Jack Abramoff, the gift that keeps on giving.

The lede and then some, from AP:

A casino-rich tribe wrote checks for at least $55,000 to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's political groups, but the donations were never publicly disclosed and the tribe was directed to divert the money to other groups that helped Republicans, tribal documents show.

Editors of The Columbian in Clark County, Washington agrees with Public Campaign member Versa Kang's call on Doc Hastings to appoint an outside counsel to investigate Tom DeLay's scandals.

"Given the severity of the many complaints about Delay.

Given the fact DeLay is a House leader and can make life uncomfortable for GOP lawmakers.

A group of Yakima, Washington residents sent a letter yesterday asking their Congressman, House Ethics Committee Chair Doc Hastings, to do the right thing and appoint an outside counsel to look into the scandals surrounding Tom DeLay.

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, stepped up his rhetoric against NBC yesterday in an on-going feud over the use of his name in primetime television shows.

In Wednesday's season finale of Law & Order, a police officer searching for a suspect in a murder of a federal judge suggested looking for "somebody in a Tom DeLay T-shirt."

From Texans for Public Justice:

Court Ruling Finds TRMPAC Violated Texas Campaign Laws

(Austin, TX) In the first civil lawsuit alleging misuse of corporate money in the Texas 2002 state elections to go to trial, Travis County District Judge Joseph Hart today ruled that Tom DeLay's Texas political committee, Texans for a Republican Majority (TRMPAC) violated Texas campaign law when it failed to disclose more than a half-million dollars in corporate contributions.

...his constituents in TX-22 are raising their voices:

May 12, 2005

Representative Tom DeLay
242 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Rep. DeLay,

As constituents of yours in the 22nd Congressional District of Texas, we write to share our on-going frustration with your out-of-touch service in Congress.

May 2005
Dogged by scandal for his unethical behavior, Tom DeLay is “saluted” at the Capital Hilton at a gala sponsored by the American Conservative Union. More than 100 of DeLay’s constituents respond by sending him a letter critical of his decision to celebrate while he neglects the needs of people in his district.

May 2004

Facts on the Attack?

Mike Soraghan writes up Colorado Rep. Bob Beauprez's #2 spot on the DeLay rankings in today's Denver Post. Beauprez spokesman Jordan Stoick calls the rankings the work of "an attack group," and refuses to respond to the fact that Beauprez has taken $20,000 in campaign contributions from ARMPAC, given $1,000 to DeLay's legal defense, and voted with the Majority Leader 96% of the time.

We've answered that question with The DeLay Rankings at InDeLaysPocket.com.

With the ethical cloud hanging over DeLay and the tribute to him scheduled for Thursday in DC (how tone deaf is he?), we felt it was time people around the country started asking their member of Congress, Just how close are you to Tom DeLay?

Anne Kornblut of the New York Times has a piece leading off the "Week In Review" section today, complete with a huge picture of a smiling Tom DeLay with hand outstretched, that answers the question, Why are Republicans standing by their man?

Her answers are found here (emphasis added):