TOM DELAY OUTRANKS THE PRESIDENT

The American Prospect's weblog, Tapped, looks at compassionate conservatism's record and concludes that the butthole bugman forces our chimp-in-chief into the role of beta male:

"After three years, he's failed the test," said one prominent early supporter, the Rev. Jim Wallis, leader of Call to Renewal, a network of churches that fights poverty.

Mr. Wallis said Mr. Bush had told him as president-elect that "I don't understand how poor people think," and appealed to him for help by calling himself "a white Republican guy who doesn't get it, but I'd like to." Now, Mr. Wallis said, "his policy has not come even close to matching his words."

Joshua B. Bolten, White House budget director and formerly Mr. Bush's chief domestic policy adviser, responded in an interview last week by saying that "I think that is one of the most unfair criticisms that has been leveled against the president."

At issue is Mr. Bush's willingness to demand financing from Congress on his signature "compassionate conservative" issues, like education reform and AIDS, with the same energy he has spent to fight for tax cuts and the Iraq war.

Critics say the pattern has been consistent: The president, in eloquent speeches that make headlines, calls for millions or even billions of dollars for new initiatives, then fails to follow through and push hard for the programs on Capitol Hill. [emphasis added]

And

It would actually be funny if it weren't so sad. The same president who smirkingly invites terrorists to "bring 'em on" is afraid of Tom DeLay. Which shows either that Bolten is spinning shamelessly or that DeLay is the true power in the Republican Party -- Tapped isn't sure which would be worse.

For more, click here.

You know, a few weeks back, I wrote this about Tom DeLay's maneuverings to replace Washington's legions of corporate lobbyists with Republican loyalists only halfway jokingly:

Much of this shift in Republican strategy has been unreported by most of the mainstream news media so far. It is frighteningly reminiscent of Senator Palpatine's behind the scenes political maneuverings and secret invokings of the dark side of the Force in the new crop of Star Wars films--life imitates art.

Now I wonder if I'm more right about that than I thought. "Stupid former exterminator" makes a really great cover, don't you think?

"These aren't the droids you're looking for..."

Link to Tapped courtesy of Eschaton.

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