# Tom DeLay: MoveOn doesn't sell your mug shot; lawyer is deficient in judgment too **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 21, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339 "2005-10-21T21:39:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/1 "2005-10-21T21:39:12Z")
So, since it seems the attempt to dismiss the whole thing out of court fizzled, DeLay’s lawyer decided to make the effort to dismiss the judge in the case against DeLay just because the Judge send some money to [moveon.org](http://moveon.org) several years ago. > **[Latest news from around the world | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/world)** > > Latest World news news, comment and analysis from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice > [@](#): > > DeLay, who has stepped aside at least for the time being as House majority leader, did not speak during the brief court session, and was not called on to make a plea. But at a news conference shortly afterward, he attacked the prosecutor in the case as politically motivated, and said, ``I will absolutely be exonerated.’’ > > Inside the courtroom, Judge Bob Perkins told defense lawyer Dick DeGuerin that ``the best way for me to handle’’ the request for a new judge would be to defer further proceedings. > > That set the stage for a pointed exchange between the two men that seemed as much a campaign debate as a courtroom exchange. > > In respectful tones, DeGuerin noted that Perkins had donated money to [MoveOn.org](http://MoveOn.org), a liberal organization that he said has been ``selling T-shirts with Mr. DeLay’s mug shot on it.’’ > > ``Let me just say I haven’t ever seen that T-shirt, number one. Number two, I haven’t bought it. Number three, the last time I contributed to MoveOn that I know of was prior to the November election last year, when they were primarily helping Sen. Kerry,’’ responded the judge. > > ``All we want is a fair trial and a fair tribunal,’’ DeGuerin told reporters outside the courthouse. > > Prosecutor Ronnie Earle signaled he intends to contest the request for a new judge. Checking around I can confirm that the reply by [Moveon.org](http://Moveon.org) is correct: > [@MoveOn](#): > > We’re not surprised that DeLay and his lawyer Dick DeGuerin are making things up. We’re not selling t-shirts. DeGuerin has either bad information or lied in court. Well, in respectful tones I have to say to DeLay and his lawyer that they should know themselves in the biblical sense. And that is going also to some media outlets that are reporting that MoveOn is selling the mugs and shirts without bothering to check and report if the lawyer was telling the truth. (This is more reprehensible if it is true what I saw in other sites that reported that the layer said that “I suggest you go to [Moveon.org](http://Moveon.org)’s web site and read it for yourself. It’s something EVEN JOUNALISTS CAN UNDERSTAND.” Well I do hope that even the journalists that use to grab the Republican pieces of propaganda as news to at least understand that DeLay has someone that is deficient in judgment and good sense\* for a lawyer. \*An idiot, but I had to keep a respectful tone. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/2 "2005-10-21T21:40:57Z")
“several years ago” Make that “a year ago”… ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/3 "2005-10-21T21:56:49Z")
Be funny, though, if [MoveOn.org](http://MoveOn.org) started selling mugs with a picture of Tom DeLay’s T-shirt. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Loblaw_1)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/4 "2005-10-21T22:03:19Z")
So a donation to a political party or advocacy group that has criticized you personally is grounds for disqualification? That would mean that if there are only Dem or Rep judges in Texas, that Delay is entitled to be tried by someone who isn’t a Dem, but a Rep, a lodge brother, so to speak? Doesn’t that put the people at the same disadvantage? Now I suppose that if the judge in question had personally spoken out against Delay, that would be a better argument, but there is no evidence of that, just that he made a donation to a several million member organization that certainly has criticized Delay, even though they apparently didn’t do the criticism in question. Doesn’t this mean that every defendant in any criminal case can be tried by a judge of his or her own party affiliation if the challenge is successful? Otherwise it would be a special privilege for electeds. Don’t lawyers call this “judge shopping”? ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/5 "2005-10-21T22:13:25Z")
Talk about Delaying a trial. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/6 "2005-10-21T22:25:49Z")
It’s clear that the only way DeLay can get a fair trial is if he can land a judge that donates to a _respectable_ PAC. Time to dig through that mailing-list, Mr. DeGuerin. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/7 "2005-10-21T23:35:24Z")
On the radio today, someone made a good point. If Delay is so confident that he can win based on the merits of the case, how come all his PR is talking about is distractions to the case? Shouldn’t he be working the court of public opinion with the merits of the case, too? Daniel ---
