Dems Steal GOP Playbook in House; GOP Eats it's Own, while DeLay Ethics A-OK in Their Book, page
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Topic started on 16-10-2004 @ 06:16 AM by RANT
Robert Novak: Criminalized politics
Thursday, October 14, 2004 Posted: 3:49 PM EDT (1949 GMT)
CNN.com

WASHINGTON (Creators Syndicate) -- They're trying to make Tom DeLay into Jim Wright. They've stolen our playbook," declared an outspoken deputy whip at a recent House Republican leadership meeting. That implicit bipartisan sharing of responsibility for what has become of the House of Representatives was not a popular message for most GOP lawmakers. But it accurately portrays today's situation.

The "admonishment" of Majority Leader DeLay by the House Ethics Committee recalls, in cloakrooms of both parties, the series of events 15 years ago. Wright's forced resignation as House speaker on ethical charges was followed by lost congressional seats and, five years later, Republicans taking control of the House. The same pattern is devoutly desired by today's Democrats -- beginning with DeLay's demise.

This is the criminalization of politics. Democrats appear to be as frustrated by being out of power in the House the past 10 years as the Republicans were four times that long in the wilderness. But it is a process that never seems to end. Sources in the House GOP leadership say ethics charges are contemplated against House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi for allegedly working with outside groups (which she denies) to get DeLay.

Rep. Newt Gingrich, when still a Republican backbencher, assured me in 1988 that Wright would be forced from the speaker's chair. Although I was skeptical, Wright resigned under pressure in 1989. That same year, Gingrich was elected to the GOP leadership, as minority whip. But he was a marked man, designated for retribution, and was forced out on ethics charges as speaker in 1999.


Memories.... Sending Gingrich off to FoxNews retirement. Good times.

Now DeLay's on deck. Just confessed to God knows how many ethics viloations, and indignant himself anyone even noticed.

As serious as Democrats are about playing hardball with Tom DeLay, the Republicans seem just as serious to go to any lengths necessary to defend him. But this...?

Hefley: ‘I was threatened’
Ethics committee’s actions against DeLay trigger angry response from Republicans
By Alexander Bolton
TheHill.com

House ethics committee Chairman Joel Hefley (Republican-Colo.) said last week that Republican lawmakers have threatened him in the wake of his panel’s recent admonishments of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas).

Asked what response he has received from House Republicans since two ethics committee admonishments were issued in a span of seven days, Hefley said, “I’ve been attacked; I’ve been threatened.”

However, Hefley would not reveal who or how many of his colleagues had threatened him, or what retaliation had been threatened.

Earlier, Hefley had told a group of reporters, “I’m not getting any threats from leadership.”

Many House GOP lawmakers are incensed over the ethics committee’s handling of the admonishments of DeLay, which have resulted in at least 10 critical editorials of the House Republican leadership by newspapers around the country, some in political battlegrounds such as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Legislators who criticized the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct said they were upset that it had given DeLay’s enemies so much political fodder less than a month before the election, particularly in response to an ethics complaint filed against DeLay by outgoing freshman Rep. Chris Bell (D-Texas). Bell filed the complaint after he had lost his seat as a result of Republican efforts, spearheaded by DeLay, to redraw Democratic congressional districts in Texas. Many Republicans say Bell’s complaint was motivated by partisan politics and a desire for revenge.


Charging partisan politics and revenge while doing the same on one of your own? The 44 page report on DeLay's activities (he acknowledged and accepted hoping it would go away) include bribery, granting energy lobbyists special access and improperly using the FAA to track down Democratic opponents.

Yikes. Need I mention DeLay's from Texas and one of Bush's strongest allies... as if being ferociously defended (absence of ethics and all) while the Republican Ethics leader just doing his job is now in jeopardy from his own party didn't tell you that already.

This would be Ethics 102 for advanced students of political hypocrisy.

[edit on 16-10-2004 by RANT]
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