The Rail

Delay Update

2005-10-15T21:26:00.000-05:00

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

Fact check: the DeLay Case

2005-10-14T22:12:00.000-05:00

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

The Rail on Tom DeLay

2005-10-11T09:44:00.000-05:00

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

Blogs VS Journalism

2005-10-11T01:22:00.000-05:00

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

What is a journalist, if not a blogger?

2005-10-10T16:56:00.000-05:00

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

The Miers nomination

2005-10-10T13:49:00.000-05:00

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

Connecting Money to Political Power: Tom DeLay

2005-10-10T12:03:00.000-05:00

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

Thoughts from others on the DeLay indictment

2005-10-09T21:39:00.000-05:00

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.

The Case against Tom DeLay

2005-10-09T20:51:00.000-05:00

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

Did Fox News provide new evidence against Tom DeLay?

2005-10-07T13:15:00.000-05:00

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

More on DeLay's Indictment(s)

2005-10-06T10:21:00.000-05:00

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

Delay's Hail Mary Play

2005-10-05T09:22:00.000-05:00

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

"Big Buy" cameraman has a blog!

2005-10-01T18:37:00.000-05:00

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

Tom Delay's Explanation

2005-10-01T13:52:00.000-05:00

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

Delay addresses the waiver of statute of limitations

2005-09-30T18:57:00.000-05:00

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

An Attorney's take on the Delay waiver

2005-09-30T13:05:00.000-05:00

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

Tom Delay's waiver of the statute of limitations is important

2005-09-30T10:02:00.000-05:00

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

One Question for Tom Delay

2005-09-29T21:52:00.000-05:00

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

Blanco's free pass

2005-09-29T12:20:00.000-05:00

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

Sometimes there is a better way to look at things

2005-09-29T00:14:00.000-05:00

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

Delay is History

2005-09-28T20:39:00.000-05:00

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

Reporting becomes "out of control" rumor mill

2005-09-28T19:08:00.000-05:00

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

Big opportunity to whack FEMA's Brown doesn't materialize

2005-09-28T17:43:00.000-05:00

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

Questions and Answers

2005-09-27T23:44:00.000-05:00

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

Levees a WATERloo?

2005-09-26T10:44:00.000-05:00

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

A Brilliant Political Strategy -- Redux

2005-09-25T23:56:00.000-05:00

Right after Katrina hit New Orleans, I sarcastically outlined a political strategy that Louisiana Politicians would likely pursue.Among other things, I noted:New Orleans could well get those new Category 5 levees. A 28-foot wall would surround city, but that really won’t be the issue. It is a matter of who gets blame, and who gets credit.With much self-blame, the Congress will likely simply

Political Truth VS Scientific Fact

2005-09-25T23:03:00.000-05:00

Well now Streisand, the eminent climatologist, has finally pronounced an end to the Global Warming Controversy!With science behind her, I’m not sure why it is even worth any further discussion. Other than the discussion is purely a political issue and has little to do with science. Politicians and celebrities take great liberties with facts.Political debate has few rules. As a politician, you

Punditry Party

2005-09-25T22:01:00.000-05:00

Since starting this blog, I’ve wanted to say a few things about the penchant for punditry over facts on the cable news networks. I’ve hinted at it, even mentioned my disdain for grabbing two “experts” at opposites ends of the political spectrum and letting them argue about something in lieu of an intellectual presentation of facts.My problem has always been writing about the subject while using

New Hurricane -- same issues

2005-09-21T22:31:00.000-05:00

Last month, the night before Hurricane Katrina rolled into New Orleans, I ruminated a bit about Hurricanes and the Media.I tried to explain the fascination reporters have with Hurricanes:Try to think of any other disaster that gives you two or three days notice. Wouldn’t the press be camped out, if they knew when the next earthquake or tornado was going to strike. For that matter, if they had a

Tyrannosaurus Rather - Last of his kind?

2005-09-21T15:14:00.000-05:00

When the last Tyrannosaurus Rex bellowed his last threatening roar, did he know he was the last of his kind and that no other “T-Rex” would mourn his passing?At that moment, T-Rex was oblivious that the world was not as he knew it, and that it would never be again. Once dominant, now the last defeated dinosaur, T-Rex could not survive CHANGE.The modern T-Rex, Monolithic Autocratic Oracles known

We should all be Pork Busters

2005-09-19T22:45:00.000-05:00

Conservatism is more than a mindset and more than wordsIt is EASY to talk about cutting the federal budget. But words are a meaningless exercise, unless you can talk specifics.Simply saying the budget can be cut to pay for the reconstruction in the aftermath won’t cut it. If we expect the politicians to make hard choices, it really is incumbent on us, to speak with specificity.Michelle Malkin

Is CNN still on the Air?

