Former congressman Tom DeLay gets Life

[Topaz]

Tom DeLay is going to prison for life for money laundering in the state of Texas. One down, when is it the Bush family turn? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11835221

[Moonlight Graham]

It says he faces up to life in prison. He hasn't been sentenced yet.

He`ll probably get a year house arrest BA-HA!!

[dre]

It says he faces up to life in prison. He hasn't been sentenced yet.

He`ll probably get a year house arrest BA-HA!!

Youre cheering for a criminal to get let off the hook?

[Jack Weber]

The Hammer is potentially headed for The Slammer!!!!!

I wonder if he'll have to shake his butt like he did on Dancing with the Stars???

Don't drop the soap,Hammer!!!

[KeyStone]

His maximum sentence will be until the next Republican President leaves office.

Don't be surprised if Obama gives him a pardon.

For all their histrionics, they're all playing for the same team.

[Bonam]

Tom DeLay is going to prison for life for money laundering in the state of Texas. One down, when is it the Bush family turn? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11835221

Sorry but prison for life for money laundering? That's just excessive. Life sentences should be reserved for physically violent crimes causing death or severe harm.

[Sir Bandelot]

Sorry but prison for life for money laundering? That's just excessive. Life sentences should be reserved for physically violent crimes causing death or severe harm.

Not in a capitalist society

[ToadBrother]

Sorry but prison for life for money laundering? That's just excessive. Life sentences should be reserved for physically violent crimes causing death or severe harm.

Let's be clear here that we're talking about a maximum sentence. Clearly maximum sentences are almost always reserved for the most egregious cases and not for every person convicted of the crime. I have a hard time believing DeLay is going to receive anywhere near the maximum penalties. Maybe some drug cartel operator laundering tens or hundreds of millions of dollars would be seeing that kind of a sentence, and it would be hard to argue that such a sentence wasn't deserving for such an individual.

[dre]

Not in a capitalist society

Exactly. Economic crimes can damage society as a whole and can thousands or even millions of victims. Thats why things like mail fraud carry such long sentences.

[Moonlight Graham]

Youre cheering for a criminal to get let off the hook?

No i'm laughing because he probably won't get a huge sentence. At least i doubt he'll get life.

[Bitsy]

Tom DeLay will never spend a day in a federal prison and the irony is that the charges against him are now legal after the Supreme Court granted corporation personhood

[Shady]

Tom DeLay will never spend a day in a federal prison and the irony is that the charges against him are now legal after the Supreme Court granted corporation personhood

I don't think that's true. How can one be charged with something that isn't against the law?

[ToadBrother]

Tom DeLay will never spend a day in a federal prison and the irony is that the charges against him are now legal after the Supreme Court granted corporation personhood

Your sentence doesn't even make sense. I think it's a non sequitur, or it's just a word salad.

[Bitsy]

I don't think that's true. How can one be charged with something that isn't against the law?

He was charged 5 years ago, the case finally came to trial this month. In January '10, the Supreme Court ruled in a case called Citizens United that corporation may now spend unlimited amounts of money advocating for or against politicians. It granted corporations First Amendment protections when making campaign contributions,effectively granting them personhood. corporations as persons.

[Bitsy]

Your sentence doesn't even make sense. I think it's a non sequitur, or it's just a word salad.

Maybe this word salad will make it clearer for you, as well as my above post in response to Shady.

http://uspolitics.einnews.com/article/940694-tom-delay-convicted-of-doing-something-the-supreme-court-now-considers-legal-

[Shady]

He was charged 5 years ago, the case finally came to trial this month.

But if what you're saying is true, and what he did is now legal. How can he be charged?

In January '10, the Supreme Court ruled in a case called Citizens United that corporation may now spend unlimited amounts of money advocating for or against politicians.

Which doesn't really have much to do with what DeLay is charged with.

It granted corporations First Amendment protections when making campaign contributions,effectively granting them personhood. corporations as persons.

Well, corporations are essentially groups of people.

[Bitsy]

But if what you're saying is true, and what he did is now legal. How can he be charged?

He was charged 5 years ago; a person is tried under the existing guideline at the time the crime was committed and charges leveled. Our prisons could see many convicted under the drug possession laws released today due to the decriminalization of certain amounts of drugs but that is not the way it works here.

Which doesn't really have much to do with what DeLay is charged with.

DeLay laundered corporate lobbyist money through the Republican National Committee, who in turned donated the money to support candidates in Texas. With the new ruling, this corporate lobbyist can now fund a campaign against/for a candidate of their choice.

Well, corporations are essentially groups of people

They have never had First Amendment Rights, namely the protection of political speech.

I fear I have not done a good job of explaining this ruling; tomorrow I will find an article that explains it better than I am doing off the top of my head.

[Bitsy]

Hope this helps explains my ramblings of last night. I think this is a straightforward explanation minus the legalese. The latest figures that I saw on corporate contributions for the midterm elections was almost $120 million dollars. This means that special interest groups and various industry groups now have their hands in the pocket of many of our elected representatives, and the public has no idea which groups.

http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/2010/10/19/citizens-united-before-after-what%E2%80%99s-next/