The Big Buy: Tom DeLay's Stolen Congress

Republican Tom DeLay is no longer in Congress, but his legacy will serve as a troubling morality play for any legislator who confuses public service with private gain. Mark Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck's documentary The Big Buy traces the heady rise and astonishing fall of the former House Majority Leader, with a particular emphasis on the 2002 gerrymandering of the Texas congressional districts in order to ensure a Republican majority for the state's delegation. While the legality of the unusual redistricting has been upheld by the courts, DeLay's illegal use of campaign funds to fuel that effort landed him on the wrong side of the law and eventually led to his ouster. DeLay himself is not interviewed (unsurprisingly), but his chief nemesis is present: Ronnie Earle, the Texas prosecutor who successfully indicted DeLay despite the politician's fierce machinations and borderline-slanderous press spinning. The DeLay story has all of the familiar trappings of the corruptive influence of Washington power—perhaps too familiar, as the hour-long film occasionally feels somewhat padded, repeating the seemingly endless faults that framed DeLay's character. DVD extras include a nicely streamlined 20-minute version of the film, as well as audio commentary, an interview with the filmmakers, and deleted scenes. Recommended, overall. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)