And so the mighty hammer has fallen. Tom DeLay announces he will resign from Congress.
Good-bye, good riddance.
No matter what spin he puts on the decision, we all know why DeLay's resigning. Two reasons.
One, he knows that, if he stayed in the race, he would lose in November. In other words, he's chicken.
He's afraid to stay and fight.
So he quits now, in order to save himself the embarrassment of losing. And in the hope that, by allowing the governor to call a special election, Republicans will be able to hold onto his congressional seat.
The second reason Tom DeLay quit is: he knows he's in deep doo-doo, legally.
It's no coincidence that DeLay's resignation comes only two days after one of his top aides, Tony Rudy, pleaded guilty to taking bribes from lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
That makes two DeLay cronies in Washington - and three in Texas - who have pled guilty. They were running a crime ring out of DeLay's office - and it's hard to believe that DeLay didn't know what was going on.
Whatever happens next, DeLay's resignation is good for the Congress - and good for the country.
Good for Congress because he was the poster boy for congressional corruption: more interested in lining his own pockets than serving the public. With him gone, maybe Congress can begin to clean up its own reputation.
And DeLay's departure is good for the country - because he represents the worst of American politics: a man who reeks of hate, greed, hypocrisy, false piety, and crime.
Tom DeLay. America is better off with him out of office.