HOW VERY ODD
It seems that the GOP is opposed to creating a “bi-partisan task force with equal representation of the majority and minority parties to make recommendations to restore public confidence in the ethics process.” That’s what a House resolution called for--a resolution that was just killed by an almost-party-line 218-195 vote. The only Republicans with the guts to vote for it were Jim Leach of Iowa and Joel Hefley of Colorado. (Hefley, you’ll remember, chaired the ethics committee until he was ousted for adminishing DeLay.)
The full text of the resolution isn’t online yet, but THOMAS should post it here within a day or two. It’s a strongly worded, but not inflammatory, resolution. The Dems are finally fighting, tough but fair.
House aides tell us that more than two--possibly nine--Republicans had voted in favor of ethics… that is, until the GOP decided to hold the vote open and twist arms. Under Tom DeLay, this has become standard practice; votes are routinely held open as House leaders intimidate members of Congress into flip-flopping. (At its worse, this practice can involve outright bribery.) If a roll call vote is going badly and the Speaker Pro Tem is about to shut things down, Republican leaders can just say “Stop. Hammer time"--and the bug man and his minions will get down and dirty on the House floor. It looks like that’s what happened today, as the GOP leadership saw their party’s unanimous opposition to ethics begin to fracture.
I’d like to say that the time will come when the men responsible for dismantling the House ethics process will answer for their behavior, but that would be inartful. Besides, it’s up to the voters.
Ben Wikler
http://www.airamericaradio.com/weblogs/alfrankenshow/index.php?/franken/how_very_odd/What did they threaten Chris Shays with I wonder? I would guess he is one of the seven that changed his vote but I don't know.