Even With DeLay’s Absence the Culture of Corruption Continues

John Courage, candidate for the 21st Congressional District, released the following statement today on the resignation of Representative Tom DeLay:

"Tom DeLay's resignation should come as no surprise. The consequences of his unscrupulous behavior were inevitable, despite the fact that he employed tactics to try to postpone them, including appointing his long-time friend Lamar Smith to the House Ethics Committee last year. I twice asked Smith to resign from the Ethics Committee because of his inherent conflict of interest as a close ally of DeLay’s, and as a $10,000 contributor to his defense fund, but to no avail.

It is apparent that the culture of corruption in our nation’s capital did not end with DeLay’s resignation on Monday. Two of DeLay’s close aides have been convicted, Representative Bob Ney is under investigation, Duke Cunningham is on his way to prison, and Jack Abramoff’s ties to Republicans run all the way to the White House. We have every reason to believe that more of the same is on the way.

With DeLay’s fall from grace, Lamar Smith becomes the new leader of the Texas Republican delegation, despite the fact that he has been an ineffective advocate for Texans for the past nineteen years.

Smith has reduced medical services and V.A. Hospital capacity within the 21st District to an all-time low.

He has engineered the largest reduction in Pell grants for students, even though ten of the largest schools in the nation are in Texas.

Smith has supported countless pet projects of Tom DeLay’s like the Trans-Texas Corridor.

Now he’s trying to carry out another DeLay dream -- arming a civilian militia to guard the border between Texas and Mexico. His advocacy of this project, combined with his call for a $1.2 trillion wall, is out of step with virtually everyone, even in his own party.

The people of the 21^st District deserve someone in Congress who represents them, not his cronies in Washington. On November 7, they will have the opportunity to make a much-needed change. The 21st District needs Courage in Congress.”