Delay-ing tactics.

The GOP is now backing off from protecting Tom Delay from an ethics investigation. The timing and pattern of events lead me to believe that there is an underlying scheme in play.

Delay's done. He's too tainted to keep. But that doesn't mean he isn't still useful. The GOP has played the controversy like an organ. With every new Delay scandal, they show even more support and the Democrats scream "foul" even louder. This has been building up for months, and now in stereo with the identical furor over the UN ambassador nomination. It's a crescendo of obfuscation.

And lost in the noise is Bush. Particularly his budget. Billions given to energy corporations, Alaska open for drilling, more billions for a war that was "accomplished" two years ago, and the costs being defered to future generations. Also lost is the losing campaign by Bush to convince America a looted Social Security program is better than a secure Social Security plan. And going unheard is the new laws taking away workers' rights in court, the chaos still in the streets of Iraq, and the gathering of nations to ally against U.S. interests. Not to mention all the other problems I can't think of right now.

The Dems are gonna keep getting manipulated like this until they back up, get a plan, and find a ballsy leader who will speak in language that most Americans can bet behind. Until then, they're gonna keep falling for these smokescreens.