WP: DeLay Ethics Allegations Now Cause of GOP Concern

[kskiska]

Monday, March 14, 2005; Page A01

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) has dismissed questions about his ethics as partisan attacks, but revelations last week about his overseas travel and ties to lobbyists under investigation have emboldened Democrats and provoked worry among Republicans.

With some members increasingly concerned that DeLay had left himself vulnerable to attack, several Republican aides and lobbyists said for the first time that they are worried about whether he will survive and what the consequences could be for the party's image.

"If death comes from a thousand cuts, Tom DeLay is into a couple hundred, and it's getting up there," said a Republican political consultant close to key lawmakers. "The situation is negatively fluid right now for the guy. You start hitting arteries, it only takes a couple." The consultant, who at times has been a DeLay ally, spoke on the condition of anonymity, saying he could not be candid otherwise.

At least six Republicans expressed concern over the weekend about DeLay's situation. They said they do not think DeLay necessarily deserves the unwanted attention he is receiving. But they said that the volume of the revelations about his operation is becoming alarming and that they do not see how it will abate.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32389-2005Mar13.html

[mike_c]

1. getting kind of crowded under that rug, I'd imagine....

eom

[radfringe]

14. they have to get under the rug

no more room behind the bushes... :evilgrin:

"Mr. Delay - have you no ethical values?"

not to worry -- once General Yeee-Haww starts bombing Syria/Iran this will all go away...

Meanwhile -- look over there Michael Jackson appears in court in his pajamas...

[ktowntennesseedem]

23. They don't make rugs that big!

[TahitiNut]

2. The GOP is concerned "that DeLay had left himself vulnerable to attack" ..

... and don't give a flying fuck that's he's actually a crook. :grr:

It's their whole philosophy: rape, plunder and pillage but don't get caught!
In the meantime, they're working feverishly to eliminate any laws or regulations under which their cronies and cohorts might be prosecuted. It's the "Enronization" of the USCode. Under the guidance and influence of Phil Gramm (and spouse) and Kay Bailey-Hutchison (and spouse), they carved a nice, neat path through FERC and FTC regulations for Enron. (They apparently didn't foresee that Lay&Co would get so drunk with power that they'd stagger off that path.)

[Hobarticus]

5. More concerned about the image problem than the allegations...

Surprise, surprise. Scumbags.

[rodeodance]

25. I agree--to the Repugs it is an image problem not a sin

[countmyvote4real]

6. Exactly. They know he’s guilty. They were there with him from the get go.

Except now there’s that little chestnut about “guilty by association.” If he does go down, I hope he takes down the whole house of cards.

[Emboldened Chimp]

3. Love it...front page placement in the Post...

He is going down hard.

[dweller]

4. OUCH!

damn, a paper cut.

add one more to the hundreds...edited to add, hope it bleeds.
dp

[rodeodance]

27. he needs to fade away into a far away spiderhole!!

[xray s]

7. the guy is an asshole

sooner or later assholes get what's coming to them. sounds like some people who have been "hammered" are starting to hit back.

[DenaliDemocrat]

8. To Watch that Scum be destroyed

would make my whole year.

[rodeodance]

29. would be (is) sweet isn't it!!

[depakid]

9. Pride before the fall

When enough shit piles up- and it's "safe" to break ranks, all of the Republicans he's abused over the years will be after his hide like a pack of hounds.

Even a corrupt far right judge is going to end up being presured to mete out a stiff sentence....

[Tansy_Gold]

28. correct biblical quote

Just for anyone who might be interested:

from the Book of Proverbs (KJV),

Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall.

[kineneb]

10. Crocodile tears

As per Douglas Adams "...and they were the first up against the wall when the revolution came..." At some point lies and downright meanness will catch up with a person, and DeLay is surely at the top of the karmic list. I never wish a person ill, only what they deserve.

[LynneSin]

11. It amazes me! If DeLay was a bleeding-heart liberal...

..the guy would probably have been sent to jail by now. Or at least removed from office a few years ago either by "resignation in disgraced" or removed by congress.

Tom DeLay is crook and I can't figure out what kind of dumbasses live in his district who keep electing him time and time again (Yes, I realize there are progressives living there trying to get him out of office).

My mind is baffled trying to figure out why they don't just toss Delay out on their ass before he destroys the party.

[Califooyah Operative]

12. a new article on this guys corruption every day. keep it comin nt

[MADem]

13. These GOP guys who are concerned are probably those

...who don't feel like ponying up a contribution to the Delay Legal Defense fund, which has grown to the size of a third world budget. Delay is raking in cash hand over fist in expectation of requiring a vigorous defense. He's got enough dough to keep this tied up for some time, so his pal chimpy can drop the pardon at the last possible moment when he takes the fall.

[The Backlash Cometh]

15. This is probably why Jeb Bush cut open Buddy Dyer and left his bloated

carcass on the beach to rot. I've never been a fan of Dyer, but I hope he gets angry enough to use every ounce of political capital in his Florida good ole boy network to get even with Jebbie.

The only time Floridians get any justice at all, is when Titans Clash.

[Massachusetts]

16. Gee, I hope it doesn't cause a stress on his heart....NOT!

[dweller]

21. what heart?

dp

[izzybeans]

17. Six repuke lawmakers who don't see a problem with unethical

governance. They just worry that the public will hear too much about it. They seem to be admitting this much in this article and in public.

All those expenses and illegal activities are no big deal. Come on its a "non story". That apparently means they all could be in deep water equally, if only that thing they fear most, the spiked pendulum of accountability swang their way as well. Funny how such comments have become publically acceptable-"it's no big deal, just as long as no one knows about it or that it's illegal." The focus on Delay probably hides the fact that these other fish are swimming in ethics violations in the background.

