This ought to be fun.
CLEAR LAKE — A reception for House Majority Speaker Tom DeLay at the University of Houston-Clear Lake on Tuesday night is expected to draw protesters.
An e-mail circulated last week that encouraged recipients to make signs and show up in force, arguing that DeLay’s appearance amounts to nothing more than a campaign stop.
The campus will become part of DeLay’s district, redrawn last year.
DeLay is hoping to retain representation of District 22 in the November general election.
Those organizing the protest claim the reception is a violation of university policy, which prohibits school resources from being used to affect the outcome of an election. The university contends that the reception isn’t political in nature.
University of Houston spokesman Eric Gerber said the school often invites legislators to its campuses and cited recent visits by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.
“I don’t think anyone should be surprised that a university is bringing legislators and lawmakers on campus,” Gerber said. “Tom DeLay is an alum of U of H, and he’s a distinguished alum, a title he was awarded last year.
“He’s the majority leader in Congress. The university is constantly having important people come to the campus.”
Juanita was on this last week. At least as an alum, DeLay didn’t complain about UH students having sex in the dorms like they do at those wild and wooly bastions of liberal debauchery Baylor and Texas A&M. So he has that going for him.