The current Texas Monthly cover features a smiling Tom DeLay accompanied by the headline "Don't let the door hit you . . .", a reference to the former House majority leader's impending resignation from Congress. Writer Paul Burka's story details the Texas congressman's complicated journey from immature party boy who rediscovered God to once-powerful Republican who will leave office tainted by scandal involving lobbyists, overseas travel and possibly illegal big-business influence that led to a controversial
redistricting of Texas that benefited DeLay's party.

The Big Buy: Tom DeLay's Stolen Congress covers much of the same terrain, simplifying matters a bit for easy movie digestion. (It's not exaggerating too much to say that at 72 minutes, the movie takes up less time than reading the Texas Monthly piece.) For his part, DeLay says he's innocent and the target of a liberal witch hunt that includes this film. He calls its makers "Hollywood liberals" -- even though directors Mark Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck are native Texans who've remained in the state. (The movie is, however, distributed by California-based Brave New Films.)

Birnbaum and Schermbeck begin their film with two women, lifelong Republicans, driving around DeLay's home base of Sugar Land, talking about their love of the GOP but dislike of DeLay. The exchange comes off as contrived, almost scripted, but the filmmakers soon find a groove and methodically construct their case against DeLay, whom they charge with misusing corporate funds and engineering the 2003 redistricting of Texas to give Congress a Republican majority.

Does The Big Buy have an agenda of its own? Burka, who appears in the film, makes the point in his Texas Monthly article that DeLay has a target on his back -- one his own zeal and excesses put there. DeLay has yet to be convicted, but the movie does its best to prove his guilt, and it is clear in its admiration of Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, whose investigation led to DeLay's indictment.

Birnbaum and Schermbeck plan to use The Big Buy as a political tool, hoping it will encourage voters to take a harder look at Congress and at corporate influence in Washington. Whether you believe that qualifies as a witch hunt probably depends on your political point of view, which means this will be yet another politically charged documentary that preaches almost exclusively to the converted.

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