**Author:** ![aamco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@aamco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aamco)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/8 "2005-10-22T00:36:02Z")
In case anyone is interested, you really can [buy T-shirts with Delay’s mug shot](http://www.cafepress.com/thewhitehouse/866007). ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/9 "2005-10-22T01:03:14Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > If Delay is so confident that he can win based on the merits of the case… Then DeLay is more confident than his own lawyer: > [@](#): > > DeGuerin also told the AP that he had counseled DeLay to plead guilty to a misdemeanor in exchange for keeping his leadership post. DeGuerin said DeLay declined the deal because he wanted to fight the charges against him. [http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/102005/news1.html](http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/102005/news1.html) ---
**Author:** ![aamco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@aamco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aamco)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/10 "2005-10-22T01:07:43Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Then DeLay is more confident than his own lawyer:[http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/102005/news1.html](http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/102005/news1.html) Is there evidence that prosecutors actually offered a plea bargain, or is that just DeGuerin doing some public posturing for Delay (“I tried to get him to accept a minor charge he knew was false but he was so goddamned principled he’s going to fight for his innocence!”)? If this is, in fact, a “partisan witch hunt,” then I find it hard to believe that the prosecutor would offer a deal. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/11 "2005-10-22T02:06:33Z")
> [@aamco](#): > > In case anyone is interested, you really can [buy T-shirts with Delay’s mug shot](http://www.cafepress.com/thewhitehouse/866007). But not, to be absolutely clear, from [MoveOn.org](http://MoveOn.org). ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/12 "2005-10-22T02:09:00Z")
Does DeLays defense team actually have a case, or are they really going to rely on the vast left wing conspiracy to try to win this? ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/13 "2005-10-22T02:48:33Z")
> [@aamco](#): > > In case anyone is interested, you really can [buy T-shirts with Delay’s mug shot](http://www.cafepress.com/thewhitehouse/866007). That also has to be _the_ most pooly implemented CafePress store in history. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/14 "2005-10-22T04:44:15Z")
> [@aamco](#): > > In case anyone is interested, you really can [buy T-shirts with Delay’s mug shot](http://www.cafepress.com/thewhitehouse/866007). Yep, not from [MoveOn.org](http://MoveOn.org), and that image is not the real mug shot: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom\_DeLay](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_DeLay) (scroll down) Nice shit eating grin. At the beginning, I thought DeLay pulled something to make sure the slate with numbers and ID did not appear in the photo that is so typical of mug shots. But it seems that the use of it depends on the location where you are arrested. Matthew McConaughey’s mug shot in Texas, for example: > **[Matthew McConaughey](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/celebrity/hollywood/matthew-mcconaughey)** > > Matthew McConaughey was arrested by Austin, Texas police in October 1999 and charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia after a neighbor called to complain about music blaring from th Has no slate, so the Bug man was just lucky. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/15 "2005-10-22T05:35:35Z")
So what’s the photo on the shirt then? I know it’s not the real mug shot but it must have come from somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Loblaw_1)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/16 "2005-10-22T06:07:42Z")
As much as I despise everything Tom Delay stands for, and much of what he does, I’m presuming that he is innocent. But for what it’s worth, I think that Michael Jackson slept with and didn’t molest boys. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/17 "2005-10-22T06:20:24Z")
> [@SmackFu](#): > > So what’s the photo on the shirt then? I know it’s not the real mug shot but it must have come from somewhere. It doesn’t look like a real photo to me at all. It looks like a caricature, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/18 "2005-10-22T06:26:47Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > It doesn’t look like a real photo to me at all. It looks like a caricature, actually. The front photo could just be him speaking, it looks real enough to me. The profile version may be fake. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/19 "2005-10-22T13:52:20Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Has no slate, so the Bug man was just lucky. I was wondering if that was why he checked into Houston instead of his home county. The “avoiding reporters” story doesn’t ring true with someone like DeLay. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339/20 "2005-10-22T18:12:19Z")
> [@](#): > > In respectful tones, DeGuerin noted that Perkins had donated money to [MoveOn.org](http://MoveOn.org), a liberal organization that he said has been ``selling T-shirts with Mr. DeLay’s mug shot on it.’’ You know, once upon a time, Harriet Miers donated money to a group that wanted to outlaw abortion. But somehow, that’s not supposed to matter in her case. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-delay-moveon-doesnt-sell-your-mug-shot-lawyer-is-deficient-in-judgment-too/327339.md?page=2)