I have always been an amused admirer of many, though admittedly not all, things said and done by House Majority Whip Tom Delay of Texas. The following story adds to that legend for me.

It seems Delay was in India recently to mark the aniversary of India's Independence. A Frenchman came walking up to him and began to berate Delay about Iraq. It was obvious that there was nothing Delay could say or do that would convince this man of anything beyond his closed-minded rant. Instead, Delay interrupted the man in mid-tirade to ask, "Do you speak German?"

The ranter was thrown off stride by the question and looked blank for a moment before replying in slight confusion, "No. I don't speak German."

At that, Delay said, "You're welcome," turned and walked off, leaving the obnoxious Frenchman standing there in total confusion.