"I Will Not Comment On An On-Going Investigation"

Orrrr.... maybe I will:

Democratic leaders sternly criticized President Bush yesterday for saying former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) is innocent of felonious campaign finance abuses, suggesting his comments virtually amounted to jury tampering before DeLay stands trial.

"The president of the United States said a jury does not need to assemble, that Tom DeLay is innocent," said Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.). "To have someone of his stature, the president of the United States, prejudge a case is something I've never seen before."

During an interview Wednesday on the Fox News Channel, Bush was asked whether he believes DeLay is innocent of the charges of money laundering and conspiracy that led to his indictment in Texas and resignation from the House Republican leadership in September. "Yes, I do," the president replied.

That response pushed the White House on the defensive yesterday. Administration officials have repeatedly deflected questions about other legal probes -- especially Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald's inquiry into the leaking of CIA operative Valerie Plame's name -- by saying they could not comment on ongoing investigations. White House spokesman Scott McClellan called the apparent inconsistency a "presidential prerogative."

"The president was asked a question and he responded to that question in the interview yesterday, and made very clear what his views were," McClellan said. "We don't typically tend to get into discussing legal matters of that nature, but in this instance, the president chose to respond to it. Our policy regarding the Fitzgerald investigation and ongoing legal proceeding is well-known and it remains unchanged."

"Call it a presidential prerogative," he added.

I say, let the President maintain his close connection to Tom DeLay, let him maintain his hypocritical legal "prerogatives." As the DeLay investigation continues, and as the Abramoff investigation widens, seemingly engulfing everything, let's let the President get tangled in these legal nets again. Tom DeLay is moving rapidly toward irrelevance anyway- the Supreme Court is hearing formal complaints about the DeLay orchestrated redistricting in Texas; and in his home district he's being faced by two GOP challengers. Tom DeLay is facing legal challenges and questions on three fronts - he may get out of all of them, but he is tainted.

Bush thinks he's innocent- Bush will roast right along side him. It only hurts Bush's credibility to hang on to Tom DeLay.