WASHINGTON (ABP) — One of the Religious Right's congressional heroes is leaving Congress under a cloud, just days after he appeared at a conference where the organizer said the attacks on him were part of a “war on Christians.”
In a videotaped message aired in his home district April 4, Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) announced that he would leave Congress in the next few months. He was facing a difficult re-election challenge from a Democratic rival, former Rep. Nick Lampson.
The announcement also came after a two-year string of ethics reprimands and scandal allegations that have followed DeLay. Just three days before his announcement, one of his former top aides pleaded guilty to corruption charges.
Last year, DeLay was forced to resign as House Majority Leader, one of Congress' most powerful offices. He had become embroiled in several controversies, most notably the corruption scandal surrounding disgraced Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff. In January, he bowed to pressure from GOP leaders and announced that he would not try to seek the leadership post again.
DeLay earned a reputation as an enforcer of party discipline, known for holding votes open for hours and twisting the arms of Republicans who had been inclined to vote against the party line. His style earned him the nickname “the Hammer” around Capitol Hill.
In the videotape message, DeLay reportedly attributed his decision as a desire to improve Republicans' chances of retaining the seat in a year that could prove pivotal for maintaining congressional control. “[T]he voters in the 22nd District of Texas deserve a campaign about the vital national issues they care most about . . . and not a campaign focused solely as a referendum on me,” he said. “So today I am announcing my intention to resign my seat in the House.”
However, according to an Internet article published by Time magazine the evening before DeLay's announcement, his decision also was crystallized at a Washington conference March 29. DeLay spoke at a conference entitled “The War on Christians,” sponsored by a Texas-based conservative group called Vision America.
At the conference, DeLay and other featured politicians reportedly railed against the news media, Hollywood and academia for fighting a concerted war against conservative Christians and their values. The group, convened by former Southern Baptist pastor Rick Scarborough, applauded him enthusiastically.
In introducing DeLay at the conference, according to the Washington Post, Scarborough said the investigations into DeLay's conduct were part of that alleged war. “I believe the most damaging thing that Tom DeLay has done in his life is take his faith seriously into public office, which made him a target for all those who despise the cause of Christ,” he said.
The head of a group that frequently opposes the Religious Right told Cox News Service that such accusations are ludicrous.
“This 'war' is nothing real. The fact is, Christians in America are a cultural majority, and they are an extremely powerful group,” said Barry Lynn, director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “But what you have here are second-tier preachers who are hoping to hit the big time, desperately hoping for a national spotlight.”
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