Swift Boating Ronny Earle

A bit of trivia about Ronnie Earle, the prosecutor who brought the indictment against Tom Delay: He has brought charges against fifteen political figures. How many of them have been Democrats (his own party, by the way)?

Did you answer thirteen? I got that figure from the Houston Chronicle, not exactly the most liberal of rags, days after Delay was indicted. Now, poor little Tommy, caught with his hand in the cookie jar, is responding by attempting to trash the one who caught him. Delay, long known for his ethics (investigated how many times by the House ethics committee before he tried to change the rules so he couldn't be investigated?) is claiming that it's all a political smear and using the entire affair to raise funds for his campaign.

I'm just glad the judge in the case didn't let poor little Tommy get by with a drive-by booking. I was hoping for a perp walk but I guess some things are just too much to hope for, like a winning ticket in Wednesday's Powerball drawing. "Join thousands of conservatives across the country in the fight against liberal DA Ronnie Earle," recipients of a Delay e-mail are asked, even though thirteen of his fifteen indictments against political figures have been against members of his own party. The swift boating continues: I didn't do it and even if I did, my opponent is worse.

Some have theorized that Delay is attempting to queer the pitch with his ads. By constantly appearing as the long-suffering, innocent, wronged jerrymanderer of Texas, he can influence the jury pool in his favor or at least prejudice enough thinking people that he gets a jury that can't understand the phrase white collar criminal. And trying to raise a buck in the process.