Crisis Management Rule #1: Change the Subject

"A Texas grand jury's decision to indict former Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) may have caught many people in Washington off-guard, but those in DeLay's inner circle had spent the past few days bracing themselves," reports The Hill. "Minutes after the announcement came, DeLay's closest and strongest supporters began mounting a defense. By 2 p.m., a two-page memo condemning [Texas prosecutor] Ronnie Earle and the indictment was hitting Republican e-mail." The memo "turns the ethical spotlight on Earle and casts DeLay as the innocent victim." It "cites a Houston Chronicle article saying that Earle had started raising money for 'far-left' groups." Republicans "would not disclose the author," but the memo is similar to one written earlier this year by former Republican National Committee research director Barbara Comstock, in response to questions about DeLay's foreign travel and campaign payments to his wife and daughter.