DeLay Fumes At 'Law & Order' Quip

Sends Letter Accusing NBC Of 'Brazen Lack Of Judgment'

(CBS/AP) 
While again admitting that his comments were made "inartfully," the congressman also tried to restate some of his concerns about the judiciary in his statement to NBC.

"Millions of Americans in recent decades have grown concerned about the expansion of judicial independence into judicial supremacy," DeLay said. "To compare such concerns, which, again, are shared by millions of Americans, to a violent crime is a reckless trivialization of a serious public issue."

NBC responded to the statement by saying, "This episode is in keeping with the spirit and standards of the Law & Order brand."

"The script line involved an exasperated detective bedeviled by a lack of clues, making a sarcastic comment about the futility of looking for a suspect when no specific description existed," said entertainment chief Kevin Reilly.

"This isolated piece of gritty 'cop talk' was neither a political comment nor an accusation. It's not unusual for L & O to mention real names in its fictional stories," the NBC statement said. "We're confident in our viewers' ability to distinguish between the two."

"Law & Order" series creator Dick Wolf responded in a statement that referenced alleged ethics issues involving DeLay's travel, dealings with lobbyists and fundraising, reports The Washington Post.

"Up until today, it was my impression that all of our viewers understood that these shows are works of fiction, as is stated in each episode. But I do congratulate Congressman DeLay for switching the spotlight from his own problems to an episode of a TV show," Wolf said.