Molly Ivins: Republican ethics

[Dudley_DUright]

Subtitle: Tom DeLay works to bullet-proof his House dictatorship

My, my, gonna be a long four years.

House Republicans have rewritten the ethics rules so Tom DeLay won't have to resign if indicted after all. Let's hear it for moral values. DeLay is one of the leading forces in making "Republican ethics" into an oxymoron.

The rule was passed in 1993, when Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, was being investigated for ethics violations. And who helped lead the floor fight to force him to resign his powerful position? Why, Tom DeLay, of course. (Actually, it's sort of a funny story. The D's already had a caucus rule that you had to resign from any leadership position if indicted. The R's changed their rules to match the D's, except they deliberately did not make their rule retroactive, so the highly indicted Rep. Joseph McDade, senior Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, could, unlike Rostenkowski, retain his seat.)

DeLay has already been admonished by the House ethics committee three times on separate violations of ethics rules. Please note, that is the Republican-dominated ethics committee. The hilarious rationale offered by the R's for the new rule to exempt DeLay is that no one can accuse them of taking the moral low road here because, "That line of reasoning accepts that exercise of the prosecutor in Texas is legitimate."

more...

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=18112

[DELUSIONAL]

1. As usual -- her best zinger is at the end:

I realize the "liberal elites" are not allowed to even quote the word "dumb" lest we be accused of "cultural condescension" toward our salt-of-the-earth red-state compatriots. Since I'm a populist happily living in the midst of a quite red state (some of my best friends are named Bubba), I never pay any attention to such horsepoop. But I do resent it when the people running the country think we're so dumb they can rip us off and then tell us to pray.

That is the best comment I've read on the election fraud.

[progressoid]

2. She's the best

too bad half of the people in America probably can't comprehend her because they ARE dumb.

[katinmn]

3. I can't believe people are so stupid

especially those that re-elected DeLay.

OK, in a democracy everyone deserves representation -- even the very dumb.

But when will the rest of us be represented?

[MissMarple]

4. ...one of the leading forces making "Republican ethics" into an oxymoron

I don't think we could say it any better.