2005-09-19T17:13:00.000-05:00

My remote control doesn't go there anymore.Stephen Spruiell of NRO’s Media Blog, gave me reason to think about CNN, a week after I had given it up for lost.Honest, I had taken all of it that I could stand for the next twelve months, and was hoping I wouldn’t have a need to think about Wolf Blitzer and “the Situation Room until the kids are out of college or the next presidential election which

The politics of Truth

2005-09-17T19:55:00.000-05:00

The subtitle for this blog is the Politics of Truth. It is a subject in which I have more than a passing interest. I have been a politician, and have dealt with political types for quite some time.The issues that elected officials face with facts are fascinating to me. I’ve said it earlier, there are some facts that are undeniable, but politically can never be uttered. Those truths are simply

Rushing them back into the Big Easy

2005-09-17T19:12:00.000-05:00

NOLA Mayor Nagin is in a big toot to begin the process of bringing his city “back to life.” He’s professed the desire to have jazz back in the streets as opposed to helicopters in the air, and in the effort is looking to have nearly 200,000 returnees (as opposed to evacuees) in the next couple of weeks.It is an admirable effort to bring the city back to life. And there are several reasons it is

Louisiana Officials indicted before Katrina hit?

2005-09-17T16:48:00.000-05:00

The heading of this posting is not mine; it is the headline from the Los Angeles Times this morning. The Times is finally picking up on an issue which has been underreported everywhere.A few tasty snips from the article:Senior officials in Louisiana's emergency planning agency already were awaiting trial over allegations stemming from a federal investigation into waste, mismanagement and missing

No room to cut budgets in Washington?

2005-09-14T17:20:00.000-05:00

Even if it were true, which it isn’t, saying that there is NO fat left in the federal budget is just plain stupid.No, a liberal didn’t say it.No, a Democrat didn’t say it.Tom Delay said it:As reported in the Washington Times.House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said yesterday that Republicans have done so well in cutting spending that he declared an "ongoing victory," and said there is simply no fat

A critical rescue in New Orleans (Not)

2005-09-13T22:35:00.000-05:00

A critical rescue of a Congressman’s personal property?Was this an important task in the height of the crisis, for the Louisiana National Guard?ABC News reports:Amid the chaos and confusion that engulfed New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck, a local congressman used National Guard troops to check on his property and rescue his personal belongings -- even while New Orleans residents were

The next legacy for Katrina will be fraud

2005-09-13T15:49:00.000-05:00

After the disaster, where does the media go next?Blame of course.We’ve certainly seen much of that. Next after blame is coverage of the relief delivery – and reconstruction.After that, come the media stories about fraud. Wasn’t it a few weeks ago, that we heard stories of FEMA paying for funerals of people where weren’t victims of last year’s Hurricanes?And of course in the past week or so,

The Politics of Katrina II

2005-09-11T18:23:00.000-05:00

The political fall out from Hurricane Katrina could lead to a nasty several years of bickering and back biting in Louisiana and could accelerate an on going shift in that state’s political make up.Last week, I explored the politics of Katrina ruminating about the impact of the evacuation of the heavily Democratic New Orleans. Others are now talking about the same issue, albeit quietly, as in

Levee breaks hours BEFORE Katrina makes landfall!

2005-09-11T13:57:00.000-05:00

The facts are stunning, as outlined in this Knight Ridder story. (registration required)An alternative link to a rewrite of the original story that doesn't require registration.Update: 2:15pm 9/13 Wall Street Journal looks at delays in reporting levee breaks.The collapse in New Orleans’ 17th Street canal levee occurred as early as 3 a.m., hours before Hurricane Katrina battered its way onto the

A Katrina timeline that tells a tale

2005-09-10T19:20:00.000-05:00

A Katrina timeline that tells a taleYou think you know all you need to know, from watching the news and scanning the web. And though collectively, we know a lot, you just can’t get a grasp of all that went on, and all that is known until you can see it in some organized fashion.Rick Moran at Rightwing Nuthouse has put together an outstanding Timeline on the Katrina response. It is a

