News Flash -- Green votes against DeLay!

Rep. Mark Green, in a rare show of independence from his sugar daddy, Tom DeLay, voted with Rep. Dave Obey Tuesday to take $200-million out of the budget for NASA, in DeLay's district, and use it instead to provide help for local police to combat methamphetamine, fund anti-gang programs and buy new equipment.

Green, who's in debt to the tune of $29,000 in political contributions from DeLay's political action committee, votes with him 91.1 per cent of the time.

But this time he was one of only 21 Republicans in the House to jump ship and vote with Obey. Obey's amendment failed on a 230-196 vote. DeLay, who's pretty good at counting noses, probably knew he had all the votes he needed and gave Green a pass.

As lame duck Green begins to disengage from Congress and position himself as a candidate for governor, he may declare some other "independence" from DeLay and the GOP leadership. But you can bet his vote is in DeLay's pocket when he needs it.

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