Putting down the horse: Two years ago in p3

Two years ago today I was busy being right about the short term things but surprisingly (no, no--it's okay to say it) wrong about the long term things.

On the subject of Tom DeLay's ongoing legal troubles in Texas, I wrote:

Give the radical right their credit: They'll use DeLay, they'll support him, they'll lie for him, they'll cover for him, they'll distract us from his offenses, they'll enable him, they'll let him have access to power beyond dreams and wealth beyond avarice, they'll change the rules and break the law for him . . . right up to the point where he becomes a political liability, at which point, they'll put him down like a horse with a broken leg.

Without blinking.

Remember how fast Newt Gingrich and Trent Lott were dropped once the numbers went wrong?

And so let's see where we are, two years later:

• DeLay is making the rounds of the talking head shows rounds promoting his new book.


• Lott is now Senate Minority Whip.


• And Gingrich is promoting himself as presidential timber for 2008.

You can face scandal, indictment, resignation, even political exile--but in the modern GOP there's always a second act. Serves me right for losing sight of that.