When it comes to federal elections law, Tom DeLay and his special-interest friends live by one set of rules, and everyone else lives by a very different set.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Tom DeLay may or may not have broken campaign finance laws, but he did his best to look like he was breaking them.
I grew up in Tom DeLay's district.
I filed the ethics complaint against Tom DeLay not because I'm a Democrat and he's a Republican or even because he drew me out of my congressional seat but because he engaged in corruption to further his plans to disenfranchise voters in Texas.
One of the big changes in the Congress since I first came to Washington is that all of these folks go home every weekend. They used to play golf together; their families got to know each other, go to dinner at each other's homes at weekends - and these would be people who were political adversaries.
A lot of people are in politics to make friends, too, instead of making positive change. They're worried about getting re-elected.
Members of Congress must live according to the same laws as everyone else.
In every election cycle that I can recall, there comes a moment - or a few - where charges of elitism and claims of commonness are wielded by presidential candidates like a sword and shield: 'Vote for me 'cause I'm one of you. It's the other guy who's out of touch.'
One state can't set everything right, but here in Arizona, we can set an example for the rest of the country in how those of us in elected office conduct ourselves and interact with each other and our constituents.
Donald Trump is a friend.
The state of law is equal for all people. It cannot depend on electoral politics.