After decisively winning his primary race, former House Majority Leader Tom Delay is backing out:
‘I’m going to announce tomorrow that I’m not running for reelection and that I’m going to leave Congress,’ DeLay, who turns 59 on Saturday, said during a 90-minute interview on Monday. ‘I’m very much at peace with it.’ He notified President Bush in the afternoon. DeLay and his wife, Christine, said they had been prepared to fight, but that he decided last Wednesday, after months of prayer and contemplation, to spare his suburban Houston district the mudfest to come. ‘This had become a referendum on me,’ he said. ‘So it’s better for me to step aside and let it be a referendum on ideas, Republican values and what’s important for this district.’
Regardless of what you think of Tom Delay, this is a stand up move. How many politicians have the guts to step aside and put principle over ego?
So what will Delay do in his newfound downtime? Organize Christian conservatives, speak, and promote foster care.
“The Hammer” unleashed? Maybe the Dems were better off leaving Tom Delay alone… heh.