Right Vs. Right.

The Jawa Report calls on Tom DeLay not to just resign from his position of leadership in the congress (that he has done) but to resign from the congress period.

Tom Delay should resign from Congress. Did he do anything illegal? I've no idea. Campaign finance laws are like the tax code: so complicated as to lose all meaning to the average citizen. But whether or not Delay broke any laws is beside the point in my mind. He is the poster child for the peddling of Washington's largess to special interests.

Source: The Jawa Report - Tom Delay, Please Resign (UPDATED)

Here we go again, that booga-phrase special interests. I am sorry, that is the job of congressmen to look after the special interests of their constituencies. If you don't like the special interests of Tom DeLay then work to defeat him at the ballot box, don't expect him to resign for it.

There is a second and unrelated reason Delay should resign. Tom Delay hurts the Republican Party and helps the Democratic Party. I don't really care if Delay hurts the Republican Party. I am a big believer in the two-party system--as long as those two parties are Republicans and Libertarians. What I am not a big believer in are the statist principles at the core of Democratic philosophy and which are increasingly becoming part of Republican practice.

Source: The Jawa Report - Tom Delay, Please Resign (UPDATED)

Huh? How does not rolling over on what certainly seems like a cheap sham indictment help the Democrats? If Tom DeLay is convicted (I would be surprised to see the case get to trial) or pleads then we can call for his resignation until then let us at least give him the presumption of innocence due to all Americans.

Now, Tom DeLay has certainly done his share to earn the ire of small government conservatives or perhaps has not done enough to earn their praise. His latest statement on how the budget does not contain enough pork to pay for hurricane relief certainly has a lot of his normal supporters up in arms and perhaps those supporters are on the sidelines now.

Absent a conviction or a plea deal Tom DeLay should not step down from his office for him to do so would reward ... corrupt use of a DA's office.

Update
9/29/2005 3:31 pm CDT
Dr. Rusty Shackleford linked to this note on The Jawa Report. Says I don't agree that is true. Thanks for the link and don't worry I will not be delinking The Jawa Report or any such thing.

What we are engaging in is an open and honest debate about what we as conservatives should do. Our representatives will not be marching out Congress in lock step, our movement will not surround the wagons as tightly as the Democrats do. This is not a sign of disarray or weakness it is a sign of strength!