Er...didn't Robert Toricelli do something similar...even though he wasn't under indictment, but he still cut and run so the Democrats could keep his seat? I don't know aboutn TX-22, but if they are party ID fanatics, I don't see the victory other than DeLay is out of congress...we may or may not win the seat.

I agree. They just cut there losses. Delay got canned because he was dragging the rest of the corrupt ship down that's all. The rest of the rats are still on board and the ship of waste and corruption sails on.

Nobody should ever have believed that Tom DeLay, Grover Norquist, George Bush, and their ilk, EVER wanted to restore honesty and dignity to government. They do not believe in government. They think it's evil (because they're greedy and don't like to pay taxes) so they have no problem with using government as a tool for pure power and personal enrichment.

Even then, I would also question why so many republicans are supposed to be turning into independents.

As an independent, I am prepared to take heat from both sides of the fence my entire life. I voted for anderson, tsongas, perot and a whole host of candidates you've never heard of because a) they were losers! and b) whichever ones weren't losers, had someone holding negatives to print in the newspapers (a tidy check cut from one party or another does wonders).

But America is so hungry for bona fide independence from real corruption - that we as americans question the direction of the democratic party thusly:

Why the hell aren't they becoming democrats?

Independent is not a larval stage, its a commitment that lets you kick ass on a local level, you nearly always pick the right guy there - and it rewards you by throwing you out on your ears on the federal level so many times you need a chart just to keep up with the trendline.

These republicans aren't joining the dems?
I say, don't give them the honorific title of indy. To be indy, they would never have joined forces with the GOP to begin with.

Of course, Chris thinks all indies are going over to the dems anyway...

Far be it from me to actually seek the real issue here: Delay's resignation is the policy of scorched earth, and it means nothing - the lobbyists shoved their legislation into the bill to stop lobbying with the Nevada (R) amendment pushed in while no=one was looking.

So , lobbying continues unabated. Delay makes a media splash.

To quote Garfield the cat - another great independent:

"Big, fat, hairy deal. "

I am glad our great American system was able to keep a sleazy FELON from representing 5 million americans in congress. Maybe if the dems had their sights set just a notch higher than trying to steal the republican's queen and launched a real attack with their bishop knight and rook the game would be on.

Adios Tom Delay.

Wait, if Delay has been indicted how is he allowed to leave the state?