Maybe Russell Weston Wasn't That Crazy After All
Remember the Psychotic Killer Who Tried to Eliminate Tom DeLay in 1998? Did He Sense Something We Did Not?
By Jeff Koopersmith

April 6, 2006 -- PHILADELPHIA (apj.us) -- It might just be true that the tragic deaths of Capitol Policeman J.J. Chestnut and Special Agent John Gibson might have been avoided had Tom DeLay never assumed office as the United States Congressman from Podunk, Texas.

Smile! Photographed in custody, l-r: Russell Weston, Jr; Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX22)

Both were killed when Russell Weston, Jr. shot it out near and in front of DeLay's office in Washington in 1998.

DeLay, a cockroach extermination specialist before he unimaginably ran for Congress from Sugar Land, Texas, announced late Monday night that he would not seek a 12th term in House of Representatives, supposedly to spare his constituents a battle where Democrats would try to "steal" his seat.

Of course, even though the mainstream media - including PBS' Jim Lehrer - is acting as if the nation is losing a great leader, the truth is that Tom DeLay may be, to my mind, the biggest and most immoral villain that ever occupied an office at the nation's Capital.

Even though Rush Limbaugh is an out-of-touch moron, you might think he would have remembered the day eight years ago when Weston attacked the United States Capitol Building and entered Rep. Tom DeLay's office, killing two law enforcement officers in the process. Weston has never been tried for the murders of Chestnut and Gibson because the State, all the way to a federal appeals court, has found that Weston is so psychotic that he is unfit to stand trial, and has suspended (not dismissed) charges against him.

Instead, Weston, the murderer who believes he can "wash away time," rots in solitary confinement in a federally-owned mental hospital where he refuses to take medication deemed necessary to make him competent to stand trial as the prosecutors and the families of the slain police officers would like.

Upon Weston's arrest, he lectured police on his theories on the "Ruby Satellite System," which "washes time in reverse" adding a description of his connection to the "World Summit for Time Reverse Technology." Evidently Weston believed that he could launder time itself, bringing back Gibson and Chestnut in the process.

I would not be surprised to find that President Bush believes in the Ruby Satellite System as well. This might well be an explanation of his policies across the board.

One wonders whether Weston's insane plunge into the hallowed halls of Washington was aimed at assassinating Tom DeLay, or whether he just happened to run into DeLay's office in a mad dash to escape pursuing police. We will never know, as Weston of course has deteriorated beyond comprehension since his incarceration.

Whichever the case, one can only fantasize now about what might have been had DeLay been Weston's real target - though I personally wish DeLay no physical harm beyond public humiliation, trial, conviction, and incarceration à la Weston - who, like DeLay, should be is in solitary confinement for "his own protection" for the numerous felonies I believe Mr. DeLay and his "colleagues" committed against the American people over the past few decades.

Weston's insanity could have, in a twisted irony, saved this nation, and DeLay's Republican colleagues and opposition, oceans of grief and embarrassment caused by "The Hammer" as he finagled, cheated, and stole his way toward the House Speakership - in the process becoming even more powerful than House "Squeaker" Denny Hastert himself. Yet power gained by fraud, blackmail, and payoffs is nothing to be proud of - although Mr. DeLay would like you to believe that it is.

Tom DeLay and his cohorts have been, to me, obvious felons for years. Nearly a decade ago I called your attention not to DeLay and his accomplice Grover Norquist, one of DeLay's top GOP money launderers and a man who appears to be Teflon-coated with respect to the many law enforcement investigations involvinging him that have not yet come to fruition.

The truly despicable DeLay - get this - is actually planning to come back to live permanently in Virginia, where he claims he will "get his life in order." DeLay must be delusional enough to think he will succeed in his insane quest to become a high-powered lobbyist using his "connections" and obligatees along the way.

What DeLay will find instead is a lot of "Tom who?" on the other end of the congressional telephone line.

There are very few souls sitting in public office today, even those who owe DeLay their seats, that will have anything further to do with him.

And corporate America - where he will have to go for money - will lock him out like the deadly snake he is, mark my words.

Rush Limbaugh, of course, had Tom DeLay - a man indicted for more than one felony - as an "honored guest" on his "sin"-dicated radio program yesterday. He gave DeLay free rein to spout a litany of garbage, including a claim that the capitol police officers killed in 1998 by Russell Weston were "his people" - as if he had personally recruited, vetted and hired them and as if they worked on his staff.

Even Limbaugh was confused, befuddled, and nonplussed - because that idiot had never heard of the Weston shooting, let alone DeLay's personal involvement - if even true. Most likely, he didn't know because at the time, Limbaugh was leading the reprehensible indictments against Bill Clinton's private sex life - which, of course, failed like every other goal Limbaugh, DeLay, Norquist, and the reprehensible "crappo di tutti crappi" Newt Gingrich adopted back in 1998.

Whatever DeLay is up to, it is certainly not protecting his constituents from "mean-spirited librul Democrats hurtin' the voter's feelings" in his trumped-up, gerrymandered 22nd Texas Congressional District. One could nearly vomit from laughter at this slimy excuse for DeLay's humiliating resignation and the volcanic sigh of relief that echoed over the Capitol - more from Republicans than Democrats - that "DeLay is finally gone for good. Thank God."

One can only hope that Jim Lehrer, who now seems to a captive of the ultra-right wing Neocon apologists President Bush has appointed to the PBS oversight board, will stop treating DeLay with respect and admiration that he does not deserve. Lehrer and his colleagues had better try to get this one right. They failed on Iraq and Afghanistan. They failed on the so-called "war" on terrorism, on Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condolleeza Rice, and so many other stories I am ashamed to delineate them.

Tell you what, Jim. Why not follow Nancy Pelosi's advice of yesterday: "This isn't just about Tom DeLay. It's about the Republicans in Congress who have benefited from this [his] corruption."

And that, my friends, is the truth.

JEFF KOOPERSMITH is a political consultant, opinion research authority, policy analyst, and self-described "renegade lobbyist."