Informed Speculation

Here’s the scoop:

A judge dismissed the conspiracy charges Monday against Rep. Tom DeLay but refused to throw out the money-laundering counts, dashing the Texas congressman’s hopes for now of reclaiming his post as House majority leader.

What’s the import? Well, it means DeLay will have to face trial next year, and that’s bad news, indeed…but I think it says volumes about the weakness of Earle’s case – and his political motivations.

After all, the charge that the judge threw out was blatantly false on the face of it:

In asking that the case be thrown out, DeLay lawyer Dick DeGuerin argued that one of the charges _ conspiracy to violate the Texas election code _ did not even take effect until September 2003, a year after the alleged offenses occurred. Priest on Monday agreed, and dismissed that charge.

Now, Earle may be many things, but he’s not stupid. Clearly, the chance to smear DeLay outweighed other considerations…