GOP Willing to Repeal Ethics Rule Changes

[DelawareValleyDem]

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, leading a Republican retreat, said Wednesday he stands ready to "step back" on new ethics rules that Democrats charge are designed to shelter embattled GOP leader Tom DeLay.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050427/ap_on_go_co/ethics_committee

[gratuitous]

1. Are they going to repeal DeLay's committee appointments too?

Otherwise, the rule change doesn't mean anything, as long as three of DeLay's retainers constitute the Republican side of the committee.

[Demeter]

2. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!

All GOP members of the Ethics Committee have exchanged money with Tom DeLay---Burn, Baby, Burn! The whole damn Party is OVER!

[lancdem]

3. House Speaker ready to scrap ethics rules

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050427/ap_on_go_co/ethics_committee

How many times do you see the words Republican and retreat in the same sentence? Enjoy it!

[pmbryant]

Never believe what the GOP leaders say

Watch what they actually do.

--Peter

EDIT: Meant for this to be a reply to the original post.

[dArKeR]

7. Has there ever been a more pathetic and lack of leadership

Speaker of the House?

[merh]

4. RETREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:bounce: :bounce:

[underpants]

5. backpedal backpedal backpedal

Too funny

[Rowdyboy]

6. So they're not feeling any pressure...Nope, none at all..Not even a little

Yeah, right.... :sarcasm:

The Shiavo/Delay/SSreform stories must really be taking their toll on the Rethugs for them to back down like this. How humiliating.

Hope this story makes it to the greatest page. Its the best news I've heard in awhile.

[Rose Siding]

8. The repubs don't even have anyone who can sit on an ethics panel

Not for DeLay's case, anyway. There is more scandal waiting for them.

USA Today runs an article today (that isn't news around here) about the 10s of thousands in donations that DeLay's PAC made to EACH ethics committee repub. It's explained as "just normal" but compare it to our own squeaky clean dem...

Donations link DeLay, ethics panel
snip>
There is precedent for ethics panel members recusing themselves when such conflict issues arise. Sen. Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev., stepped aside in 2002 in the case of then-senator Robert Torricelli, D-N.J., accused of financial misconduct. Reid had given $500 to Torricelli's legal defense fund. "Recusal is pretty much an individual choice, if there is any possibility of a conflict of interest," said Donald Ritchie, a Senate historian.

Kenneth Gross, an attorney who has represented Democrats and Republicans on ethics issues, said the financial ties on the committee could be a problem. "I would advise the committee not to use a member who had received contributions from DeLay's leadership PAC to head the investigation," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20050427/pl_usatoday/donationslinkdelayethicspanel

Harry recused himself over 500 bucks! DeLay contribute FIFTEEN grand to Hart *alone*.

Who are they gonna get to HEAR the complaints?

[Moderator]

9. kick to combine

[dhinojosa]

10. House GOP yields on ethics rules

(I didn't see this on LBN, if it was I apologize)

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/27/ethics.committee.ap/index.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Speaker Dennis Hastert, leading a Republican retreat, said Wednesday he stands ready to "step back" on new ethics rules that Democrats charge are designed to shelter embattled GOP leader Tom DeLay.

Hastert said he intends to send a letter to House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi later in the day signaling his willingness to repeal the controversial rules changes.

Later, in a brief Capitol interview, he said he expected the full House to vote on reversing the rules. Asked whether that would take place later in the day, he replied, "I hope so."

Hastert's comments came after a closed-door meeting of the GOP rank and file, the latest in a string of private sessions in which Republicans discussed ways to stem the political damage from an ethics deadlock that has become entwined with DeLay, the controversial majority leader.

[Richardo]

11. I heard this speculation on NPR this morning...alright!

opleaseopleaseoplease.... :applause:

[dhinojosa]

12. It is great news....

I wonder how Nancy is going to deal with this.

[meganmonkey]

13. There are rules to prevent the tyranny of the majority

and this is one of them.

Someday (f*ck you, Diebold and ES&S), the dems will be back in power again. And then the repubs would want the rule changed back. It's a bunch of shit, totally hypocritical. Just like the filibuster business.

Principle needs to trump partisan politics. It seems like that could be happening. (I hope, I hope, I hope)

[lebkuchen]

14. What is Hastert so afraid of?

Most Americans don't know DeLay from St. Nicholas. What's to fear?

[rurallib]

15. Why do I think there is some kind of ruse here?

Just can't trust a repuke anymore. There must be a catch, there simply must be. There always is, you know.

[warrens]

16. I think the catch is

They know they have the votes to over turn anything the Dems do in committee, so DeLay will get off with a slap on the wrist even if they find out that he's a serial killer and robs banks for kicks.

We were better off while the ethics committee couldn't meet, because they had no formal way of replying to the charges. Now they will.

[joldnir]

19. Not only that....

But since they are in control of the committee, the repukes could then put forth a bunch of Dems for ethics violations. It would not matter if the charges are true or not. The repukes only need to grab the headlines in the news and then claim, "see DeLay is not doing anything worse that the Dems".

How many times has the news ran with a headline and NOT followed up with the findings of an investigation. I have a feeling that once the Dems are cleared; it would be buried on page A22.

[UCLA Dem]

17. we won. i can't believe we won!! Go Dems!!!!

yea!! I'm so excited!

:applause: :applause:


:woohoo: :woohoo:

[Mithras61]

18. As far as I'm concerned this is only half a win

So long as the 'Puke side of the committee is staffed by scum that owe the Bug Man a solid. Hey, $15K in "campaign donations" buys a couple of "not guilty" votes, I'm sure, especially when the recusal is purely voluntary. I'll celebrate when the Bug Man gets the same treatment that WJC got and worse (since he's even more corrupt).