"One thing that God has brought to us is Terri Schiavo to elevate the visibility of what's going on in America."

Tom DeLay, Congressman from Texas, House Republican Majority Leader,
speaking to his co-thinkers of "Family Research Council"

Tom DeLay is a powerful right-winger who wraps his ambitions in a frenzied god-speak. He is the cynical manipulator, who redistricted Texas to disenfranchise political opponents, and is now rewriting congressional ethics procedures to rescue himself from his own colossal corruption. He is an aggressive liar, who recently dared describe Terri Schiavo as "lucid."

But, for a half second there among allies, he let out something true.

This huge national power struggle over Terri Schiavo's fate has, in fact, elevated the visibility of what's going on in America.