Katrina from the the front

2005-09-10T16:09:00.000-05:00

Ah, a blessed pair of days off coming up. I've had one day off since the Tuesday before the storm (which was a Monday).My place has been condemned, so I need to pack, basically, and if I have time find a place to live so I don't end up in a trailer park. My car is dying. I need to get on line at the bank for money too. Ah, a relaxing couple of days.Although Mike did just call to say he had found

Who is winning , CNN or FOX

2005-09-09T22:56:00.000-05:00

Who is winning the ratings battle? CNN or FOX?Frankly, at the moment CNN has clearly made gains. But, that happens during every disaster. And in the end, FOX continues to win the war.The recent Pew Report, which includes a question about where people get most of their information about Hurricane Katrina, is creating a bit of a buzz across the blogs.The OPINION Poll shows CNN as the leader among

More on Levees

2005-09-08T08:42:00.000-05:00

So much has been made about the failure to upgrade the levies in New Orleans. Both media and politicians seem to be charging in the direction of blaming Washington and Budget cuts on the levee failure.Is it possible that there are other reasons levees weren’t upgraded? No story is a simple as “George Bush did it,”Environmental groups have a long history of opposing levee projects, including

People are not Sheep

2005-09-08T00:56:00.000-05:00

Today’s news theme:"There are people in New Orleans who don’t want to leave their homes, even though it is clearly dangerous and STUPID to stay there."I guess I’ve seen the story fifty times today on all major networks. Is it surprising, that some folks would resist the idea of leaving the only thing of value they have? And for some of them, staying at home rather than going to the super dome

A brilliant Political Strategy

2005-09-07T21:16:00.000-05:00

New Orleans could well get those new Category 5 levees. A 28-foot wall would surround city, but that really won’t be the issue. It is a matter of who gets blame, and who gets credit.The US Senate is going to take the President’s proposed 50 Billion dollar supplemental appropriation, and raise it. Majority Leader Frist is talking 100 Billion. That of course pushed the Senate Minority Leader Reid

The politics of Katrina

2005-09-06T10:12:00.000-05:00

It is complicated. And will be complicated for years. But already, politics are driving a lot of the coverage, if not actions, related to Katrina.Seems like every day some analysis is done over the political fall out for George Bush. Important to remember, he won’t be on the ballot again. That is not to say that there isn’t significant national level politics entangled in this disaster. Senator

Readers speak

2005-09-04T16:07:00.000-05:00

An extremely illuminating post on the situation in New Orleans on a blog that focuses on music. Thoughts on Hurricane Katrina and New OrleansDefinitely worth the read, as well as his comment on this page.

The Levee Issue

2005-09-04T10:13:00.000-05:00

A prediction, levees and the levee breaks are going to be extremely big news in the next few weeks. We’ve already heard some of it. And frankly a lot of the news will likely criticize the failure to upgrade them. But, the levees are going to be big news because the body count will be significant. And the outcry will grow, as tragic discoveries of people drowning in their homes will be

A maelstrom

2005-09-03T21:35:00.000-05:00

A maelstrom unintentionally engagedReally, I didn’t think I was assaulting CNN or defending Fox News and certainly wasn’t trying to defend or attack the Bush administration when I posted "Are CNN and Fox covering the same disaster?" on Thursday afternoon. The battle between “CNN apologists” and “Bush Administration apologists” hadn’t even fired off.Watching both Fox and CNN simultaneously during

An Education in Blogging

2005-09-02T21:06:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, I posted a little critique of the differing approaches of CNN and Fox on the Katrina disaster coverage. And was suddenly called on to deal with a pressing project. Didn’t think much about it, worked all night returning home about seven this morning.There were signs of blogger interest in the post, with a little burst in traffic, but I was beat and took a nap. The nap lasted

Are CNN and Fox covering the same disaster?

2005-09-01T15:09:00.000-05:00

Impressed at one moment, unimpressed at another.Generally, I’ve been pretty impressed with the network news coverage of Katrina provided by both CNN and Fox. Today, the media coverage of this tragedy devolved into the worst of the worst on one network, and the best of the best on the other.The contrast of the coverage from CNN and Fox watched simultaneously was stark, and disturbing.CNN: Anchor

A better day in NOLA

2005-08-31T22:13:00.000-05:00

A better day in NOLAMost probably wouldn’t know it, but the tide literally turns in New Orleans tonight. Much like a neophyte driver, the media tends to over correct as it swerves through a story, too optimistic, too pessimistic, too understated and too much hyperbole.Remember as Katrina was bearing down on New Orleans? “Category 5, the worst nightmare of the century,” became “New Orleans

One question answered!

