Corrupt, corrupt, corrupt

Gee, Tom Delay has figured out a way to make an extra half-a-mill. What's a little nepotism between friends?

"The wife and daughter of Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, have been paid more than $500,000 since 2001 by Mr. DeLay's political action and campaign committees, according to a detailed review of disclosure statements filed with the Federal Election Commission and separate fund-raising records in Mr. DeLay's home state, Texas."

Move along, folks. Nothing to see, here.

Mr. DeLay's national political action committee, Americans for a Republican Majority, or Armpac, said in a statement on Tuesday that the two women had provided valuable services to the committee in exchange for the payments: "Mrs. DeLay provides big picture, long-term strategic guidance and helps with personnel decisions. Ms. Ferro is a skilled and experienced professional event planner who assists Armpac in arranging and organizing individual events."

"Big-picture, long-term strategic guidance and helps with personnel decisions"?

This statement is obviously taken, verbatim, from the job specs.

It's standard civil-service-speak for "Does nothing, but we have to describe the nothing with impressive-sounding words."