Breaking......Hestert will issue order to rescind House Ethics Rules

[paineinthearse]

Earlier today, Hestert had a closed meetings with rethugs. This is coverage of House Rules Committees debating abandoning the rethug January rule changes.

[napi21]

1. I'm watching the vote now to recomit.

So far it's totally partisan, but it's till early.

[pbartch]

19. THERE IS A NEW REPUKE LIAR NOW.....

PHIL GRINGREY..........HE IS SUCH A LIAR!!!!

The Repukes are blaming their immoral actions on the Dems.......

The American People know what is going on!! We know the Repukes are un-ethical.

[FreedomAngel82]

21. I just don't get

how people can see that the republicans blame THEIR OWN ACTIONS on us? Wtf is that about? Good grief.

[rhett o rick]

27. What do u expect. They are "gullible Chuckleheads".

[paineinthearse]

2. Sense I am getting is that Hestert is open to reconsidering the January

rule change.

The coverage started mid-stream.

I'll send an email to Jim McGovern, who is minority #2.

By the way, Louise Slaughter is ranking member. Not too many chances to see her in action.

[paineinthearse]

3. NPR radio: Hestert is rescinding the January rules

4PM news. Voice clip of Hestert: "I will be sending a letter to Leader Pelosi to go back to the old rules".

DeLay is toast.

[MsUSA]

12. Not sure if he's toast, "Donations link DeLay, ethics panel"

All five Republicans on the House ethics committee have financial links to Tom DeLay that could raise conflict-of-interest issues should the panel investigate the GOP majority leader.

Public records show DeLay's leadership political action committee (PAC) gave $15,000 to the campaign of Rep. Melissa Hart, R-Pa. - $10,000 in 2000 and $5,000 in 2002. Hart would chair a panel to investigate DeLay if the committee moves forward with a probe.

The same political committee, Americans for a Republican Majority, also has donated to the campaigns of ethics Chairman Doc Hastings of Washington, Judy Biggert of Illinois and Tom Cole of Oklahoma. They are among scores of Republicans DeLay has contributed to. Cole and the remaining committee Republican, Lamar Smith of Texas, contributed to DeLay's legal defense fund.

Hart said there is no appearance problem. "That's just normal" for leaders to contribute to campaigns, she said.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=2401

[ktowntennesseedem]

4. Why are they so eager to get on with the investigation?

Old Denny says its so Ronny can be cleared and they can move on to better things. But in the land of "its-always-something-other-than-what-they-say-it-is," I'm betting they are wanting to air his dirty laundry, shame him into stepping down, then claim the moral highground by pointing out how eager they were to investigate and learn the truth.

I'm too big skeptic to get to excited about this just yet, but at the very least this ought to get interesting! Bring on the Popcorn!!!

:popcorn:

[enough already]

9. They're going after Democrats

That's why.

[Blue Topaz]

23. I agree

There was a list published recently of travel perks accepted by members of Congress and quite a few Dems were at the top of it. I think Repubs are itching to go after them. It remains to be seen whether their junkets were illegal, as DeLay's clearly were.

[paineinthearse]

5. AP - Hastert Urges GOP to Scrap Ethics Changes

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/04/27/national/w121749D82.DTL

Hastert Urges GOP to Scrap Ethics Changes
- By LARRY MARGASAK, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, April 27, 2005

(04-27) 12:17 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --


House Speaker Dennis Hastert urged fellow Republicans on Wednesday to abandon new rules that led to an ethics committee shutdown and his members appeared ready to follow him in retreat. "I'm willing to step back," Hastert said after a closed-door meeting with members of the GOP rank and file. Republicans prepared for a vote as early as Wednesday evening. The Republican lawmakers have endured weeks of intense Democratic criticism and hometown editorials complaining about GOP rule changes that critics have seen as an attempt to protect Majority Leader Tom DeLay from further investigation.

DeLay was admonished by the committee on three separate matters last year and new questions have been raised about whether a lobbyist paid for some of his foreign travel in violation of the rules. The ethics rules in effect before the January changes allowed investigations to begin if the committee was evenly divided. The Republican changes provided for an automatic dismissal in case of a tie.

Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colo., who supported the retreat, said the GOP move "doesn't mean Democrats will stop going after DeLay." Hefley was dumped by Hastert as chairman of the evenly divided ethics committee after the panel admonished DeLay. He has been one of the few Republicans who opposed the Republican changes from the beginning. Republican lawmakers, who would not be identified by name because their meeting was closed, said some didn't want to stop the fight, believing the party could still win the political battle to uphold the changes.

Despite the support for Hastert, Republicans have the politically sticky task of explaining their reversal after defending the rules changes for months. In talking points prepared for the closed GOP meeting, Republican leaders said the GOP stood by the changes but believed it was more important "to have a functioning ethics committee that may be flawed" than a panel that couldn't function. Democrats have kept the committee of five Republicans and five Democrats deadlocked by refusing to provide any votes to start operations.

more.....

URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2005/04/27/national/w121749D82.DTL

[BeFree]

6. In other words...

..the delay into the investigation of Delay will no longer be delayed.

That's good news.

[AlinPA]

24. It will be delayed while they go after Dems. Watch the dirty bastards. n/

[enough already]

25. And Nancy Pelosi is at the top of their list

They're unbelievable.

[pbartch]

18. IDIOT "Doc" Hastings from WA State said the Ethics Dems

were keeping the committee from doing it's work??? The Dems REFUSED TO ORGAINIZE???



hahahahahahaa What a FREEKING LIAR.

The American people are getting pissed off because of the UN-ETHICAL AND IMMORRAL actions by Tom Delay!!!!


hahahahahahaha Doc Hastings.....YOU ARE A LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

[paineinthearse]

7. Pelosi to Hastert: Ethics Committee Staffing Must Remain Bi-partisan

Under the old rules, the committee staff was bi-partisan. In January, under the new rules, the new chair brought in his new, partisan staff.

This will be a sticking point.

===============================

http://democraticleader.house.gov/press/releases.cfm?pressReleaseID=949

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 2005
CONTACT:
Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider
202-226-7616



Pelosi to Hastert: Ethics Committee Staffing Must Remain Bi-partisan
Washington, D.C.-- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi today released the following letter to Speaker Dennis Hastert -- sent two weeks ago -- on Chairman Doc Hastings’ proposal to make the Ethics Committee staff partisan.

Pelosi wrote, “ I cannot imagine a staffing arrangement more damaging to the non-partisan character of the Committee or one more directly contradictory to the letter and the spirit of the carefully crafted, bi-partisan staffing provisions adopted by the House in 1997.”

Speaker Hastert has not responded to the letter.

The full text of the letter follows:

April 12, 2005



The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert

Speaker, United States House of Representatives

Washington, D.C.



Dear Mr. Speaker:

As you are aware, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct is not able to conduct any significant business because of the stalemate caused by the unilateral changes in ethics procedures enacted by the majority on January 4, 2005. I am writing to again urge that you support a return to the previous rules and to state my serious concern over an equally radical change in the Committee’s staffing that has been proposed by Chairman Hastings.

There can be no legitimate ethics process that commands the respect of our colleagues and the American people if the Committee’s activities are conducted under the current rules. As Ranking Member Mollohan pointed out in his recent “Dear Colleague”, a copy of which is attached, the new rules undermine the ability of the Committee to fulfill its obligations by (1) permitting half of the Committee’s members to dismiss a complaint solely by stalling for 45 days, (2) authorizing a respondent’s attorney to also represent some or all of the witnesses against him, and (3) requiring, if a Member so demands, that the Committee proceed directly to a full-fledged trial without first conducting any investigative activity in instances where the Committee has agreed to conclude a matter with a letter critical of the Member’s conduct.

Equally dismaying is Mr. Hastings staffing proposal about which I have been briefed by Mr. Mollohan. As I understand it, Mr. Hastings proposes to divide the duties of the senior professional staff person by appointing both a Chief Counsel and a Staff Director. He then proposes that his shared employee, who is also his personal office Chief of Staff, fill the Committee Staff Director slot. At the same time, Mr. Hastings has indicated that if Mr. Mollohan so preferred, his shared employee could be designated Minority Staff Director. I cannot imagine a staffing arrangement more damaging to the non-partisan character of the Committee or one more directly contradictory to the letter and the spirit of the carefully crafted, bi-partisan staffing provisions adopted by the House in 1997.

Those provisions were recommended by the Ethics Reform Task Force, of which I was a member, in response to what some perceived as partisan conduct by previous staff directors/chief counsels. The intent was to create a totally non-partisan, professional staff chosen by the Committee, not by the Chairman acting alone as had been the case. At the same time, recognizing the exacting duties of the Chairman and Ranking Member, the position of shared employee was created. This permitted the two leaders of the Committee to designate staff from their personal offices to serve also in a liaison role on the Committee staff. The clear intent was that the shared employees, while fully informed on all Committee activities, were to perform only a communications function and were to have no supervisory authority whatsoever. Mr. Hastings proposal to designate his shared employee, who has been his personal office chief of staff, as the Committee’s staff director is a total repudiation of the intent of the Ethics Reform Task Force and a regrettable indication of an intent to strip the Committee of whatever film of non-partisanship it may still possess.

The House will be served best when a respected, efficient and non-partisan Ethics Committee resumes operations. For that to happen the rules changes must be revisited and the attempt at partisan staffing must end. Therefore, I ask that you immediately discuss the staffing matter with Mr. Hastings and either support reversal of the rules changes or join me in appointing a bi-partisan task force to resolve the issue. It is time to let the Committee and the House get on with their work.