2005-08-30T22:17:00.000-05:00

Sometimes all you have to do is ask! When it comes to New Orleans and my last post, ESPN at least answered one of my questions!

Stunned in the Big Easy

2005-08-30T17:52:00.000-05:00

Stunned in the Big EasyI’ve been riveted to the television as Katrina rolled through the gulf coast, including New Orleans. I have a special interest, being a resident of New Orleans who survived Camille’s blast in 1969.The drama that unfolded Monday made everything else unimportant. Cindy Sheehan, Al Sharpton, Al Sharpton’s 110 mile an hour cruise to the airport … nothing spurred my interest in

Hurricanes and the Media

2005-08-28T16:57:00.000-05:00

Why Hurricanes are such media eventsReporting careers are made with good hurricane reporting. Ratings grow as Hurricanes roll. And the media can’t help but convert to wall-to-wall coverage every time one starts to develop in our hemisphere. Why?Try to think of any other disaster that gives you two or three days notice. Wouldn’t the press be camped out, if they knew when the next earthquake or

New Orleans in the sights of Katrina

2005-08-27T19:13:00.000-05:00

New Orleans in the Sights of KatrinaCamille. I haven’t heard or thought about that Hurricane in years. Yet it still sticks with me. A memory that is hard to forget even though it has been 36 years. I lived in New Orleans (Gretna, actually), when that category 5 monster rolled out of the Gulf of Mexico. Barely missed us, and ripped into Biloxi and Gulfport. But If I had known then what I know

Money in Politics

2005-08-27T13:15:00.000-05:00

Money in PoliticsBarely a week into my first blog, I’ve created a new parallel blog which is solely focused on Politics and Money. I have a lot of experience with money and politics at the highest levels. Frankly, I thought that I would be using this blog for a rather detailed discussion of that issue, but as I got into the blogging, I realized how the topic could be lost in other discussions I

Who is calling the shots for Cindy?

2005-08-26T16:51:00.000-05:00

Who is calling the shots for Cindy???In an earlier post (the media are like cattle) I asked the question as to whether Cindy Sheehan was the instigator of Camp Casey or whether someone like moveon.org was behind the media machine.Comes news out of San Francisco exploring the PR machine behind Cindy Sheehan and SURPRISE! The people running the show are familiar. According to coverage by the ABC

CNN is Hurricane Headquarters!

2005-08-26T14:28:00.000-05:00

CNN is Hurricane Headquarters?I wonder how this will affect “The Situation Room?” Katrina is gathering strength again in the Gulf of Mexico and barreling toward the panhandle of Florida. And, there’s a possibility that once it makes landfall, she could continue north and roll through Atlanta. Is this why the promotion people at CNN have rolled out the snazzy new graphic declaring CNN as Hurricane

Cindy Sheehan or Katrina?

2005-08-25T18:02:00.000-05:00

Cindy Sheehan or Katrina (the Hurricane), which is bigger news? I thought it was no contest. Hurricanes are always big news. First for reporters who flock to the strike zone to expand and enhance their reporting resume. Second for editors and producers who need good video, lots of action, and an opportunity for the news desk anchor to intone in ominous words about the serious nature of the

The Media are like cattle

2005-08-24T22:40:00.000-05:00

The Media are like cattle – It doesn’t take brilliance to start a stampede!Is it me? Or do some of these major news crises seem contrived – even organized? Of course Cindy Sheehan comes to mind immediately. I’m trying to figure out if Cindy Sheehan was first – or MoveOn.org was the first player in this Crawford Texas soap opera.I see that Joe Wilson is clawing his way back into the spotlight,

The Rail

2005-08-24T19:51:00.000-05:00

The RailI’m not exactly the techno type. Those who know me would be surprised that I am “blogging.” But you can only shout your opinions at the television for so long before you decide it is a wasted effort unless SOMEONE at least has a chance to peruse your thoughts. So here I am.I’ll surely be topical in this effort. And I choose to keep my identity closely held for the freedom it provides