DeLay Keeps Spinning Partisan Politics, But Grand Jury Foreman Disagrees

[JABBS]

In his latest attempt to spin criminal conspiracy charges, Tom DeLay (R-TX) told Fox News Sunday that the charge against him was trumped up by Texas Democrats, led by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle.

If you're keeping score, DeLay has now blamed the charge against him on Earle being partisan (Earle was also called a "nut" by a Fox News judicial analyst), on Texas Democrats in general, and on an editorial in an Austin newspaper.

Why lash out with spin, spin, spin? Even if he is convicted, DeLay wants to win in the court of public opinion -- or at least the party faithful watching Fox News. They're the ones who will decide whether the GOP maintains control of Congress in 2006 and the presidency in 2008.

Spinning the charges into a partisan fight clouds the issue -- the question of partisanship shares the news stage with the actual case against him. Even if DeLay loses his battle with Earle, the party faithful are more likely to buy the claim that DeLay was a victim of a witch hunt, and continue voting Republican.

And as for the truth?

William Gibson, foreman of the Travis County grand jury that indicted DeLay, said in an interview Sunday that partisan politics played no part in the panel's deliberations and that Earle didn't try to influence its thinking.

"We were presented with enough evidence for an indictment to be issued," said Gibson, who declined to elaborate.

Gibson, a Democrat, said the 12-member grand jury was composed of "a mixture of Republicans, Democrats and independents who were not hand picked." Nine votes were needed to indict, and he said "the vote wasn't even close."

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DeLay is charged with one count of criminal conspiracy in an alleged scheme to launder corporate donations through the Republican National Committee for distribution to seven Republican candidates for the Texas Legislature. Texas law prohibits corporate donations to state political candidates or their campaigns.

If convicted, DeLay could face up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

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This item first appeared at Journalists Against Bush's B.S.