The Rail

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-157663052026-01-18T02:05:28.885-06:00The RailThe politics of truth.Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1129429574887171632005-10-15T21:26:00.000-05:002005-10-15T21:27:36.953-05:00Delay Update

There’s much news in this AP storyHere are the highlights without commentAUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Attorneys for two co-defendants of Rep. Tom DeLay made it clear Friday they're not in the same rush to get to trial as the former House majority leader and they want to distance themselves in other ways as well.The defense team for Jim Ellis and John Colyandro is hoping to persuade appeals courts to

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1129345938384162292005-10-14T22:12:00.000-05:002005-10-14T22:14:34.670-05:00Fact check: the DeLay Case

It is important to test the claims of lawyers who make their case in the media rather than in court. Tom DeLay and his attorneys have engaged in a major publicity campaign – and now DeLay is going beyond press conferences and interview shows. He’s spending his campaign funds in the effort to fight a battle that won’t be decided in the court of public opinion."Help Tom fight back," reads one of

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1129041863330827212005-10-11T09:44:00.000-05:002005-10-11T09:45:03.006-05:00The Rail on Tom DeLay

Over the course of the last few weeks, The Rail has written extensively on the Tom DeLay issue: Because those posts are not organized in any particular fashion and are now hard to find, I’ve listed them here in a summary page.Posts are listed from first to most recent:9/28/2005 DeLay is History9/29/2005 One Question for Tom DeLay9/30/2005 The waiver of the statute of limitations is

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1129011731910926832005-10-11T01:22:00.000-05:002005-10-11T01:23:46.926-05:00Blogs VS Journalism

I’ve opined on this issue. But couldn’t resist further exploration of the contrast of Blogging and Journalism.It appears that Yahoo is moving to elevate Blogging as a news source.Yahoo News, the world's most popular Internet media destination, is set to begin testing on Tuesday an expanded news search system that includes not only news stories and blogs but also user-contributed photos and

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128981419160310472005-10-10T16:56:00.000-05:002005-10-10T17:27:40.006-05:00What is a journalist, if not a blogger?

My training is journalism. My profession is political. I am also a blogger.When I write my blog, am I acting as a journalist?Richard Lugar doesn't think so.As currently written, a proposed Federal Shield Law would not apply to Bloggers, or other writers, unless they are affiliated with:“a newspaper, book, magazine, or other periodical in print or electronic form; operates a radio or television

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128970166582162622005-10-10T13:49:00.000-05:002005-10-10T13:50:02.783-05:00The Miers nomination

I admit to have been pretty buried in the Tom DeLay indictment issue, to the extent of ignoring most if not all other news. The reaction of the more strident members of the conservative right, and increasingly not-so-strident factions to the nomination is fascinating.I am a Conservative Republican, though some may question me on my DeLay opinions, who leans toward pragmatic efforts to achieve

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128963812320134322005-10-10T12:03:00.000-05:002005-10-10T12:05:04.816-05:00Connecting Money to Political Power: Tom DeLay

The Tom DeLay—TRMPAC indictments tell a very interesting story about Money and Political Power. I believe, whether convicted or not, the indictment of Tom DeLay spells the end of his political power franchise. And that fall will likely take down others who have been using the same tactics as DeLay Inc.Today’s Austin-Statesman has an Op-Ed, which provided an opening for a discussion of Money and

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128911951676007542005-10-09T21:39:00.000-05:002005-10-09T22:03:58.956-05:00Thoughts from others on the DeLay indictment

Resonant Information does a nice job breaking down the second indictment of Tom DeLay.The Austin Statesman runs through the evidence with two attorneys directly involved in the TRMPAC litigation. And maybe Ronnie Earle isn’t the only thorn in Tom DeLay's life.

