Let's juxtapose two damning facts: In 2003, when Democratic Texas legislators bolted the state to try to block Tom DeLay's unprecedented congressional redistricting plan, the majority leader instantly mobilized the Department of Homeland Security to track down his enemies. Links
here, and
here, and
here.
Second fact: Louisiana state of emergency declared on Friday, Aug. 26. On Monday, FEMA asked Homeland Security if it might be okay to get 1,000 staffers ready to go to La. in a couple of days. See Think Progress timeline.
Within minutes or hours of the quorum-busting Democrats disappearance, Tom DeLay and others helping Texas GOP House Speaker Tom Craddick were mobilizing law enforcement to come to their rescue. In a sense,
DriveDemocracy.org was created in the aftermath of that controversy to help make voters more aware of the dangerous, sick minds in charge.
Background: DeLay's now defunct political committee has just been indicted for illegally using corporate cash to fund the GOP takeover of the Texas House. That takeover made it possible for DeLay to order up an unprecedented mid-decade congressional redistricting plan that tossed six Democratic congressman out of office. Democrats, after 2002 a minority in the state House, took the dramatic step of disappearing from the chamber to block consideration of the measure. They galvanized public opinion, but the redistricting plan eventually passed anyway.
What could make it clearer that the getting and keeping of political power is all that matters to these craven fools? With this ethos, saving lives is secondary to the appearance of saving lives. Isn't that exactly what we've seen?
To them, the functions of government are irrelevant beyond their usefulness in lining their pockets and enhancing their power. This is, of course, the very character of tinhorn totalitarians: use Big Government to reward your cronies, punish your enemies, ignore the needs of the people, and eventually destroy the middle class by looting the treasury.
These two little stories betray the real priorities of the Bush/DeLay GOP -- as if we needed more proof. But many do need such evidence. Too many Americans live in an "it can't happen here" world. "Bush may screw up, but he means well."
No, these people don't mean well. They mean to do exactly what they do. And what they mean to do begins and ends with their own power. The rest of us are irrelevant.