Da Mayor stumbles on his way out the door

You blew it, Tom. You could have made a graceful exit from center stage of the theater that is Dallas politics. But, no. You had to insert an "I was right and you were wrong" element into your speech moments ago announcing your resignation as mayor of the City of Dallas. You had to use this moment to pander to the Tea Party base of the Republican Party that will determine your future. You converted what should have been a melancholy, at best, moment into an ugly one.

Not only that, what you said contradicted itself. Please explain to me and the rest of the citizens of Dallas how you could say on one hand that the tax rate increase approved by the City Council last September ruined the opportunities for business development, especially in South Dallas, and on the other hand pat yourself on the back for the fact that WalMart is announcing major new developments in Dallas, the first of which are concentrated in South Dallas.

But you were not dealing with the facts here, were you, Tom. You were laying the foundation for your Senate run by positioning yourself on the side of those who think it's more important that students in this state are allowed to carry guns than to carry textbooks. I'm ashamed of you, Tom. I must admit I never voted for you, but, at first, I thought you might be good for this city. But your support for the tollroad-in-the-park folly and now your adherence to the wrong-headed policy that cutting taxes is the answer to every political question makes me realize you are on that side of making sure the rich get richer and to hell with everyone else.

Yeah, you had a chance, Tom, but you blew it.