The Hammer's Final Blow

"The Hammer's" final blow was delivered to a House chamber "crammed on the Republican side, virtually empty on the Democratic side."

But this ethics-required leave-taking yesterday by Former House Majority Leader, Tom DeLay, wasn't soon enough to spare the country his divisive religious right "iron fisted" leadership of the House.

After the GOP seized control of the House in 1994, DeLay was instrumental in propelling the country down a "the ends justify the means" partisan governing path that embraced power-broker corporate lobbyists who wrote legislation and handed out payoffs.

And, although DeLay attacked big-government liberalism in his farewell to the House, the "growth of government and special-interest spending accelerated" under his GOP rule. The stink of his corrupting influence wafted through the halls of Congress for over two decades, infecting its members and destroying the trust of the electorate.

As DeLay exits "stage right," the country has the opportunity to come together and deliver the message "no more" in November.