The more we learn about Trump’s highly choreographed meeting earlier this week with the cabal of professional Christian lobbyists, the more the whole thing stinks to high heaven. It is evident that the meeting had nothing to do with the concerns of actual Christians or people who vote based on their values. Really, it was just an excuse for highly paid lobbyists to kiss Trump’s pinky ring in exchange for a promise to receive some scraps from under the table.

Tom DeLay and RedState have not always seen eye to eye. I think the man gave up on his commitment to slash the size and scope of the Federal government. But man, did he ever point out the problems with this meeting with vision and clarity, starting with:

TIM ALBERTA: What surprised you about today’s meeting with Donald Trump?

TOM DELAY: I don’t understand why [Mike] Huckabee was the moderator. Huckabee sold out for Trump. This was supposed to be a meeting of people who had real concerns. I love Mike Huckabee, but I don’t think it was appropriate to have him as the moderator in this particular setting. He spent half the time — half of our time – cheerleading for Trump. So I’m very concerned about that.

Well, DeLay has answered his own (excellent) question in the course of asking it. The reason Huckabee was asked to be moderator is that Trump would not have had it any other way. Any person who was even casually adversarial to Trump would have been ruled out by Trump, and Trump would have refused to attend. That’s the way he operates. Huckabee has not only sold out completely to Trump, but his daughter is now an advisor on Trump’s campaign. So the conflict goes deeper than even DeLay acknowledges.

Moving on:

ALBERTA: What were the questions like?

DELAY: They were softballs.

ALBERTA: You wanted to see him pinned down on certain things?

DELAY: I did. I wanted questions that would get to the heart of Donald Trump. Nobody is asking the questions, not even the media, that get to it. A simple question: Where do you get your values? Have you ever read the Constitution? What did you think about it?

ALBERTA: So which things, specifically, were encouraging to you?

DELAY: It was obvious he was listening, that he has been listening to people who are Christians, conservatives, constitutionalists. He isn’t there yet. He doesn’t know anything about the Constitution. He doesn’t know anything. But he is – I guess the best I can say is he’s growing.

I guess if you can be encouraged by the fact that a 70 year old man who has been in the public eye for the last 35 years and has been flirting with running for President for the last 25 is “growing” (from a base position of zero) in his knowledge of the constitution, then you can be encouraged by anything.

DeLay also echoes my thoughts perfectly on the idiots who voted for Trump because they were frustrated with impurity in Washington:

ALBERTA: So what do you say to those people?

DELAY: Just that: My entire career you gave me holy hell because I wasn’t pure enough or the Congress wasn’t pure enough doing certain things. And now, not only are you supporting somebody who’s not pure enough, you’re supporting somebody who is totally contrary to what you believe in, to your principles. An authoritarian who doesn’t understand the Constitution or the issues. He’s been on the opposite side of all of their issues. It’s just an incredible phenomenon.

I guess it’s kind of charming that a man with the experience of Tom DeLay can still be flabbergasted by the stupidity and fecklessness of the American voting public – including Republican primary voters. It gives us all hope, really.