Rubbing our noses in it

Have we become such a nation of compliant sheep that we no longer know when our collective intelligence has been insulted?

Given the apparent lack of general outrage over the news that Tom DeLay has been rewarded for his impeccably ethical public service with seats on two important House committees, I guess I'd have to say "Yes" to that question. I mean, this goes beyond hubris. Beyond chutzpah. Beyond a set of big brass ones.

This goes all the way to, "SCREW YOU, AMERICA, AND THE HORSE YOU RODE IN ON!"

ABC News reported yesterday that:

Indicted Rep. Tom DeLay, forced to step down as the No. 2 Republican in the House, scored a soft landing Wednesday as GOP leaders rewarded him with a coveted seat on the Appropriations Committee.

DeLay, R-Texas, also claimed a seat on the subcommittee overseeing the Justice Department, which is currently investigating an influence-peddling scandal involving disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his dealings with lawmakers. The subcommittee also has responsibility over NASA a top priority for DeLay, since the Johnson Space Center is located in his Houston-area district.

You know, I'm not sure how to even put my sputtering incredulity into words here. As with Karl Rove's blatant threat toward members of the Judiciary Committee the other day, this development in the House of Representatives smacks of a fundamental disrespect for the tenets of this nation that is so foul, so shocking, so arrogant as to be beyond my powers of rational understanding. It's a metaphorical slap in the face that should have us deluging the faxes and phones and e-mails of our elected officials with a simple three-word message:

What. The. Fuck?!?!

Let's review. The Congressman at the heart of the "influence-peddling scandal involving disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff", who, you might recall, is not only under investigation but has been indicted for his misdeeds, is now one of the legislators overseeing the investigation of the "influence-peddling scandal involving disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff."

Huh?

Not to mention the fact that Mr. DeLay, who's proudly defended his career of strong-arming, gerrymandering, favoritism, bribery, and ruthless partisanship, now plays a key part in deciding how our federal budgets are divvied up and distributed.

What?

And all this bounty has been heaped upon the undeserving Hammer by a Party that's simultaneously swearing to us that it is leading the way in a fight for ethics reform in Washington, largely in spite of those obstructionist, defeatist, purely partisan Democrats who keep rejecting patriotic GOP proposals.

Eh, right.

The foxes are running the henhouse, kids, and rubbing our noses in it every day. When are we finally going to grab our Constitutional 12-gauge, and send the varmints fleeing back to the hills?