Burnt Orange Report

FOX News Bias in DeLay Reporting

By Byron LaMasters

Vince Leibowitz nails them over at the Yellow Dog Blog. Here's how FOX News characterized the investigation of Tom DeLay's activities by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle:

Austin District Attorney Ronnie Earle, a fierce partisan Democrat with political ambitions, is currently investigating two PACs; one was DeLay's brainchild and he continues to sit on the advisory board.

If FOX News would have done their research, as Vince did, they would have learned that Ronnie Earle has investigated more Democrats than Republicans as D.A., that Ronnie Earle is the "Travis County D.A.", not the "Austin D.A.". Finally, Ronnie Earle has been the Travis County District Attorney since 1976. It's hard to understand how someone who has been District Attorney for nearly 30 years could be considered someone with larger political ambitions. It seems to me as if Ronnie Earle is happy with the job that he has (if you can think of a better reason why he's had the same job for 28 years, let me know, but its hard to spin it in any way as political ambition).

Update: In the latest DeLay news today, the Houston Chronicle writes that reports that he expects to be indicted are incorrect:

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on Tuesday downplayed reports that he is preparing, politically and financially, for an indictment in Texas on charges that he broke state campaign finance laws.

"If the law is the standard in the state of Texas, then we have no problems and we don't anticipate a problem," DeLay, R-Sugar Land, said emphatically during a news conference in Washington.

"I have not been notified that I am being investigated; I have not been subpoenaed," he said.

Targets of grand jury investigations aren't always notified, however.