[snippy]

18. Corrupt one party control probably will save DeLay.

As evidence of his crimes and corruption continues to mount the republicans will try to keep changing the House rules to provide him with immunity. I think it will take a lot of public pressure to prevent the republicans from being successful.

[leesa]

19. Not because he did it, but because he was caught. THAT'S the sin

for a Republican.

[NVMojo]

20. Looks like DeLay's warping of his christian morals has come back

to haunt him. Great article on him in Time.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1037627,00.html

[maxrandb]

22. I Wonder if Delay's

Support for Social Security Privatization is slipping??

Could that be why they are now "worried" about his ethics.

[Catherine Vincent]

24. The idiots in Sugar Land love Delay!

At least the ones that voted for the scum.

[rodeodance]

26. "While he is far from a nationally recognized figure,"--what planet

does this repug live on. anyone who has read the new at least once of week, has heard of this slimeball!!

[Sweet Freedom]

32. Believe it or not

a recent Time article noted that a significant number of Americans could not identify Tom Delay and did not know who he was. (I know I saw it here. In fact I forwarded a copy to Richard Morrison -- I'll keep looking.)

[AnneD]

31. I blame his re-election 2004 on the Dem leadership or lack there of

He was in a redrawn district, some of the allegation were surfacing in the local news, the teachers and other state and local city workers were pissed at DeLay for the changes in the SS laws that directly affected them and his cavalier attitude as to how this would send teachers (esp female) into poverty. He almost got lynched at a town hall meeting that was held at a small venue way outside his district and away from Houston were he is not liked by many. As a result of these changes, many of our most experienced teachers retired (I am not sure of the others, but I think we have had a large number of experienced police and fire fighters retire too). He was actually force to attend a local debate and had to run allot of commercials- something he hasn't done in years. I saw few commercials if any for them Dem-and even with that, it was a close race. The DEM leadership could have easily unseated him if they had stopped focusing on their navels long enough to look out of the beltway. Their inaction (plus the surplus campaign funds) are what put me full square in the Dean camp. Those 5 Texas seats would have meant squat if DeLay had been unseated. And how much support did the Texas State Dem legislators get when they bolted out of state to block the passage of the redistricting in the first place. HELLO!!!!! You guys were warned as to what that would mean in the Congress BEFORE this election.....So don't be trashing the voter here in Texas. There is only so much you can do with a bake sale budget!!!!! It doesn't take a huge war chest, just a well place bet.

[PDittie]

30. YOU CAN HELP US GET RID OF HIM!

Call you Congressman RIGHT NOW -- especially if he's a Republican!

Look at this -- it's from the Time article linked in NV Mojo's post:

After the debacle over the ethics rules, more than a few House members say they can ill afford to put their necks out much farther for DeLay. And their support could erode further—and quickly—if they start hearing complaints about DeLay from their constituents at home. "As members head home, they'll review the various media reports," says Arizona's Hayworth, who has been burned by revelations that he used a skybox supplied by Abramoff for fund raising. "I'm sure that it's in the best interest of the majority leader and the majority to have an accounting of what transpired."

Call your Congressman RIGHT NOW. Find his number in Campaign Underground if you don't already have it. Use your cellphone if it's no LD charges to you.

Take 30 seconds and say, "I'm kind of disgusted that Representative John Doe hasn't spoken out against the daily ethical violations being reported about Majority Leader DeLay. I think after all of these shenanigans, he must be crooked, and I don't understand why the GOP doesn't do something about it. Now."

Make the call.

[go west young man]

33. The person quoted in the article says "paper cuts then

you start hitting arteries". Delay is so corrupt he's bleeding all over the place. He's a bloody fountain. That operating room needs some serious mopping.

[Moderator]

34. kick to combine

[rndmprsn]

35. DeLay Ethics Allegations Now Cause of GOP Concern - WaPo

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32389-2005Mar13.html

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) has dismissed questions about his ethics as partisan attacks, but revelations last week about his overseas travel and ties to lobbyists under investigation have emboldened Democrats and provoked worry among Republicans.

With some members increasingly concerned that DeLay had left himself vulnerable to attack, several Republican aides and lobbyists said for the first time that they are worried about whether he will survive and what the consequences could be for the party's image.

"If death comes from a thousand cuts, Tom DeLay is into a couple hundred, and it's getting up there," said a Republican political consultant close to key lawmakers. "The situation is negatively fluid right now for the guy. You start hitting arteries, it only takes a couple." The consultant, who at times has been a DeLay ally, spoke on the condition of anonymity, saying he could not be candid otherwise.

At least six Republicans expressed concern over the weekend about DeLay's situation. They said they do not think DeLay necessarily deserves the unwanted attention he is receiving. But they said that the volume of the revelations about his operation is becoming alarming and that they do not see how it will abate.

[katinmn]

36. Maybe he can go back to being the Orkin guy

from the article:

"While he is far from a nationally recognized figure, Republicans worry that all it takes is more national news coverage to change that, and there seems to be a new episode every week or two," Mann said. "We've seen throughout congressional history that a series of seemingly small ethical missteps can snowball."

More LTTEs, more kudos to the reporters covering DeLay. Maybe America will notice there is a criminal many times over in charge of the House of Representatives.

[Me.]

37. Let's See If We Can Get That Cut Count Up

Couldn't happen to a more deserving guy.

[proud patriot]

38. I pray everyday for Justice to find DeLay

for he is the most corrupt as politicians come .

[sickinohio]

39. Delay is going down soon

that is why he pulled a MJ and faked the "heart problem" the other day that landed him in the hospital!! I hope his going down - down - DOWN isn't DELAYED too long though!!