NYT: From DeLay's Colleagues, Strong, if Wary, Support

[DeepModem Mom]

From DeLay's Colleagues, Strong, if Wary, Support
By CARL HULSE and PHILIP SHENON

Published: March 15, 2005


WASHINGTON, March 14 - House Republicans are warily watching the mounting inquiries involving Tom DeLay, the majority leader, who is facing scrutiny by investigators in Washington and his home state, Texas, over accusations of illegal campaign fund-raising and improper ties to lobbyists seeking his favor on Capitol Hill.

But so far, the lawmakers who are the underpinning of Mr. DeLay's power show no public sign of backing away from a man who has been a chief architect of their political and policy successes. Despite the renewed spotlight on Mr. DeLay, who was repeatedly chastised by the ethics committee last year, leading Congressional Republicans said on Monday that they expected him to survive.

"He's had an amazing resilience and staying power, and I think justifiably so," said Representative David Dreier, the California Republican who is the chairman of the Rules Committee. "He's a strong man."

It is not just Republicans inside the House who are rallying behind Mr. DeLay. In a new commentary being circulated, Paul Weyrich, chairman of the Free Congress Foundation, urged conservatives not to abandon him.

Senior Republican officials and other allies of Mr. DeLay say they believe he will be able to maintain his leadership authority as long as Republicans do not have to spend too much time explaining his conduct to voters back home....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/15/politics/15delay.html

[chelsea0011]

1. It is a sinking ship, and many will bail if the winds of voters

cause pols to be worried. He is only the friggin whip. Another will follow.

[oneighty]

2. "explaining"

is the key word.

180

[asjr]

3. So many of his Republican colleagues' fortunes are

tied to DeLay this will be an interesting "loyal" attitude on their parts.

[Tempest]

5. Exactly

The Bug is the number one fundraiser for the GOP.

And as we're just now finding out, but knew all along, some of it was done illegally.

[Catherine Vincent]

4. Are the right wing talking heads talking about this?

Probably not. Our MSM is so played that it is pathetic!

[democrat in Tallahassee]

6. But but, what about therule of law? What will we tell the children

Friggin assholes have no morals whatsoever. These are the same people that impeached Clinton. Pricks.

[ck4829]

7. If Clinton had done the same things that DeLay did...

Well you know that they would not be trying to pardon Bill.

[realFedUp]

8. rawstory says more Republicans tied to DeLay illegalities

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/index.php?p=176

3/15/2005
Scandal surrounding lobbyist linked to DeLay ensnares two more Republican congressmen

Abramoff hosted fundraisers for two congressmen who aided tribal clients

By John Byrne | RAW STORY Editor

Jack Abramoff, a former top Republican lobbyist and fundraiser who is now under federal investigation for dubious dealings with his Native American clients, hosted fundraisers with two Republican congressmen during the same period the legislators pushed for action benefiting Abramoff’s client, RAW STORY has learned.

Then-Rep. David Vitter (R-LA) attended a $1,000-a-plate dinner hosted by Abramoff for the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee while he was meeting with Abramoff’s attorneys in an eleventh hour maneuver to insert a provision worth tens of millions of dollars to Abramoff’s Native American client.

Attending the same Sept. 9, 2003 function at Abramoff’s restaurant, Signatures, was Deputy Majority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), the highest ranking appointed congressman in the House. Three months earlier, Cantor signed a letter along with House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) urging the Department of the Interior to back a move favoring Abramoff’s client, the Louisiana Coushatta tribe.

The dinner was the only Republican Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser Abramoff hosted that year. According to the Washington Post, Abramoff regularly entertained politicians at his pricey Pennsylvania Avenue restaurant Signatures, and billed his tribal clients for hundreds of thousands of dollars in meals.

In a statement to RAW STORY late Monday, Vitter, who is now a Louisiana senator, said Abramoff didn’t attend the dinner. Sen. Vitter maintains that he met Abramoff only once and that he didn’t know Abramoff was behind the drive to aid the Louisiana Coushatta tribe.

continued

[Frances]

9. If we had a Dem majority

in the House, then DeLay would be history.

As it is, the Repubs control the House. They have changed the rules of the ethics committee to protect DeLay.

It used to take only 5 members of the ethics committee (5 Repub, 5 Dem) to investigate wrong doing, but the Repub House leadership changed the rules so that it now takes 6. The leadership took 2 moderate Repubs off the committee and substituted DeLay loyalists.
At least 2 of the Repubs on the committee have received campaign contributions from DeLay.

If the Dems were in charge of the House they would not have changed the rules and DeLay could be held accountable. In this instance Blue Dog Democrats as well as progressive Democrats would be going after DeLay full force!