L'Age D'or

The Washington Post has a very long, very thorough, very devastating article on Tom DeLay, Ed Buckham and corruption. The article was written by R. Jeffry Smith assisted by Research editor Lucy Shackelford, researchers Alice Crites and Madonna Lebling, research database editor Derek Willis, and staff writer James V. Grimaldi. Willis has gotten some grief from the left blogosphere, so I think it best to stress his contribution.

Mainly it describes how a "charity" the US family network was used to launder, well rinse, bribes. True to it's name the US family network involved not only Mr Buckham as an advisor but also Mrs Buckham as an accountant.

Ed Buckham is a minister. One of the signs that he maintaned influence over DeLay after he ceased to be DeLay's chief of staff is that "Buckham, an evangelical minister, also continued to serve as DeLay's spiritual adviser and prayed frequently with him, the former aides said." I am no longer amazed at criminality among the ostentatiously religious. Still I am a bit surprised at the cockiness with which DeLay neglected to delay shifts from preaching to entertainment.

DeLay also reminded Tan and his colleagues of his earlier promise that no wage and immigration legislation would be passed.

"Stand firm," DeLay said in his closing. "Resist evil. Remember that all truth and blessings emanate from our Creator." He then departed with Tan to see a cockfight, according to a written account by one of the trip participants.

DeLay must be outraged that suddenly people are making a fuss, when his associates violations of the law have been known for at least five years when "the U.S. Family Network folded in 2001 under pressure from an FEC probe" which included "the eighth-highest fine in FEC history."

But the thing that amazes me most in the articles is the Buckhams' taste in art as in "the $62,375 purchase in January 1999 of a collection of Salvador Dali and Peter Max prints was relabeled "office fixtures."" Now that a Republican evangelical minister would have anything to do with Dali is shocking.

Maybe they didn't know (as I didn't) that he quickly abandoned the production of "L'Age d'Or", while they have dedicated years to gold. And now that I mention him, would Bunuel have noted any "Discrete Charm of the Bourgeoisie" if he had met the Buckham's.

in a word

Surreal.