Down Goes Delay!

by Cenk Uygur

Down goes DeLay! Down goes DeLay! Down goes DeLay!

The Hammer is down and out! It's a good day to be an American.

If I sound festive, that's because I am. One of the cornerstones of Republican corruption and fundamentalism has been knocked out. Greed is not good. Justice does prevail. There is hope in the world.

For six long years, a lot of us have been asking, "How long can this go on?" It seemed like there was never going to be any check on these out of control Republicans running the country into the ground. Now, it looks like the American system does work after all.

Let me be the first to say -- before DeLay even announces his resignation -- that he is not resigning because he wants to spend more time with his family. It might very well be because he needs to spend more time in prison.

Last week, prosecutors were singing the praises of Jack Abramoff in open court, telling a judge in one of his cases how cooperative he has been with federal prosecutors. They weren't that enthused because he had turned over Bob frickin' Ney.

No way DeLay steps down unless they've nailed him. What, he was afraid of a tough electoral fight in November? It's inconceivable that would scare him away.
No matter what the reason though, today is indisputably a good day in America. I am most proud of the local and federal prosecutors who were not shy in pursuing these cases of corruption no matter where they led. They were not deterred by significant political intimidation. It appears they fought for justice and the American way, and in so doing, preserved those ideals.

It's great to see that there are men of honor left in the country. When all is said and done, real American heroes are going to found out of the rubble of this administration. The Justice Department lawyers that stepped down rather than follow illegal orders. Military commanders who retired early rather than carry out loathsome commands. Prosecutors who insisted on following the law and enforcing the American justice system.

With Libby, Abramoff, Safavian and DeLay out for the count, justice is on the comeback trail. Now, it's America 4, Bad Guys 6 (Rumsfeld, Gonzalez, Rove, Frist, Cheney, Bush). But give us time. I hear the sweet sound of justice rolling down the road. And it sounds like music to my ears.