hen liberals can't pass a law they want, they try to get the courts to do their dirty work for them. That's one way to explain the lawsuit filed by House Democrats against Tom DeLay and three groups with ties to him: The Dems couldn't ban soft money, so now they're trying to drag down DeLay with charges that he's running a "political organization based on illicit fundraising and the use of organizations to conceal that money," as Democratic counsel Robert F. Bauer put it.

But that can't be the real purpose. The lawsuit does not raise a single new charge against DeLay or the three organizations. The real purpose of the case, in fact, probably isn't to win a ruling against Republican campaign efforts, but to discourage donors from giving to the Republican Majority Issues Committee, the U.S. Family Network, and Americans for Economic Growth, which don't release contributor lists.

On Thursday, NR asked RMIC's Karl Gallant whether he thought this was the motive. "Absolutely," he said.

Murray's Law
Senator Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, criticizing Republican education-reform efforts in a Senate floor exchange yesterday: "I am just looking at the language of the bill that says . . . that a parent directs that the services be provided through a tutorial assistance provider. It is not directed by the school, it is directed by the parent. And I think that that is one of the underlying flaws and concerns that we have with this. . . . I do not know how a school district is going to manage this when . . . frankly, the parent is in control."

Now that Elian is safely on his way to Cuba, apparently liberals have returned to their standard line on parental rights.

Help Wanted
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