... as long as you don't get caught.

Gotta love those law and order Republicans.

What DeLay is referring to is this: the Texas legislature specifically acted to grant the Travis County District Attorney jurisdiction over investigations involving legislators and political corruption at the state level. This was done based on Austin being the capitol of Texas. Earle (who has investiagted and prosecuted more Democarts in his career than Republicans) has been threatened with having this power stripped away before. This time, though, the Texas legislature is so beholden to the Republican power structure, specifically DeLay and also Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, that they very likely will move to strip this power away very soon. Then Earle, as Travis County District Attroney, could only prosecute LOCAL cases, with no jurisdiction over legislators at the state or federal level. Very real threat, very real possibility.

Violations of the Texas Elections code can be investigated either in the members home county, or in Travis County (Tx Elextion code § 273.024). The Legislature has indeed given the Travis County DA special power to investigate criminal violations by the state government along with insurance and workers compensation fruad. I think the office is even funded by the state and not the county.

DeLay is talking about how the Texas Public Integrity Unit is in Travis County (Austin, Texas). He probably would want that unit moved to the Attorney General's office or someone else he could influence more easily. There was an attempt to do that a session or two ago, but it didn't go anywhere that time.

Austin is in Travis County, TX. Sugarland, TX is not. So Travis County has nothing to do with DeLay's election.

I think the operative phrase in Delay's comments is "a DA in Travis County". Travis County, is of course, centered around Austin, aka the only sane place to live in the Lone Star State. What Delay does not approve of, clearly, is that he or some other prominent Republican may be subject to investigation by a left-leaning DA in the most left-leaning district in Texas.

Ronnie Earle is under the mistaken impression that Tom is subject to Texas law; therefore, Tom wants to insert a clause in the Texas constitution stating that Tom DeLay is above any and all laws. Then Tom's friends will pass a constitutional amendment granting Tom immunity from any criminal prosecution or civil action. Tom's ultimate goal is to force that Jesus wimp out of the seat next to God. After all, that is Tom's rightful place. But then, maybe not. Second in Heaven is good, but it's not quite first.

Ronnie Earle has special statewide jurisdiction via the Public Integrity Unit because he is the DA for Travis County, which includes the state capitol of Austin. That's what Delay is referring to when he speaks about ending Mr. Earle's jurisdiction via the legislature.

I am a resident of Travis County and I believe there is one factual error in this commentary. I have been told by members of the Travis County DA's office that because Travis County is the country seat for Austin, the state capitol of Texas, that the District Attorney's office of Travis County has a special unit assigned to prosecuting political corruption in state government. This unit is funded separately or in addition to the normal functions of the Travis County DA's office by the Texas Legislature.

What I report is hearsay on my part, but I'm pretty sure if all my facts are not correct, the basics are. Also, it has been reported in the Austin American Statesman and elsewhere, that in his 25 years or so that he been the Travis County DA, Ronnie Earl has prosecuted many Democrats as well as Republicans--in fact it may have been even more Democrats, since the Republican majority in Texas has occured only within the last 8-10 years.

It's seems to me entirely in keeping with his corrupt skew on our political process, that Tom DeLay would want to use what influence he may have left to take revenge on Travis County--a blue island in a Red State. After all after for at least 50 years-- possibly longer-- Austin, Texas had a US Congressman all its own; thanks to DeLay we no longer do. He is definitely not a Democrat or a democrat, his whole career is about undermining our democracy for his own purposes.

Tom Herod, Jr.

Actually, the Texas lege HAS given Ronnie Earle special powers as a DA.

Ironically, in Texas, in order to keep prosecutions of state based politicians from getting "political," the Texas Attorney General (AG) cannot proscecute or pursue these cases. Only the Travis County DA can. Texas did this SPECIFICALLY to keep the AG's office out of retribution or blissfully ignorant political posturing.

The State Capital, Austin, happens to be Travis County DA's jursidiction, so the Stae of Texas specifically placed this job in the hands of the Travis DA. This is why Delay is so mad. Travis is a Blue Island in a Red State. The same way he twisted the state districts away from democrats, he now will seek to steer state law enforcement away from democrats.

This is despicable. Ronnie Earle is an Eagle Scout...he is squeaky clean and he has gione after far more Dem pols, than Repub and his record is clear here. Delay is simply evil personified. The sooner he is behind bars, the better for everyone.