as Delay would have done unto them:
Ruling Keeps DeLay on Ballot
Judge Sides With Democrats, Says Former Lawmaker Can't Quit
Friday, July 7, 2006; Page A05
A federal judge in Texas threw the political retirement of former House majority leader Tom DeLay into doubt yesterday, ruling that the Texas Republican Party must keep the indicted former congressman on the ballot for reelection this November.
For Democrats eager to seize control of the House this fall, the ruling was a significant victory. DeLay is under indictment on campaign finance charges in Texas and is under a cloud of scandal in Washington, and Democrats had hoped to wrest the conservative district from him. But DeLay seemed to thwart those designs in April, when he announced that he would resign from Congress and move his official residence to Alexandria from his suburban Houston district, making him ineligible to run for reelection.
Texas Democrats sued to keep him on the ballot, maintaining that state election laws say victors in a party primary must appear on the general election ballot unless they die or live outside the district on Election Day. They pointed out that DeLay still owns a Houston area home, where his wife, Christine, lives and where he still spends time.
In a strongly worded opinion, U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks sided with the Democrats.
"There is no evidence that DeLay will still be living in Virginia tomorrow, let alone on November 7, 2006, the only day that matters under the Qualification Clause of the United States Constitution," wrote the judge, a Republican appointee. "DeLay was chosen as the Republican nominee by the voters in the Republican primary, and he is still eligible to be the party's nominee."
Personally I find this amusing and fitting as I have no love for Delay. But having said that the Dems are acting just like Tom Delay and so I can't really side with them either. The Dems have denied Delay's district any real choice in the upcoming election. Thats hardly democratic.
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