to him as “The Hammer” and his announcement this morning that he would stand down for a while, is a welcome respite for our democracy and citizens.

Stand down...boy.

Does this mean the elephant tribe will be swept from power in the 2006 midterms? Don’t place any bets. It’s just a matter of time before Scarborough and Hannity and the rest of the paid hacks whom work for the administration go on-air and explain how all the corruption is good and that if the (r)epublicans didn’t have to contend with an opposition made up of people WHO HATE AMERICA they wouldn’t have to grub off corporations to win elections.

All of which would be a lot more fun if there weren’t a war going on, but there is. Here are two statements issued this very morning by California’s (g)overnor (a)rnold (s)chwarzenegger:

[g]ov [a]rnold [s]chwarzenegger today released the following statement regarding the death of Staff Sgt. Daniel R. Scheile of Antioch:

“Staff Sgt. Scheile stood proudly beside his fellow soldiers and fought with fortitude and bravery. Maria and I send our deepest sympathies to Daniel’s family and will keep them in our prayers. His noble sacrifice will not be forgotten.”

Scheile, 37, died September 24, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M113 armored personnel carrier in Baghdad, Iraq. He was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Oakdale, CA.

In honor of Scheile, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.

****

[g]ov. [a]rnold [s]chwarzenegger today released the following statement regarding the death of Sgt. Brian E. Dunlap of Vista:

“Maria and I want to convey to Sgt. Dunlap’s family that we are forever indebted to Brian for giving his life to the cause of freedom. Californians are deeply grateful for his courage and dedication to service of this country.”

Dunlap, 34, died Sept. 24, from injuries caused by an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Taqaddum, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Los Alamitos, CA. As part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force.

In honor of Dunlap, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.