The actions of the Republican party following the court ruling keeping Tom DeLay on the ballot have been laughably incompetent. DeLay had to completely withdraw, leaving no Republican candidate. Initially, Republicans decided to back Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace as a write-in candidate. But in their infinite wisdom, the local GOP is backing Houston City Councilwoman
Shelley Sekula-Gibbs. Now I know we like to rag on the DC Democrats for being idiots, but nothing they have done can top this. TX-22 is now a likely Democratic pickup.
If you're planning a write-in campaign, your name had better be easy to spell. If your name is Charlie Wilson, you might stand a chance if you mount a write-in campaign. Same if it's David Wallace. Given that DeLay was out, a non-corrupt with a Republican with an easy to spell name would have a decent chance of holding the district. But Shelley Sekula-Gibbs? Forget about it. There's no way Republicans will be able to remember a name like that. Tom DeLay probably won't even be able to spell it. If Chimpy voted in that district, I guarantee he'd spell the name wrong.
"How the hell do you spell that name?
Given that San Diego diqualified Donna Frye's write-in votes for not having filled in the bubble, it probably wouldn't be too hard to imagine votes being thrown out for forgetting the hyphen or misspelling Ms. Seluka Sekukla Sekla Seleca Sekula Gibbs Sekula-Gibbs' name.
The Bugman has come out again to criticize the court decision because they didn't do what he wanted them to do.
"I'm very disappointed in our justice system. There doesn't seem to be justice," DeLay told KTRK-TV.
This from the man who pulled a mid-decade redistricting that turned out to violate the 1965 Voting Rights Act. You'll all remember he advocated impeaching judges who ruled against his sham Terri Shiavo law. Yes Tommy, justice is when the court does exactly what you want it to do. DeLay is still nursing the delusion that he can further the conservative cause even though he's not in Congress anymore. Maybe from the Big House. I suppose he, Cunningham, Ney, Pombo, and Dolittle can form the Congressional Republican Prison Caucus. But since DeLay is now furthering the conservative cause, one wonders why he has forgotten to remind the folks back home that a write-in candidate can't win if nobody can spell their name. Jack Abramoff has a better chance of winning that election.
14 seats to go...