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128909061039992802005-10-09T20:51:00.000-05:002005-10-09T21:09:44.876-05:00The Case against Tom DeLay

Tom DeLay has hired an outstanding defense team. And both DeLay and his attorneys have been in a full court PR spin campaign, even before a Judge has been appointed to the case.Among other things, DeLay’s camp has professed that they intend to fight the charges head on, on the merits, and not trying to win on technicalities.They have now filed two motions to quash the indictment. The first

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128708941498915512005-10-07T13:15:00.000-05:002005-10-07T13:24:57.600-05:00Did Fox News provide new evidence against Tom DeLay?

Today’s Washington Post details information about a meeting between Tom DeLay and one of his alleged co-conspirators on October 2, 2002, the same day the Republican National State Committee authorized checks for Texas Republicans that “coincided” with payments received from TRMPAC.They note a difference between DeLay’s explanation of that meeting and the explanation provided Jim Ellis. DeLay’s

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128612067513054602005-10-06T10:21:00.000-05:002005-10-06T10:21:07.550-05:00More on DeLay's Indictment(s)

The Statute of Limitations issue surfaces againFor the first time, there is an acknowledgment that a deal existed between Ronnie Earle and Tom DeLay involving the waiver of the statute of limitations.The Dallas Morning News quotes Earle about the effort to add charges of money laundering against DeLay. To me the notable information in the statement from Earle is that the waiver of the statute of

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128522157703033602005-10-05T09:22:00.000-05:002005-10-05T09:27:10.970-05:00Delay's Hail Mary Play

Monday was an interesting day at the Travis County Courthouse.Tom Delay’s legal team tried to pull off the legal equivalent of a “Hail Mary” pass in a move to get the original indictment thrown out.It was a bold move that failed.Delay’s attorneys filed a motion to quash and dismiss the indictment of Tom Delay with an order ready for the judge to sign. There was also a letter to Earle calling on

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128209840309159762005-10-01T18:37:00.000-05:002005-10-01T18:38:54.423-05:00"Big Buy" cameraman has a blog!

Star of NRO and Delay Indictments – “Big Buy” cameraman has a blog!I haven’t had any time to peruse the months of posting, but here’s a man who has had a lot of access to Ronnie Earle over the last 18 months, and has written about it.A snippet of his post about the Earle and Delay press conferences in Austin that caught my eye: I have gotten to know Ronnie a slight bit through shooting with Mark

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128192725702909862005-10-01T13:52:00.000-05:002005-10-01T14:12:49.083-05:00Tom Delay's Explanation

Yesterday, I posted Mr. Delay’s explanation for his inexplicable decision to waive the statute of limitations on criminal conspiracy.DELAY: I was sort of extorted out of that. Ronnie Earle let my lawyers know last week that I was going to be indicted because he had a runaway grand jury and that he was not going to go in and talked him out of it unless I waive my statute of limitations rights for

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128124644409653952005-09-30T18:57:00.000-05:002005-09-30T21:36:33.070-05:00Delay addresses the waiver of statute of limitations

Okay, I missed it yesterday. I was bowling.You learn something new every day when you are blogging.Tom Delay has addressed the issue of waiving his statute of limitations. It was in a Fox News interview with Brit Hume yesterday.Read the whole transcript please, but here’s the operative section of his discussion of the waiver issue:HUME: At a point here you decided to waive the statute of

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128103538496782522005-09-30T13:05:00.000-05:002005-09-30T14:34:38.876-05:00An Attorney's take on the Delay waiver

There are a few folks out there talking about Tom Delay’s waiver of the statute of limitations.Crime and Federalism predicted the Tom Delay would enter a guilty plea by the end of the year, and has clear knowledge and experience with the practice he calls charge bargaining.So why am I so sure he'll plead? A line in the indictment notes that his lawyer waived the statute of limitations on the

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128092534942908642005-09-30T10:02:00.000-05:002005-09-30T10:03:51.013-05:00Tom Delay's waiver of the statute of limitations is important

Tom Delay’s waiver of the statute of limitations is importantHere’s why.Because he voluntarily gave the prosecutor the ability to indict him. Such a waiver is a written agreement, developed through negotiations between the prosecuting office and counsel for the person entering into the agreement.No one signs an agreement like that, without receiving something in return. No attorney would allow a

