The disassembly of Tom DeLay

The disassembly of Tom DeLay
When a Majority Leader's state-of-the-art money and power machine falters
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas.
By Howard Fineman
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 4:29 p.m. ET March 30, 2005
WASHINGTON - A new drama of survival has begun here – political, not physical; legal, not spiritual. The central character isn’t a woman in a hospital bed but a controversial Republican leader in the House of Representatives. Rep. Tom DeLay may not want to admit it to himself, but he’s fighting for his political life.
advertisementI wouldn’t have said so two weeks ago. But I’ve seen enough of these dramas unfold to know when I’m watching a new one, and now I am. You know the story line, which dates back to the Greeks: a powerful, hubristic leader is brought low by his own flaws. Think Jim Wright, Newt Gingrich, Bill Clinton....