Delay takes one for the team

The noose is tightening around Tom Delay, as the Justice Department starts flipping his aides. He can make references to God and prayer all he wants, but soon he will have to answer for the corruption he fueled in Congress.

Now he’s resigning from his seat in an attempt to save it for the Republicans. He’s desperate to keep the majority he helped create, and Delay told Chris Matthews that any Republican, other than him, can hold that seat. We’ll see about that.

It will be interesting to see if this hurts or helps the Democrats in their attempt to retake the House. It might be tougher to win Delay’s seat, but Delay’s resignation adds more amunition to the charges that the GOP is corrupt.

The big question now is whether guys like Bob Ney and Conrad Burns will follow Delay’s lead and give up their seats in the hope that another Republican can hold it. This would be a bad development for the Democrats, unless the whole corruption narrative helps create a tidal wave of resentment against the GOP. It’s going to be an interesting election year.