The Moose celebrates the marriage of the Bugman of Sugar Land and the sleazo-con movement. The "Salute to DeLay" is the tribute to the access to the powerful to promote such causes as sweatshops in the Marianas, the rip-off of Enron stock holders and the fleecing of Native Americans. Expect devout prayers to their maker for enabling them to garb themselves in faith as they redistribute wealth to the comfortable. The hall will undoubtedly be bedecked in red, white and blue as those gathered with their flag pins on their lapels salute the patriotism of a leader who viciously attacked the Commander in Chief (Clinton) when America was at war. The DeLayicans are all about sacrifice when it is only performed by our brave soldiers in uniform and they are not forced to reduce their hourly lobbying fees. One can only hope that officiating at Thursday's celebration will the Judeo-Christian duo of Rabbi Abramoff and Reverend Reed. It would be fitting, indeed. Mazel-tov to one and all.
The Moose can hardly contain his glee over tomorrow night's exchange of vows between Tom DeLay and the conservative movement. After cohabitating for years, the relationship between their sleazy leader and the movement becomes official. The Moose understands that the happy couple is registered at "Sweatshops R Us" in the Northern Marianas. After the ceremony, they will be off on their honeymoon tour of Indian gaming facilities along with a junket to St. Andrew's in Scotland for a round of golf. All expenses paid for by the Abramoff Express Card (Don't leave the House without it!).
The unfolding Goniff-gate scandal is emblematic of GOP rule. It is the progeny of the polygamous marriage of big money, crony capitalism, K Street, right wing think tanks and associations and Republican congressional power. In fact, the scandal is an outgrowth of the "dollar conservatives" who employ their government power to promote their economic interests.
That reigning ideology has been deftly described in a critical piece in the New Republic by Jonathan Chait,
"...the definition that explains the broadest scope of Bush's big-government initiatives--is far less edifying: Big government conservatism consists of initiatives that benefit economic elites without using free-market mechanisms..."
This cynical adaptation of conservatism cares little about the size of government as long it advances the power of the Republican elites. Chait cites the examples of the Medicare drug bill, tariffs, agribusiness subsidies and corporate tax cuts which offer big government patronage and largesse to strengthen Republican power.
Chait explains how this system cements the Republican marriage with K Street,
"Republicans, with their inherent mistrust of taxes and regulation, would have enjoyed friendlier relations with K Street no matter what. But the distinct contribution of big-government conservatism has been to cement an alliance between the two, to the point where the line between party and private interest has all but disappeared."
He then explains why DeLay and Abramoff types are critical to the maintenance of this power relationship,
"News accounts have focused on Abramoff's personal lucre. But much of the money he wheedled from his clients did not go into his own pockets. He directed it instead to various financial cogs in the GOP machine--candidates, foundations, and think tanks (see "Writers' Bloc," page 27). His role was to find business interests--be they Indian casinos or sweatshops in the Northern Mariana Islands--whose profitability depended on Washington, and turn them into paid-up clients of big-government conservatism... DeLay, meanwhile, took it as his role to discipline K Street."
Republicans have created a bloated plutocracy that expands government while it maintains their power. Abramoff and DeLay are merely the most grotesque agents of this new creation.
At the Thursday's DeLay-Sleazo-con wedding night the line you will hear throughout the evening is that "he is opposed because he is effective." Good point. DeLay has been effective in perverting a movement that once celebrated small government, fiscal responsibility and the respect for process over ends.
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