Ethics Tips From "The Hammer"

Here in the nation's capital, irony sometimes takes a heaping spoonful of steroids and facts become stranger than fiction.

The latest example? Take a guess at who's headlining an upcoming political training seminar offering "explicit discussions of ethics."

The answer is Tom DeLay, the former House majority leader who resigned last year after being indicted on campaign finance abuses in Texas and who remains under federal scrutiny in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

DeLay, a.k.a. "the Hammer," is set to kick off a May 31 Campaigns & Elections seminar, where he will hawk his book, "No Retreat, No Surrender," and talk political strategy ... and, who knows, maybe even ethics. (After all, Michael Scanlon, a former top DeLay aide who pleaded guilty in the Abramoff lobbying investigation, delivered his graduate thesis on congressional ethics last year; so why shouldn't the Hammer be able to join in the absurdity of it all?)

A witty, lampoony e-mail invitation from Campaigns & Elections reads: "Due to strong language (e.g. going negative, oppo, scandal) and adult situations (e.g. networking, politics, education) the Campaigns & Elections political training seminar is not intended for everyone. Some programming will include former Congressman and DCCC Chairman Vic Fazio, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, political strategist Joe Trippi and gratuitous depictions of successful campaigns, explicit discussions of ethics and an extreme passion for politics."

The invitation warns: "Attend at your own risk!"

Treacherous waters, indeed! DeLay, the feisty and frustrated shark that he is, just this week challenged federal prosecutors probing his ties to the imprisoned Abramoff to "fish or cut bait. Do something."

A Democrat who voiced outrage over DeLay's participation in the event forwarded the invitation to The Sleuth. No one is more aware of the Democrats' ire than DeLay himself -- he absolutely relishes the role of driving them crazy.

"You should see the responses we've received from some very angry Dems," DeLay spokeswoman Shannon Flaherty said via e-mail. "Looks like they're going to boycott it, which is all the better because if they're this upset over the invitation, wait until they see his presentation."

Actually, though, according to Campaigns & Elections publisher Jordan Lieberman, more Democratic political junkies than Republicans may wind up attending the DeLay forum. Democrats, he said, are "absolutely fascinated" with the controversial former majority leader.

"Like him or not, he engineered redistricting in Texas, was among the post powerful of majority leaders. He was feared and loathed by his opponents because he was good," Lieberman said. "I think people have a lot to learn from him regardless of how they feel about him."

Footnote: Lieberman, by the way, is no relation to Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), though Lieberman the publisher found out recently that he and the senator have a random connection -- they use the same exterminator.

Exterminator ... hmmm. Wasn't that DeLay's line of work before getting into politics?

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