I personally want Tom DeLay around for the midterms, but it’s not looking good when the Republican Trib calls on him to step down and takes a shot at Denny for letting him stick around (of course, Denny doesn’t ‘let’ DeLay do anything–DeLay ‘lets’ Denny be Speaker since DeLay doesn’t have the votes.
But Republican leaders have to go beyond that. They can’t continue to aid the efforts by DeLay to dodge responsibility. The worst example is this: After the Ethics Committee rebuked DeLay for the third time, the GOP leadership neutered the Ethics Committee. The Republican chairman of the committee, Rep. Joel Hefley, was removed from his post over his objections, and the committee rules were changed so either party could block an investigation of a House member.
Republicans can argue that the committee chairmanship was due to rotate. But the rules change to block investigations was an incredibly blind and arrogant tactic. Don’t blame DeLay for that one. Blame House Speaker Dennis Hastert for letting it happen.
Hastert may be calculating that his friend DeLay can survive this ethics mess without doing too much damage to his party before the 2006 midterm elections. But the decision to stop the Ethics Committee from effectively doing its business stains the entire GOP leadership.
A Gallup poll released last week said only 38 percent of Americans approve of the way Congress is handling its job, while 54 percent disapprove. Mr. Speaker?
Republicans have enjoyed a good, decade-long run in control of the House. Maybe so good they’ve forgotten that they took power in large part because voters were fed up with the arrogant, ethically questionable practices of Washington. It would be ironic if the GOP lost power for the same reason.
Spread the Blame
Archpundit finds the quite conservative Chicago Tribune calling for DeLay’s ouster – and pointing fingers at their local boy, Dennis Hastert, as well….
And remember, in happier (less crooked, not to say criminal) days, Newt Gingrich pilloried (and removed) Jim Wright as Speaker for less than ten per cent of the stinking ethics violations DeLay daily gets away with because of the ethically challenged Hastert! What do you suppose Bankhead would have done with (and to) DeLay – or any Democrat who tried to get away with the open corruption Tom revels in? (And Bankhead was NO Liberal!) The Republicans, in attempting to defend DeLay, are showing their true colors at last, and it is a hopeful sign for 2006. REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!!