GOP 30 pick up a knife

[cal04]

Reps. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.) and John Sweeney (R-N.Y.) have been meeting with 30 House Republicans over the past few weeks to coordinate a more aggressive strategy to defend Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), according to a Republican source familiar with the meetings. Starting last night, Republican lawmakers had planned to speak on the House floor during special orders to defend their embattled majority leader. The lawmakers will say that Democrats are just as guilty as Republicans are of oversights in their record keeping and of taking trips paid for by private groups.

“The Republican Conference has not yet awakened to the fact that this is a full-frontal attack against Republicans, leadership and against Mr. DeLay,” said Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), one of the most committed lawmakers. “What we have is a lopsided effort by the Democrats to burn down the House.”

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), also involved in the group, said, “We’re frustrated by Democratic hypocrisy,” adding that the group would fight back in floor speeches, press releases and letters to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to highlight Democrat’s travel violations. “We can’t simply play defense,” he continued. Another GOP lawmaker said, “We’re a group of people who think we’ve been involved in a knife fight and it’s time we pick up the knife.”

Asked for names of Democrats who were vulnerable to ethics charges, Republicans cited members of the Democratic leadership and Congressional Black Caucus. But Sessions said the mission was not to level ethics charges against Democrats. Jennifer Crider, Pelosi’s spokeswoman, said, “House Republicans are clearly trying to change the subject from their own problems, but Leader Pelosi and House Democrats will not be distracted.”

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/042805/gop.html

[stevedeshazer]

1. Looks to me like a case of the jitters

I'm glad to see the Radical Retreating Righties saying, "Well, they do it, too!" which means, of course, they have NO defense.

[TahitiNut]

5. It's the ol' non-denial denial, as Ben Bradlee once said.

The kind of 'defense' that gives the story legs.

[Catherine Vincent]

2. Bring it on assholes!

It still doesn't change the fact that your guy is still an unethical rat bastard!

[NYC]

3. What utter nonsense.

Why are we cursed with these people?

[AlCzervik]

4. Are they making some kind of threat?

sounds like another example of inciting violence.

[Dhalgren]

6. It does seem that Republicans, lately,

are incapable of discussing political differences without inciting violence or threat of violence. How long will the great invisible "center", that everyone talks about, go along with that kind of talk plus the worsening overall condition of the country?

[AlCzervik]

11. I think a lot of Merikans are relly tired of it

after seeing some polls come out in the past few days regarding the filibuster and the like i think the gop has really overshot the runway this time. The silent majority needs to start yelling loud.

[rodeodance]

8. these a dangerous group, I hope the Dems are aware of this and just

see it as a 'distraction'

[Selatius]

7. Oh, please! Tom Delay did this to himself! He burns because he did it!

If this is payback for Clinton, the Democrats are going easy. Tom DeLay hung himself with the rope, not the Democrats. There's a shitload of corrupt politicians in power in both parties. The only difference is that DeLay got caught, and he's going to use the argument that others got away as an excuse not to punish him.

If 50 folks got away with murder, does that make it okay that the 51st murderer be allowed to escape because of the first 50?

[Jersey Ginny]

9. What Democrat used Homeland Security to intercept a plane?

Name me one democrat who used Homeland Security to intercept a plane full of Republicans? Never mind the trips, he's an arrogant shit who is drunk on power and dangerous to democracy. If it's the trips that bring him down, then that's fine with me.

[mhr]

10. Sessions Is My Representative

Besides Delay, he is the vilest representative you can find on the face of the earth and an embarrassment to the United States and a waste of human integument.

Oh, by the way he took corporate sponsored money for trips to the far east.

[mbperrin]

12. That's their DEFENSE??? The OTHER guys

are just as bad???!!

bwaaaaahaaaahaaaaahaaaaahaaaaa! Bring it on!!!

[EC]

15. But this excuse works with the public...

my Republican boss cites this one all the time, and when I point out the differances and no the Dems haven't done it (or like in this instance, the trips they are refering to with the Dems were with Committees, they all went on those trips and were required to, and these are permitted, he still blindly says, "Well, they all do it."

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

13. Delusions of West Side Story?

Have they burst into song yet, as they dance down the alley toward the rumble?

[EC]

14. Well, well, well,

how does it feel?
“We can’t simply play defense,”

[quaoar]

16. I'll be the first to say it

Asked for names of Democrats who were vulnerable to ethics charges, Republicans cited members of the Democratic leadership and Congressional Black Caucus. But Sessions said the mission was not to level ethics charges against Democrats.


Racism.

[Roland99]

17. You know your side is winning when...

the other side gets more and more agitated and starts making idle threats.

[Rex]

18. We sure do breed some big cockroaches down here in Texas!

I bet Delay and Sessions are really good buddies. Fucken cockroaches!