Somebody call the frame police!Delay pulls a "I'll quit before you can fire me," the oldest trick in the book, as even GOP political experts were saying he stood a Texas-size chance of losing
the congressional election in what would otherwise be a fairly safe seat for Republicans.
Left to its own devices, the news media is giving Delay a pass here, and making it a story of the GOP 'moving on.' Republicans could cleanse themselves of previous support for Delay, while the Hammer sets up shop in Arlington to run the 2006 elections. It's almost a clean getaway for the Hammer.
What's a Democrat to do?
The right statements to frame the event here are critical:
1) Democrats should ask is why the party allowed Delay to remain a Congressman at all after he was indicted? Why did they reward him with the most powerful committee seat in Congress?
2) Now that he has resigned, Democratic commentators should establish that this gives a strong indication the charges are real. Use a little jujitsu playing off Delay's own image of power: 'Obviously, a powerful man like Mr. Delay would not step down if there were no merit to these charges.'
3) Make maximum hay of Delay's promise to move to Virginia and still direct the 2006 elections. Terms like 'Boss Delay, still controlling the House GOP' should be part of Democratic statements.
4) Ask what is it that he "has on them?" (Of course this would take a real tough guy like Carville to dare to ask; one can hear his drawling 'Does he know where the bones are buried or what?)
If Democrats say the right things, Delay be so radioactive no congressman will want his help and the only race he'll be working on is challenging Newt Gingrich the Has-Been Fox News Commentator spot.
UPDATE: Dean's email and the DCCC statement seem to accept the frame 'Delay is gone..but real reform is needed..' good but no cigar. The point is he's not gone, he's just going across the river and still will Boss these guys. He said it. Don't let him get away with that.