As a former pest exterminator, Republican Representative Tom DeLay has used his area of expertise in annihilating political competition and ideological adversaries in a Congressional career that has spanned more than 20 years. Though his career and reputation have been mired by scandal since the late ’90s, DeLay may have finally committed political suicide by engaging in a series of outlandish and incomprehensible acts.

An ardent pro-life supporter, DeLay was instrumental in allowing Congress to involve itself in a private matter between family members. While Terri Schiavo’s condition and situation had already been given due justice in several courts of law, DeLay decided to exterminate the 229-year-old system of checks and balances between the judicial and legislative branches.

Hoping to pander to Christian Conservatives, staunch supporters of the new Republican agenda, DeLay’s attempts to resume Schiavo’s life-sustaining treatment through spontaneous legislation failed.

As the Supreme Court and Floridian federal courts declined to hear the Schiavo case, DeLay had these glowing words for members of the judiciary.

“The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior.”

DeLay’s comments come on the heels of the shooting death of a judge inside a courtroom in Georgia. Additionally, Federal Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow’ s husband and mother were executed after a deranged individual became upset with a decision Lefkow made regarding his case.

DeLay’s comments were unacceptable and beyond inappropriate. While members of the judiciary involved in the Terri Schiavo case had to be given 24-hour protection from U.S. marshals because of the sensitivity surrounding the issue, DeLay was directing fire and brimstone rhetoric at those meant to uphold the law. In light of what has occurred to members of the judiciary in the last two months, hinting at the possibility of physical retaliation against members of the judiciary is totally out of bounds and abhorrent.

Additionally, nicknamed “the Hammer” for his reputation of enforcing party discipline and tormenting political opponents, DeLay has hammered home the idea that campaign ethics need not apply to the Majority Leader.

Admonished three times last year by the House ethics committee, DeLay told a retiring Representative that he would nominate his son for the seat if the Congressman voted in favor of his health care bill. DeLay was also castigated for his involvement with Westar Energy, a Kansas company that delivered $56,000 to DeLay’s PAC in order to get “a seat at the table.”

In November, fearing possible legal action, House Republicans sought to change a rule established in the early ’90s that forced House leaders to step down if indicted for a crime. The new rule would allow a committee to determine whether or not the indictment was politically motivated. However, this rule change was thwarted after a firestorm of protest spread from both sides of the political aisle.

This month, The New York Times reported that DeLay’s PAC had paid more than $500,000 to his wife and daughter, his only child. The Federal Election Commission report deemed this sum of money as “fund-raising fees,” “campaign management” and “payroll.”

While several members of Congress have family members employed by their campaigns, $500,000 seems unusually generous and unprecedented. DeLay’s decision to deliver half a million dollars to family members demands an investigation by the FEC to determine if this payoff smacks of wrongdoing.

Republican Rep. Christopher Shays, damning political partisanship, asked for the resignation of DeLay as majority leader Monday. In an interview, Shays said “Tom’s conduct is hurting the Republican Party, is hurting this Republican majority and it is hurting any Republican who is up for re-election.”

Shays, a moderate from Connecticut, should be commended for his courage to stand up to the monolith that is Tom DeLay. Tom DeLay should follow his fellow Republican’s advice, as his actions have all but exterminated his political career.

Josh Moskowitz ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political science and journalism.