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 By Mark Hinson Isn't it obvious that a political documentary called "The Big Buy: Tom DeLay's Stolen Congress" was not made to sing the praises of the controversial Texas congressman? Political junkies who are sympathetic to Rep. Tom "The Hammer" DeLay should stay far away from this documentary. This full-bore attack on the powerful Republican player, who was forced to step down as majority leader of the House after being slapped with corruption charges, is guaranteed to make their blood pressure skyrocket. However, for anyone who gets a kick out of watching messy, crazy-as-a-cut-snake politics in Texas, "The Big Buy" is more feisty and fun than a drunken barbecue in Beaumont. Politics-wise, the Lone Star State makes the Sunshine State look like a model of decency and sportsmanship. The Tallahassee Film Society will present "The Big Buy" during one screening today at the All Saints Cinema on Railroad Avenue. When the movie ends, let the political squabbling begin. "The Big Buy" was made by activist filmmakers Mark Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck, whose other credits include the finger-pointing "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price." They never pretend to have an objective point of view in "Big Buy." There's no hidden agenda; it's all on the surface. They set out to bash DeLay - who not surprisingly turned down offers to be interviewed for the documentary - and bash away they do. It doesn't help DeLay's case that one of the first talking heads we see is Jack Abramoff. He's the high-rolling uber-lobbyist who was disgraced earlier this year when he pleaded guilty to bribery and other charges in Washington, D.C. In "Big Buy," Abramoff is shown extolling the greatness of DeLay, who first gained national attention during the heyday of Newt Gingrich's Republican revolution in the mid-'90s. Abramoff practically brays in front of a convention of College Republicans during happier times. "Tom DeLay is who all of us want to be when we grow up," Abramoff says as the crowd goes wild. In April - charged with illegally spending corporate-raised dollars to sway congressional elections in Texas - DeLay announced that he will not be seeking re-election to his office in November. | ||
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