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DeLay's New Defense: 'I Mispoke'

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Wed Oct 05, 2005 at 05:22:25 AM EST
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Tom DeLay may have the best lawyer around, but he's shooting himself in the foot. He needs to stay off the airwaves. The latest:

In his radio comments on Tuesday, Mr. DeLay offered a new insight on the case, saying he made a mistake in a voluntary interview with the prosecutor's office a few weeks ago that helped prompt the indictments.

He would not discuss his mistake in detail, but it apparently concerned the $190,000 check that is central to the case. Mr. Earle charges that the money, which included money from corporate interests in Texas, was turned over to the Republican National Committee with instructions to return $190,000 to designated candidates for the Texas Legislature. The accusation is that the transaction was intended to circumvent a prohibition on the use of corporate money in state races.

"I misspoke one sentence, and they have based all of this on one sentence," Mr. DeLay told Mr. Limbaugh. "They think that before the check was cut and sent to the national committee that I approved this check. I didn't know this went on until well after it happened."

DeLay had his pre-DeGeurin lawyer with him when he went in for his voluntary interview. If DeLay mis-spoke, wouldn't his lawyer have interjected and either asked him if he was sure about that answer or asked for a break to speak to his client - or even contradicted his client and told him he misspoke? Every lawyer I know who's been through a debriefing would have done that.

Clearly, DeLay's lawyer didn't go into the interview not knowing DeLay's position on the very matter at issue.

Advice for Mr. DeLay: You have a great lawyer. Let him speak for you. That's part of why you're paying him the big bucks.

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    • DeLay's New Defense: 'I Mispoke' | 7 comments (7 topical)
    Re: DeLay's New Defense: 'I Mispoke' (none / 0) (#7)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:41 PM EST
    You're watching the unraveling of a sociopathic personality. One that never, not for an instant, thought their sh*t would ever stink or hit any proverbial fan. You keep waiting for an actual human being, a sentient being with a sense of their own folly, to emerge from this. But all you get is more and more dysfunction and the childish inability to stand up and take your punishment. The exterminator is in the process of fumigating himself. Watch all the vermin scramble for their lives.

    Re: DeLay's New Defense: 'I Mispoke' (none / 0) (#2)
    by Molly Bloom on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:42 PM EST
    My limited experience almost 20 years ago is they just can't stop talking. In this case we have a politician (loves the sound of his own voice) who is arrogant, certain God is on his side, and gives the majority of his interviews in front of friendly interviewers (Rush, Faux News, etc.) where nothing bad ever happens and they always just repeat his spin... well I expect professional crimimal defense attorneys to just cringe.

    Re: DeLay's New Defense: 'I Mispoke' (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:42 PM EST
    Part of the problem with guys like DeLay is that they live in a black-and-white world made up of Good Guys and Bad Guys. With a little help from the right-wing media they are convinced of their own righteousness. Same for people like Bill Bennett...they are overly impressed with the sounds of their own voices. Here's my comment on Bennett: http://katrinamemo.blogspot.com/2005/10/is-bill-bennett-racist.html

    Re: DeLay's New Defense: 'I Mispoke' (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:42 PM EST
    as a former public defender one tends to think that the clients of a lawyer as good as deguerin is can somehow be controlled more easily than the clients who want real lawyers insted of pds but not so. what was it deguerin said when asked about his clients 'they just have more money'? you can dress them up and sometimes you can even take them places but by god you can't shut them up.

    Re: DeLay's New Defense: 'I Mispoke' (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:42 PM EST
    This is just about as good as it gets! An indicted right wing extremist complaining to an under-criminal-investigation right wing nut about his fantasy that he's being persecuted. Elegant.

    Re: DeLay's New Defense: 'I Mispoke' (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:42 PM EST
    It is pretty hard to claim malicious prosecution when you go on national TV and tell people that you are being prosecuted because you mistakenly told the DA that you committed a crime. It also opens up DeLay to that most wonderful of rhetorical questions, "Were you lying then or are you lying now?"

    Re: DeLay's New Defense: 'I Mispoke' (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:45 PM EST
    I agree with you the way you view the issue. I remember Jack London once said everything positive has a negative side; everything negative has positive side. It is also interesting to see different viewpoints & learn useful things in the discussion.

    DeLay's New Defense: 'I Mispoke' | 7 comments (7 topical)