logic and critical thinking

Read this passage below. When you have done so, answer these three questions, writing a paragraph for each question.

Another quality that makes [Texas Republican and former Congressman] Tom DeLay an un-Texas politician 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 [Congress], 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 specialties, his trademarks. ;The Hammer is not only genuinely feared in Washington, he is, I’m sorry to say, hated.
-excerpt from a column by Molly Ivins, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

(1) What position does the author take on the issue at hand?
(2) What rhetorical fallacies are being used in the article?
(3) If the author is supporting a position with an argument, restate the argument in your own words.
;A.
(1) Issue: Whether DeLay is mean and not in-line with normal behavior among Texas politicians.
(2) Position taken: Delay is mean and is not like other Texas politicians.
(3) One claim defines vindictive behavior and then another claim is made that DeLay often behaves vindictively, whereas most other Texas politicians do not.
(4) By and large and quite often might be taken as weaselers. The Hammer is a dysphemism. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;