Before there was Richard Hatch, there was Tom DeLay

This is a story about the known and the unknown.  It is story about the rise to and fall from success.  It is a story about survivors.

Let's start with Richard Hatch.  Mr. Hatch was the first winner on the American television show "Survivor" back in the year 2000.  He was not exactly popular with viewers, but with his guile, resourcefulness, and alliance-making he won the "title" in the first season of "Survivor."  Today, Richard Hatch is under I.R.S. scrutiny for not paying taxes on his million-dollar "Survivor" prize. (Update: Mr. Hatch has now been convicted of tax evasion.)

Tom DeLay has an older, more-storied, tale.  But, Congressman DeLay's story begins about a decade earlier with two other congressmen.

In the mid-to-late 1980's, when Newt Gingrich began his long march (see Newt's timeline here) to become Speaker of the House, he had the able assistance of conservative Congressman Robert Walker of Pennsylvania.  Bob Walker represented Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional, which consisted mainly of Lancaster and western Chester counties.  When it came to floor fights, managing debates, points of order, and challenging Democratic legislation, Bob Walker was Gingrich's right-hand man--what Gen. Omar Bradley was to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower.  Gingrich and Walker succeeded in their effort to force House Speaker Jim Wright of Texas to resign in 1989.  Walker was a principal player onward to the "Contract with America" and the "Republican Revolution" congressional takeover of 1994.  And what was Walker's reward for his hard work and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his ideological soulmate, his buddy Newt?  Bupkis.

In the wake of the 1994 tidal wave, Newt Gingrich was ready to leap from being the House Whip for the minority Republicans to become the first Republican Speaker of the House in about 40 years.  Bob Walker was ready to move up too.  Walker was a highly-visible candidate to replace Gingrich as the Republican (now majority) Whip in the House.

What happened?  Bob Walker lost the race to become House Whip to Tom DeLay.  How could Bob Walker, who carried tons of water for Newt Gingrich, lose to Tom DeLay?  With the guile of a "survivor," Tom DeLay knew that Newt was carrying on an extramarital with a female aid to the House Agriculture Committee.  She would eventually become Newt's third wife.  Essentially, DeLay blackmailed Gingrich into talking up Gingrich's support of DeLay for House Majority Whip.  Then, when Gingrich resigned as House speaker in 1998, DeLay moved up and replaced Gingrich as House Majority Leader.

And whatever happened to Bob Walker?  He left the island on his own accord.  Walker saw the writing on the wall, and chose not to run for re-election in 1996.  A vocal conservative voice quietly left the U.S. House of Repesentatives.

•  Tip Jar

  If you like the survivor story, recommend it.

  by slip kid no more on Tue Apr 12, 2005 at 09:03:29 AM PDT

•  Mr.Walker...

  ...the tribe has spoken.

  by boran2 on Tue Apr 12, 2005 at 09:05:08 AM PDT

•  what's the basis for the claim

  that DeLay blackmailed his way into the whip position, using his knowledge of Newtie's extramarital affair?

  I'm not challenging, just asking for a source.

  by Hprof on Tue Apr 12, 2005 at 09:22:23 AM PDT

  •  I heard the basic story and ...

    I can't prove or disprove.  But, Bob Walker was a stalwart conservative who would "not walk" unless he was "screwed over."

    by slip kid no more on Tue Apr 12, 2005 at 10:03:53 AM PDT