Can you believe Harry Reid's audacity in making this statement?

Democratic leaders sternly criticized President Bush yesterday for saying former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) is innocent of felonious campaign finance abuses, suggesting his comments virtually amounted to jury tampering before DeLay stands trial.

"The president of the United States said a jury does not need to assemble, that Tom DeLay is innocent," said Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.). "To have someone of his stature, the president of the United States, prejudge a case is something I've never seen before."

Now hold on just a minute. Democrats have universally been painting DeLay as guilty ever since the original indictment (trying to engage in an ex post facto application of the law) was handed down. They see no need for a jury to assemble to determine Tom DeLay's guilt. Yet when the president expresses his confidence in the innocence of a long-time friend and supporter, they go ballistic!

Consider this quote from Screamin' Howeird Dean:

Tom DeLay is neither the beginning nor the end of the Washington Republicans' ethical problems. America can do better than leaders who use their power to promote their own personal interests instead of the interests of the American people who elected them.

Clearly this is a statement that DeLay is guilty.

Similarly, what about this one -- predating he indictment by several months -- in which Dean explicitly convicts DeLay without there even being a charge levelled.

“Tom DeLay is corrupt. No question about it,” Dean said Friday. “This is a guy who shouldn’t be in Congress and maybe ought to be serving in jail.”

The House ethics committee is investigating whether DeLay violated congressional rules by taking foreign trips paid for by lobbyists. The Texas Republican has not been charged with a crime, but Dean said he would not apologize for saying earlier this month that DeLay “ought to go back to Houston where he can serve his jail sentence.”

Remember, please, that the jail sentence comment came in the same interview in which Dean expressed doubt about the guilt of Osama bin Laden in the 9/11 attacks.

You know, Hyppocritical harry Reid was silent about those statements. Could it be that he believes in the standard of "guilty until proven innocent"? Or even "guilty, and we don't give a damn if he's innocent"? Certainly he sees noting in such statements that might harm the man's right to a fair trial.

But heaven forbid that anyone express an opinion that Tom Delay is innocent -- that's jury tampering!

Posted by: Greg at 05:01 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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