Reality DeLayed

The Washington Post confronted Tom DeLay with a statement from yesterday's Center for American Progress "Progress Report:"

"At every opportunity, [House Majority Leader] Tom DeLay has sanctimoniously proclaimed his concern for the well-being of Terri Schiavo, saying he is only trying to ensure she has the chance 'we all deserve,' " the liberal Center for American Progress said in a statement Monday, echoing complaints of Democratic lawmakers and medical ethicists. "Just last week, DeLay marshaled a budget resolution through the House of Representatives that would cut funding for Medicaid by at least $15 billion, threatening the quality of care for people like Terri Schiavo."

DeLay spokesman Dan Allen fired back: "The fact that they're tying a life issue to the budget process shows just how disconnected Democrats are to reality."

Yes, I guess he means disconnected from the reality of our current GOP leadership in Washington. I mean, geez, do those fuzzy liburols really think an important guy like Tom DeLay is going to take a break from his sanctimonious blather about "protecting life" and, you know, actually fulfill his responsibility to legislate -- or put forth a budget -- for the greater good of the country? Naive.

Meanwhile, the Times reports that the Schiavo affair is making plain the widening chasm between "process conservatives" and "cultural conservatives."

"My party is demonstrating that they are for states' rights unless they don't like what states are doing," said Representative Christopher Shays of Connecticut, one of five House Republicans who voted against the bill. "This couldn't be a more classic case of a state responsibility."

"This Republican Party of Lincoln has become a party of theocracy," Mr. Shays said. "There are going to be repercussions from this vote. There are a number of people who feel that the government is getting involved in their personal lives in a way that scares them." [emphasis added]

Good for Chris. Shays, you may recall, led what became known as "Shays Rebellion" when he publicly argued against changing the ethics rules that forces a House Leader to lose his leadership post if indicted, as Tom DeLay is likely to be.

But this is clearly a real issue for GOP moderates and fiscal -- rather than cultural -- conservatives. Shays is about as anti-DeLay as they come, but he came under withering attack by his democratic challenger in 2004, who called him a "DeLay Republican." The attack was pretty effective as Shays underwent his toughest race as an incumbent. And the attack is proving that Shays got the hint from his constituents about "getting along and going along" with GOP leadership against the more moderate values of his constituents.