David Brooks: Tom DeLay's History of Partisanship
In 1989, a young Republican congressman named Tom DeLay dreamed of climbing to a position of power in the House of Representatives. He hitched his wagon to Ed Madigan, who was running to be party whip. But another ambitious young Republican, Newt Gingrich, stood in the way. DeLay ran Madigan's campaign and Gingrich ran his own, and the contest was so brutal that after Gingrich won, DeLay and Gingrich reportedly didn't speak for two years.
DeLay didn't give up. He raised tons of money and built an independent power base. But Gingrich was rising faster. In 1994 he wrote the Contract With America as part of his efforts to help the G.O.P. win back the majority. DeLay nearly refused to sign the contract, but in the end he raised $1 million for the party during the 1994 election cycle.
Gingrich triumphed and became House speaker, but DeLay still did not give up his ambitions. He ran for party whip against Gingrich's best friend, Bob Walker. It was another tough race, and this time DeLay won. Gingrich hired much of Walker's staff.
Gingrich and DeLay formed a cold friendship, but their differences were never far below the surface. In 1995, DeLay sent Gingrich's deputy, Dick Armey, a letter demanding that he stop criticizing DeLay in public. Then in 1997, DeLay helped to lead a coup to depose Gingrich as speaker.
The big difference between the two men is that while Gingrich is a self-styled visionary, DeLay is a partisan. Gingrich was quite willing to cut deals with Democrats if it would serve some policy objective. When Gingrich sacrificed some G.O.P. initiatives in order to cut a deal with Bill Clinton to get flood relief to the Midwest, DeLay and others decided it was time to take the speaker down.
The coup failed, but the Gingrich Era ended soon thereafter. The Gingrich Era had been marked by ideological grandiosity and a failed attempt to shrink the size of government. The DeLay Era, which commenced with Gingrich's fall, would be different.
The DeLay Era would be marked by one word: partisanship....
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DeLay didn't give up. He raised tons of money and built an independent power base. But Gingrich was rising faster. In 1994 he wrote the Contract With America as part of his efforts to help the G.O.P. win back the majority. DeLay nearly refused to sign the contract, but in the end he raised $1 million for the party during the 1994 election cycle.
Gingrich triumphed and became House speaker, but DeLay still did not give up his ambitions. He ran for party whip against Gingrich's best friend, Bob Walker. It was another tough race, and this time DeLay won. Gingrich hired much of Walker's staff.
Gingrich and DeLay formed a cold friendship, but their differences were never far below the surface. In 1995, DeLay sent Gingrich's deputy, Dick Armey, a letter demanding that he stop criticizing DeLay in public. Then in 1997, DeLay helped to lead a coup to depose Gingrich as speaker.
The big difference between the two men is that while Gingrich is a self-styled visionary, DeLay is a partisan. Gingrich was quite willing to cut deals with Democrats if it would serve some policy objective. When Gingrich sacrificed some G.O.P. initiatives in order to cut a deal with Bill Clinton to get flood relief to the Midwest, DeLay and others decided it was time to take the speaker down.
The coup failed, but the Gingrich Era ended soon thereafter. The Gingrich Era had been marked by ideological grandiosity and a failed attempt to shrink the size of government. The DeLay Era, which commenced with Gingrich's fall, would be different.
The DeLay Era would be marked by one word: partisanship....