DeLay-isms: Dumb Tom DeLay Quotes By Notable Quotables [16 more lists]

Stupid quotes by Tom DeLay, also known as DeLayisms, feature the Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives saying with complete sincerity 'I am the Federal Government,' among other head scratchers. Compared to other politicians, including fellow convicted politicians, DeLay has his own share of gaffes and bizarre quotes on everything from the war in Iraq to his job description.

DeLay, a Republican, represented Texas in Congress until a pesky felony conviction forced him to resign from public office. Before he was caught in a money laundering scheme using campaign funds, DeLay was not shy about sharing his political views, including his belief that he was not a federal employee, rather his job "is the Constitution."

As if that was not weird enough, DeLay often put his foot in his mouth when talking about his constituents and other Americans around the country. He did that plenty when talking about families attempting to live on minimum wage, or the fact that they don't exist rather, and when speaking to victims of Hurricane Katrina, asking how "fun" it is to lose everything in a natural disaster.

These gaffes may be put on hold as DeLay deals with his legal matters, for as long as there are other politicians, including corrupt congressmen, there will still be others stepping up to put their feet in their mouthes.

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1

Tom DeLay on Men vs Women

"A woman can take care of the family. It takes a man to provide structure. To provide stability. Not that a woman can't provide stability, I'm not saying that... It does take a father, though."

Tom DeLay, in a radio interview from February 10, 2004
2

Tom DeLay on Minimum Wage

"Emotional appeals about working families trying to get by on $4.25 an hour [the minimum wage in 1996] are hard to resist. Fortunately, such families do not exist."

Tom DeLay, during a debate in Congress on increasing the minimum wage on April 23, 1996
3

Tom DeLay on Violence

"Guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence. The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids into daycare, the teaching of evolution in the schools, and working mothers who take birth control pills."

Tom DeLay in 1999 on the causes of the Columbine High School massacre
4

Tom Delay on His Employment

"I am not a federal employee. I am a constitutional officer. My job is the Constitution of the United States, I am not a government employee. I am in the Constitution."

Tom DeLay, in a CNN interview from December 19, 1995
5

Tom DeLay on the Federal Government

"I AM the federal government."

Tom DeLay, to the owner of Ruth's Chris Steak House, after being told to put out his cigar because of federal government regulations banning smoking in the building on May 14, 2003
6

Tom DeLay on Separation of Church and State

"I don't believe there is a separation of church and state. I think the Constitution is very clear. The only separation is that there will not be a government church."

Tom DeLay, speaking to the U.S. Supreme Court in March 2005 about the First Amendment and the Ten Commandments
7

Tom DeLay on the Iraq War

"Nothing is more important in the face of a war than cutting taxes."

Tom DeLay on March 12, 2003 in a speech made to bakers about the war in Iraq
8

Tom DeLay on Natural Disasters

"Now tell me the truth boys, is this kind of fun?"

Tom Delay, to three young hurricane evacuees from New Orleans at the Astrodome in Houston on September 9, 2005
9

Tom DeLay on Military Service

"So many minority youths had volunteered...that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like myself."

Tom DeLay, explaining at the 1988 GOP convention why he and vice presidential nominee Dan Quayle did not fight in the Vietnam War
10

Tom DeLay on America

"We're no longer a superpower. We're a super-duper power."

Tom DeLay, explaining why America must topple Saddam Hussein in 2002 interview with Fox News