The Coda on Tom "Hot Tub Tom" Delay

Today's WaPo article by R. Jeffrey Smith and Jonathan Weisman summarizes many of the things wrong with Tom Delay.

Obsessed By Power:

They also cited what the Texas Republican has privately described at his frustration at no longer being a part of the House leadership, and his diminished satisfaction with rank-and-file congressional life. The lawmaker was forced to relinquish the post of majority leader after being indicted in Texas on a felony money-laundering charge last October; he had served in the job since 2002 and had been majority whip before then.

Vindictive:

DeLay's decision allowed him to set the terms of his departure, avoiding what could have been a personally devastating loss at the polls in November. DeLay was determined to hang on to his seat at least through the primary, said Carl Forti, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. That was because he considered his three Republican challengers gadflies and traitors and he was determined to try to block them from succeeding him.

Unrestrained Hubris

An additional impetus for putting off the resignation until now was suggested by John Feehery, a former aide to DeLay and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.). "He needed to raise money for the defense fund. That was the bottom line," Feehery said. "He wanted to make sure he could take care of himself in the court of law." Under federal campaign rules, any reelection money a lawmaker raises can be used to pay legal fees stemming from official duties.