N.H. PAPER: DELAY AN 'EMBARASSMENT'

The Manchester Union Leader has never been confused for a liberal newspaper. But conservatives are freaking out over the paper's Friday editorial. Headlined "Boot DeLay," it's harsher than the criminal indictment handed up against DeLay. An excerpt:

For DeLay to be guilty of criminal conspiracy, a jury would have to convict him of intentionally violating the law on corporate campaign contributions, and little, if any, evidence of that has come to light.

If DeLay is right that the indictment was politically motivated, then he has finally received a taste of his own medicine. DeLay has used his position to crush Democrats at every conceivable opportunity, and he has overstepped ethical bounds to do so. DeLay wields power for one purpose: to enrich and empower himself and his allies.

Even if the indictment is entirely meritless, DeLay is an embarrassment as a majority leader. His mania for power and disregard for good government reflect poorly on all Republicans. Because House rules forced DeLay to step down as majority leader, House Republicans have a rare opportunity to replace a leader who has shamed the party with one who is more concerned with passing good laws than humiliating his political opponents. They should take it.

Damned mainstream media. Especially the conservative kind.