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On Monday House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) opened a privately-run
foster home project for abused and neglected children. Sounds good, right?
But as
we know, in DeLay's world, no deed (good or bad) comes without kickbacks:
The project was built by Perry Homes, which is owned by Bob Perry - the main
financier of the so-called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Perry also donated
some $350,000 to DeLay's various PACs in the 2002 cycle, and kicked in
another
$10,000 for his legal defense fund. The first phase of the project, which
includes eight homes, will cost about $8 million, and the completion of the
second
phase will boost costs to $25 million.
[link]
And speaking of shady deals on DeLay's watch: A state district judge refused
to drop charges against two of DeLay's associates yesterday. John Colyandro,
who worked for Texans for a Republican Majority (TRMPAC), is charged with
money laundering and 13 counts of accepting illegal political contributions.
Jim Ellis, a former employee of Americans for a Republican Majority
(ARMPAC), is facing a charge of money laundering. All charges stem from the
2002 elections,
when it appears that nearly $200,000 in corporate donations was funneled to
Texas state legislative candidates, a violation of Texas state law.
[link]
President Bush has been trying to talk the talk about spending restraint
lately, but he certainly hasn't walked the walk: Today Bush plans to sign
the massive
highway bill into law - $286.4 billion price tag and all. The bill, passed
by the Republican-controlled Congress, contains over 6,000 special pet
projects
valued at over $9 billion. The White House had initially threatened to veto
the bill if spending got out of hand, which raises the question: Just what
would that bill look like?
[link]
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Morning Snark
List of 2 items
How else will DeLay leave an imprint on his foster home project? Here's
guessing all the TVs will receive only FOX News.
Did Bob Perry receive the DeLay contract after he released a video unfairly
smearing all other building companies in the Houston area? Or were his
$350,000
in political contributions enough to do the job?