Tom DeLay – A Bully Exits a Coward

In the end, rather than take responsibility for his actions and show respect to his former constituents by making a public appearance and statement, Tom DeLay called on his daughter to email a shallow and self-serving note to the media announcing his decision to formally resign from the ballot. The email sent by Danielle DeLay Fero can be seen here. An excerpt is below:

Earlier this year, I resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives and became a resident of the State of Virginia to establish my new business, and where I now legally reside, pay taxes and vote. This decision was and is irrevocable, which I made clear from Day One…As a Virginia resident, I will take the actions necessary to remove my name from the Texas ballot. To do anything else would be hypocrisy.
(DeLay’s Press Statement from Dani DeLay Ferro, emphasis added)

DeLay’s utter hypocrisy and contempt for even Republican primary voters is thrown into relief when you look at his boastful and misleading comments throughout the election. The truth of the matter is that DeLay never wanted voters to decide the election, but instead wanted to handpick a successor. To do so he was manipulative and misleading to his constituents, friends and colleagues.

DeLay before the March 2006 Republican Primary
“In Fort Bend County, DeLay told supporters he will continue to seek re-election this year in his suburban Houston district, where he faces competition in the March party primary and the November general election. ’I plan to run a vigorous campaign, and I plan to win it,’ DeLay told the crowd.“ (The Houston Chronicle, January 8, 2006)

DeLay wins primary and talks tough about Lampson
“Mr. DeLay, attempting to win his House seat a 12th time in Texas' 22nd District, faces former congressman Nick Lampson, a well-financed Democrat, in November. He has campaigned harder in this election than ever before - partly because of the uncertainty surrounding his legal problems.  ‘I'm focused on my district and focused on the election,’ he said,” (The Washington Times, March 23, 2006)

After withdrawing and Renouncing his Texas residency, DeLay’s boasts/threatens that he may run after all
“Former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay told a friendly crowd Friday that Democrats seeking to force him onto the November ballot ‘may get exactly what they want.’" (The Houston Chronicle, July 8, 2006)

A source close to the ex-Congressman tells TIME that DeLay is planning an aggressive campaign to retake the House seat he quit in June if an appeals court lets stand a ruling by a federal judge last week that his name must stay on November's ballot--even though he has moved to Virginia. (Time Magazine, July 17, 2006)

DeLay even misleads his fellow Texas Congressman
“’This whole thing could explode in the Democrats' face,’ says Rep. Jeb Hensarling, Texas Republican. ‘He (DeLay) has indicated that if called back into battle, he'll fight and I'd say his chances of keeping this seat in Republican hands are pretty good.’” (The Washington Times, July 20, 2006)

DeLay’s true intentions revealed
“DeLay could have made it easier for Republicans to hold his seat if he had resigned before the GOP primary in March. But he is said to have decided against doing so because he didn’t want to give local Republican critics who ran in the primary an opportunity to succeed him.” (The Hill, August 9, 2006)