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128048770714052562005-09-29T21:52:00.000-05:002005-09-29T21:56:28.983-05:00One Question for Tom Delay

Why did you WAIVE the statute of limitations on the felony for which you have been indicted?Without the waiver, you could not have been indicted.Is there something we should know, that you haven’t told us?Beginning after the image of the check at the bottom of this page, and concluding at the top of this pageTHE GRAND JURY FURTHER PRESENTS that, with the advice and consent of counsel, the

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1128014409889332342005-09-29T12:20:00.000-05:002005-09-29T13:01:12.780-05:00Blanco's free pass

There’s a sense of outrage at the Senate Finance Committee’s decision to give Louisiana Governor Blanco a free pass yesterday. Malkin and others are not particularly happy about it.No questions on her feckless performance in the Katrina aftermath?I look at it a different way. This whole episode is yet more evidence of Blanco’s incompetence, or the incompetence of her advisors, and how it affects

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1127970888282978692005-09-29T00:14:00.000-05:002005-09-29T00:28:43.743-05:00Sometimes there is a better way to look at things

I get SO wrapped up in my blogging at times that I completely lose my sense of humor, and perspective. Right now, all the noise about hurricanes, Supreme Court justices, scandals and the mainstream media has me deeply buried in a funk.When that happens I usually wander over to the World according to Tish. Her blog invariably offers a sharp wit and a fresh take on issues. In other words she makes

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1127957985534537372005-09-28T20:39:00.000-05:002005-09-28T21:25:05.696-05:00Delay is History

The good conservative thing to do right now is to rally around Tom Delay. Many blogs are doing it; many politicians are doing it. But there is an ugly reality – and ignoring it only delays the inevitable on Tom Delay.What’s happening right now is a retirement gathering where wonderful words of support are spoken, while people quietly begin maneuvering for that corner office once occupied by the

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1127952484454294832005-09-28T19:08:00.000-05:002005-09-28T19:10:52.166-05:00Reporting becomes "out of control" rumor mill

Jonah Goldberg (NRO) takes a candid look at the news breakdown in the aftermath of Katrina, even acknowledging that we all seemed to take the worst hook line and sinker. All of the major newspapers contributed to the hysterical environment, passing on one unconfirmed rumor after another. And, to be fair, almost everyone else in one way or another contributed to the climate as well. The

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1127947412570266622005-09-28T17:43:00.000-05:002005-09-28T17:45:21.893-05:00Big opportunity to whack FEMA's Brown doesn't materialize

Don’t you wonder why, given the big chance, Louisiana Governor Blanco didn’t rip former FEMA head Michael Brown? One day after Brown’s testimony before a House Select Committee, Blanco was before a Senate committeeIn her opening statement, Blanco did not mention former FEMA director Michael Brown, who on Tuesday had blamed state and local officials in Louisiana for not responding appropriately

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1127882699083169172005-09-27T23:44:00.000-05:002005-09-28T13:03:33.673-05:00Questions and Answers

Sometimes a question answered speaks volumes beyond the original question.Any GOOD politician will only ask questions for which the answers are known. To ask something you cannot answer begs an opportunity for the questionee to make a point you didn’t expect and couldn’t control. There’s a lot of risk in that moment in the political sun, especially if your hearings are televised.To me, the moment

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15766305.post-1127749452751562172005-09-26T10:44:00.000-05:002005-09-26T10:45:31.510-05:00Levees a WATERloo?

Levees a WATERloo for the environmental movement?There’s been a notable silence from the environmental community lately. Early on in the Katrina disaster, there was a little noise about the need for wetlands as a way to minimize storm surge. Even that has dissipated lately.The Wall Street Journal has an op-ed today that looks further at environmental lawsuits and their role in the failure to

Capitol Junkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01053746149943791234noreply@blogger.com