It was announced this week that Tom DeLay former Republican Leader of the House was convicted on a money laundering and conspiracy beef. This is after a six year investigation, two curiously different indictments, one venue fight, one appearance on Dancing with the Stars and a twelve day trial.
Republicans claim political prosecution. Democratic prosecutors say, “Who? Me?”
Tom Delay, was once known as The Hammer. You never met someone smugger or more entitled. He left a lot of bodies bleeding into the carpet. He made a lot of enemies. To this day he both looks and acts the part of gangster.
You may remember that Mr. DeLay was the architect of the so-called K Street Project, a legal shakedown of Capital Hill lobbyists. Nobody responds well to being mugged even when it’s legal.
Even so, a man who was not so disposed would have gotten off with a fine or a reprimand. But no; he fibbed to prosecutors, news outlets and (horrors) his lawyers. He refused to testify under oath anywhere. He was tiresome to the last. He was a micro-manager who fashioned his defense around the idea that he was just a figurehead. Juries almost never buy it. After the verdict was read, he couldn’t summon up any respect for the jurors or the process.
Mr. DeLay persisted in his behavior for so long and so shamelessly that he managed to create a critical mass of irritation and annoyance among his victims. He could only be wrestled down using the same medicine; a thousand small cuts became a torrent. He was convicted on his reputation.
Bottom line; karma got him. Better yet, so many people cursed him so tirelessly that at least one of the hexes finally stuck.
Focusing only on the law as written and practiced may have gotten him off. There was not much evidence presented at trial that could be pinned on DeLay personally. As was the case with Governor Rod Blagojevich, being a jerk is not necessarily a felonious act. Yet, how they both acted lent such a fetid aura to the proceedings, prosecutors and jurors figure they are guilty of something. Blagojevich got off with a hung jury, DeLay didn’t. Blagojevich will face another trial. Delay will appeal until The Second Coming. Their political careers are over for sure. It wasn’t for some criminal exploit either. It was for a sense that the best way to ride is roughshod and the best offers are those that can’t be refused.
Did he deserve to be brought down? Darn tootin’. Did he deserve a money laundering and conspiracy conviction worth life behind bars? Probably not.
Aren’t we talking about bullies? Whether we find them in high places or low bullies are everywhere – the intimidating boss, the chiseling mechanic, the mulish brother, the no-speaks friend, the obdurate teacher and callous cop are all examples of bullies we meet regularly.
We have a complicated relationship with the bullies around us. They are so much a part of our lives that they’re hard to avoid and there’s no way to tell how best to deal with them if you must deal with them. Sometimes, like the K Street lobbyist, you just bend over and accept it. Sometimes, like the friend who won’t tell you why she’s angry, we can ignore them. Sometimes we are obliged to resist more or less depending on the circumstances.
I like this little quote from Mohammed Ali:
In Ali’s mind there’s a technique for dealing with bullies. If you must deal with a bully who would intimidate, terrorize, torment, oppress or harass; stick with him. Next, break the problem down into bite-sized pieces. Then, work on one bite-sized piece at a time. Persevere. Make your case all the time. This technique presumes that you will not be intimidated, terrorized, tormented, terrorized, oppressed or harassed. That said, it sounds like good advice to me.
I’m just sayin’,
Poppy
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