Thank you for your attention to this matter of such importance to the House.

Sincerely,

/s/

NANCY PELOSI

Democratic Leader

[paineinthearse]

8. Text of H. Res 240: reinstate certain provisions of the rules relating....

Hastert has caved and is withdrawing the January house ethics rules

DeLay is toast!

The information is so new, a hand-marked pdf is all the house rules committee has posted!!!!

In part, it reads: Text of H. Res. __ - Providing for the adoption of the resolution (H. Res. 240) amending the rules of the House of Representatives to reinstate certain provisions of the rules relating to procedures of the Committee on Standards and Official Conduct to the form in which those provisions existed at the close of the 108th Congress.....

Can someone convert pdf to text and post?

http://www.house.gov/rules/109hres240text.pdf

[Hippo_Tron]

10. They must've already convinced DeLay to go quietly

Hastert is DeLay's puppet and wouldn't do anything without the consent of his master.

[SpiralHawk]

11. Flip that flop - Bush and the Republicans are such hypocrites

Frickken flip floppers.

[paineinthearse]

13. Pelosi Statement on Ethics Rules Changes

http://democraticleader.house.gov/press/releases.cfm?pressReleaseID=953

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 2005

CONTACT: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider
202-226-7616

Pelosi Statement on Ethics Rules Changes
Washington, D.C.-- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the Republicans abandoning their partisan ethics rules:

“The decision of the Republican leadership to abandon its misguided attempt to change bipartisan ethics rules is a victory for the American people. Americans understood what was at stake -- the integrity of the House -- and in one voice demanded that the House return to a credible, viable, and non-partisan ethics process.

“Now that we again will have bipartisan rules in place, we can begin to rebuild Americans trust in the Ethics Committee. Members of the House must allow the Ethics Committee to do its job without partisan rancor, and ensure that its deliberations command the respect they deserve.

“Under the bipartisan rules, the Ethics Committee must continue to have non-partisan, professional staff. There is no point in insisting that the Ethics Committee be guided by fair and bipartisan rules if those charged with administering and interpreting them are tainted by partisan motives.

“I commend the dedicated efforts of Ranking Member Mollohan, who sought only to be able to serve with honor and has ensured that all of the Members of the Ethics Committee can do the same.”

[paineinthearse]

14. 2 DU threads: Freepers have info DeLay will resign leadership position

Accourding to Roger Hedgecock radio show.

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3554992&mesg_id=3554992

&

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1748518

[paineinthearse]

15. Hastert's letter to Pelosi

http://www.c-span.org/pdf/hastertletter.pdf

I almost fell off my chair reading it, that squirming, slimy bastard.

Can someone convert from pdf to text?

[paineinthearse]

16. Jim McGovern (D-MA3) will be on CSPAN Journal tomorrow AM

...to explain the rule changes.

Jim is a good guy, I've worked for his re-election campaigns.

Watch for time details later in the daily CSPAN post.

[paineinthearse]

17. DREIR on CSPAN NOW!

Chair of the rules committee.

Introducing HR240.

:rofl: The lies he is telling........

At least there will be an opportunity later to watch Louise Slaughter, I'm sure she'll be managing the Dem's time.

[pbartch]

20. You bet the AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE WATCHING VERY CAREFUL

we know exactly what you hypocrite Repukes are doing.

Keep your lying butts on the straight and narrow and you won't get in trouble!!!!

[paineinthearse]

22. HRes 240 has passed.

Yea 406
Nea 20
Present 1

Were't the rethugs back-peddling? They sure know when to cut their losses and toss the excess baggage!

Kudos to Slauthter's floor leadership and Pelosi's eloquent speach. Transcript of the proceedings will be posted tomorrow.

On edit.........will be interesting to determine who the "DeLay 20" are.

[paineinthearse]

26. Roll call results

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll145.xml

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 145

H RES 241 YEA-AND-NAY 27-Apr-2005 8:40 PM
QUESTION: On Agreeing to the Resolution
BILL TITLE: Providing for the adoption of H. Res. 240

.................Yeas...Nays...PRES...NV
Republican........208.....20......1....2
Democratic........197...................5
Independent.........1
TOTALS............406.....20......1....7

---- NAYS 20 ---
Barton (TX)
Blackburn
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Buyer
Carter
Cubin
Culberson
Gillmor
Gohmert
King (IA)
McHenry
Otter
Pence
Poe
Price (GA)
Simpson
Thornberry
Tiahrt
Weldon (FL)

---- ANSWERED “PRESENT” 1 ---
Souder

---- NOT VOTING 7 ---
Boucher
Brown, Corrine
Lee
Rothman
Waxman
Westmoreland
Wicker

All others, including DeLay, voted "aye"