Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow it.

 Another quality that makes Texas Republican Tom DeLay an un-Texas pol is that he’s mean. By and large, Texas pols are an agreeable set of less-than-perfect humans and quite often well intentioned. As Carl Parker of Port Arthur used to observe, if you took all the fools out of the legislature, it would not be a representative body any longer. The old sense of collegiality was strong, and vindictive behavior-punishing pols for partisan reasons-was simply not done. But those are Tom DeLay’s specialities, his trademarks. The Hammer is not only genuinely feared in Washington, he is, I’m sorry to say, hated.

 1. What issue is the author addressing?

 2. What position does the author take on that issue?

 3. If the author supports this position with an argument, state that argument in your own words.

 4. Does the author use rhetorical devices discussed in this chapter? If so, classify any that fall into the categories described in this chapter.

 Resource: Chapter 5: Critical Thinking