A pair of liberal political action groups are using TV and the Terri Schiavo tragedy to beat up on House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, in a bid to shame Congress into ousting the Texas Republican from his leadership position.
"Tom DeLay can't wash his hands of corruption by involving Congress in one family's personal tragedy. ... But Congress can certainly wash its hands of Tom DeLay," says the narrator of one new television ad, in reference to Mrs. Schiavo, who died earlier today. Another urges lawmakers to "clean up Congress – without DeLay."
The two groups – the Public Campaign Action Fund and The Campaign for America's Future – together have spent about $100,000 to produce two television ads they plan to run in the home districts of Rep. Doc Hastings of Washington, Rep. Tom Reynolds of New York and Rep. Rob Simmons of Connecticut, as well as Washington, D.C. and DeLay's Houston-based district, the St. Petersburg Times reports.
DeLay - known in D.C. as "The Hammer" - has been under investigation by a grand jury in Texas for alleged improprieties including, the paper reported, "seeking campaign donations from a Kansas electric company while the House energy committee was considering a relevant bill; pressuring FAA officials to help track Texas Democratic lawmakers who left the state to prevent a vote on redistricting; and offering to endorse the congressional candidacy of U.S. Rep. Nick Smith's son if Smith would reverse his vote on Medicare prescription drugs."
So far he has yet to be indicted, but three political fundraisers with ties to him have been. Also, the Washington Post has since raised new allegations: That dubious sources paid for trips he took to Britain and South Korea. Finally, the House Ethics Commitee has rebuked him three times since charges were first raised.
Nevertheless, airing of the advertisements - which will no doubt raise hackles of a number of Americans - are set to run just days after Terri Schiavo, 41, died of starvation at the Pinellas County, Fla. hospice where she was staying. State Judge George Greer ordered her feeding tube removed 13 days ago after agreeing with her now-widowed husband, Michael, that in her brain-damaged state she would beyond rehabilitation.
Terri had been disabled since collapsing with a mysterious illness in 1990.
As for DeLay, spokesman Dan Allen told the Times the ads were simply the "latest attack on a well-organized effort to move America forward."
DeLay himself blames politics for all the fuss. "It is very unfortunate that the Democrats have no agenda. All they can do is try to tear down the House and burn it down in order to gain power," he told The Associated Press.
