If you like him when he's obstinate...

WASHINGTON, April 13 - The House majority leader, Tom DeLay, deflected all questions about his ethical conduct and his political future at a news conference today, insisting instead that he would continue his crusade against what he views an activist judiciary by ordering the Judiciary Committee to investigate the decisions of federal judges in the Terri Schiavo case.

...ya gotta love him when he's delusional.

WASHINGTON — To House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, the Republican Party's "Contract With America" ranks right up there with the Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights among the "great documents of freedom."

So Tom DeLay wants to fan the fading embers of the Schiavo story with the tattered remains of the Contract (On) America. So fine. Let's take a look back at the major provisions of the GOP's 1995 pledge ten years on....(original language emphasized)

A balanced budget/tax limitation amendment and a legislative line-item veto...heh.

An anti-crime package...some of which was enacted with the cooperation of President Clinton and Congressional Democrats, and abandoned in favor of tax cuts when Republicans consolidated their power. (Or not. Time passes, memories fade. In fact, the Republican efforts were stymied by Clinton's veto because they gutted the funding for new cops on the street that were the centerpiece of his 1994 crime bill.)

Welfare 'reform,' to include...prohibiting welfare to minor mothers and denying increased AFDC for additional children while on welfare, cut spending for welfare programs, and enact a tough two-years-and-out provision with work requirements to promote individual responsibility...some of which became features, in a fashion, of the Clinton welfare 'reform' bill (not, IMO, one of Bill's proudest moments).

A variety of supposedly family-friendly acts, most disregarded and some, like a call for...strengthening rights of parents in their children's education...directly contradicted by subsequent legislation, such as NCLB.

A S500 per child tax credit, begin repeal of the marriage tax penalty, and creation of American Dream Savings Accounts to provide middle class tax relief... a truly bi-partisan policy, largely enacted by a truly bi-partisan effort.

Some boilerplate jingoism, with a dash of militarism...No U.S. troops under U.N. command and restoration of the essential parts of our national security funding.

THE SENIOR CITIZENS FAIRNESS ACT...it is to laugh.

THE JOB CREATION AND WAGE ENHANCEMENT ACT...it is to cry.

"Loser pays" laws, reasonable limits on punitive damages and reform of product liability laws to stem the endless tide of litigation....some things never change.

A first-ever vote on term limits to replace career politicians with citizen legislators...and some things will never happen.

If the Declaration of Independence had been as effective, we'd all be British subjects.

That's the best you can bring, Bugman? Bring it on.