I was just going over my talking points here, let me just finish the first page...er..uh-hum..

"Ronnie Earle, partisan hack."

RW, If Delay is acquitted, will you believe the jury, will you believe he's innocent? Perhaps this is the best way to clear his name from this cloud...have it out in open court. I can't wait to see Earle in action against Delay's attorneys. You, of course, know more about the ins and outs of these things, but it seems a safe bet that it'll make good tv.

Peace. --s

Oh, wait I actually found some additional talking points from NR:

DeLay Indictment

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Tom DeLay, for reasons that have entirely to do with the expansion of entitlement spending under his watch (see Bruce Bartlett's excellent piece on NRO today for details). But having said that, this indictment is totally phony. Here's why:

The indictment centers around a money swap that took place between the Texans for a Republican Majority PAC (TRMPAC), to which DeLay has ties, and the Republican National State Elections Committee (RNSEC). TRMPAC sent $190,000 to RNSEC, and RNSEC then sent the same total amount in seven checks ranging from $20,000 to $40,000 to Texas House candidates in 2002. Travis County DA Ronnie Earle, a Democrat, calls this money laundering, because the money that TRMPAC sent to RNSEC came from coporations, which are barred from contributing to campaigns in Texas.

What you won't hear in the press is that A) This is a perfectly legal move, and B) the Democrats did the exact same thing. An Institute on Money in State Politics study reveals that on Oct. 31, 2002, the Texas Democratic Party did the same thing when it sent $75,000 to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and received $75,000 back from the DNC the very same day.

Here's what I wrote about this case last summer:

Just to put this $190,000 deal into perspective and demonstrate the petty, vindictive nature of this partisan investigation, the study also reveals that Democrats transferred a total of approximately $11 million dollars in soft money from its national parties to fund Texas campaigns in 2002, compared to $5.2 million transferred by Republicans.
I've been watching TV all day and no one has provided this context. I'll keep watching to see if the coverage gets more than fingernail-deep.

Bottom line: Even people who aren't fans of Tom DeLay should show some intellectual honesty and admit that this is an out-of-control prosecutor and a phony charge.

(http://media.nationalreview.com/077804.asp)

Um, just because National Review says its a perfectly legal move--don't make it so, my friend. Rule number 1 of criminal law--you are not allowed to use indirect means to violate the law. You can't bribe a person by 'inadvertently ' leaving a stack of bills where only the intended recipient will find it, or by selling someone something at a reduced price. What the RNC did is what's known as money laundering.

I've got a suprise for you. Tom DeLay has worked out a deal already. It will be kept secret, but it is a deal nonetheless. Expect a nolo contendre plea.

How do I know this? The statute of limitations on criminal conspiracy is 3 years. This indictment is outside the statute of limitations--yet DeLay's attorney agreed to waive the statute of limitations in the case. Assuming that Mr. DeLay has a lawyer worth a shit, (rock-solid assumption here), DeLay got something in return--a single count of criminal consipiracy, for which he agrees to plead nolo contendre (no contest for those of you not reading French Law Latin) (yes there is such a thing). Anyway, watch the spin go on from this point:
(1) DeLay, with great fanfare, demands a "speedy trial" and makes big noise about the "partisan" witch hunt.
(2) The friday before Christmas, DeLay changes his plea to nolo contendre.
(3) Early in the year, DeLay resigns, or announces he's not running again.
(4) DeLay sets up a huge lobbying shop within 4 minutes of the press conference announcing his retirement.
(5) One minute after the lobbying shop is set up, the first check is cashed. . .

He didn't do anything that Democrats haven't already done....many times over. He'll be acquitted.

Which Democrats, when, have violated Texas' anti-corporation contribution law? Acquitted? don't hold your breath.

Well, the talking points coming from the left are saying he prosecutes more Democrats than Republicans. Whether they were laundering money or not, the statistics say Democrats must be more crooked in Texas than the GOP.