Voting Station

Tom DeLay

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U.S. Congressman

The Resume

    (April 8, 1947- )
    Elected to the Texas state legislature (1979-1985)
    Elected to the US House of Representatives (1985-2006)
    Made deputy whip by Republican Whip Dick Cheney (1988)
    Elected to Majority Whip of the US House of Representatives (1994-2003)
    Elected to Majority Leader of the US House of Representatives (2003-06)
    Convicted of moneylaundering (November 24, 2010); sentenced to 3 years in prison (January 10, 2011)

Why he might be annoying:

    He does not talk to his brother, his sister or his mother.
    He was known as 'Hot Tub Tommy' for his frequent partying and drinking to excess.
    He became a born-again Christian (1985).
    He was not on good terms with Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and Gingrich urged his party not to make him majority whip.
    He made a name for himself in the 80's attacking the National Endowment for the Arts and the Environmental Protection Agency.
    He allows members of his party to vote for a bill introduced by the opposing party only if it is doomed to lose and it will make them appear more moderate to their constituency ('catch and release').
    He dislikes George W. Bush personally and politically.
    He has called the Environmental Protection Agency the 'gestapo of government.'
    He has earned a 0 rating from the Sierra Club on environmental policy.
    He dubs most who supports environmental programs BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything) environmentalists.
    His nickname in the House of Representatives is 'the hammer' for his enforcement of strict partisanship during votes.
    He accepts the nickname, saying, 'A hammer is one of the carpenters most valuable tools.'
    He supported a controversial gerrymandering of Texas just so the state Republicans could gain more seats.
    He was called upon to resign his seat after he made an offer to retiring Representative Nick Smith that he would endorse his son for his seat if Smith would vote a certain way, violating house ethics (September 30, 2004).
    He supported the government shut-down under Bill Clinton to stop excess spending.
    He claimed he supported the Clinton impeachment effort, not because of the sex or partisan politics, but because he lied under oath. Yet he lied under oath when asked if he was still an officer of his termite business (February 1994).
    He has received sizable campaign donations from many Enron executives.
    He has very strong conservative views in foreign and domestic policy.
    He is known to be very partisan and vicious against the opposition.
    Democrats hate him.
    In fact, many Republicans also hate him.
    He was indicted by a Texas grand jury in a campaign finance sacandal and stepped down as house majority leader (September 28, 2005).
    He resigned in disgrace (April 2006).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He has significant power in the House, with any major decision made being approved by him first.
    He is often the guy who Republicans turn to to get things done in the House.
    He fights for what he believes in.
    He has been called by both his supporters and detractors the most effective Whip in the history of the House.
    He is a foster parent to many abused and neglected children.

Credit: Captain Howdy


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 44 Votes: 65.91% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 255 Votes: 54.90% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 116 Votes: 49.14% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 200 Votes: 49.50% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 97 Votes: 52.58% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 79 Votes: 49.37% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 225 Votes: 73.33% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 18 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 134 Votes: 47.01% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 140 Votes: 51.43% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 130 Votes: 48.46% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 191 Votes: 59.69% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 4182 Votes: 51.05% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 997 Votes: 65.60% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 383 Votes: 57.18% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 997 Votes: 53.86% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 718 Votes: 63.79% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 3135 Votes: 71.45% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 3779 Votes: 69.81% Annoying
    In 2004, Out of 1222 Votes: 70.38% Annoying