Ethics/Values in politics, Will anything change? (Dem or Rep) Options

[Guest_davis¹³_*]

House Republicans Move to Protect Their Leader
By CARL HULSE and DAVID E. ROSENBAUM

Published: November 17, 2004


WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 - Fresh from election gains, House Republicans moved Tuesday to consider a change in party rules that would prevent their majority leader, Tom DeLay, from having to step down from his leadership position should he be indicted in an investigation in Texas.

As House and Senate members returned to finish remaining business for this year and organize for 2005, an aide to Representative Henry Bonilla, Republican of Texas, said Mr. Bonilla had filed a proposal to overturn a Republican rule that requires a member of the leadership to step down temporarily if facing a felony indictment.

Party lawmakers could take up the proposal on Wednesday.

Republicans adopted the rule in the 1990's, when they were in the minority and were trying to put the focus on investigations of prominent Democrats. They say a rule change is justified because the investigation involving Mr. DeLay, who was re-elected majority leader on Tuesday, is politically inspired.

The Republicans say they want to eliminate the chance for a prosecutor to be able to force Mr. DeLay from his post by obtaining an indictment.

"Congressman Bonilla's rule change is designed to prevent political manipulation of the legislative process," Taryn Fritz Walpole, a spokeswoman for the lawmaker, said.

Ms. Walpole said she did not have the specifics of the plan.

Mr. DeLay's office said he was not taking a stand on the initiative, which his fellow Republicans discussed in a party conference. "The majority leader believes members of the conference should come to their own conclusions on this issue and that the conference should work its will without his exerting undue influence one way or the other," his communications director, Stuart Roy, said.

House Democrats said the potential change reflected the opposition's view on ethical behavior.

"If Republicans believe that an indicted member should be allowed to hold a top leadership position in the House of Representatives, their arrogance is astonishing," the House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi of California, said in a statement.




Mr. DeLay received back-to-back admonishments by the House Ethics Committee in the weeks before the election, angering some House allies who said the findings were political even though the panel was bipartisan. As the architect of disputed redistricting in Texas that toppled five Democratic incumbents, Mr. DeLay was instrumental in House Republicans' gaining a handful of seats on Nov. 2.

The investigation in Austin has resulted in the indictments of three allies of Mr. DeLay and several companies accused of illegally using corporate campaign contributions to help Republicans win state legislative seats, a move that cleared the way for redistricting.

As House Republicans dealt with that question, Senate Democrats officially chose new leadership to steer them through the more heavily Republican Congress.

And a veteran Senate Republican battled to save his chairmanship in a first test of new conservative power.



http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/17/politics/17cong.html

[underhi2p]

Tom Delay has more "values" than most politicians in Washington.

And that's a fact jack and funny to boot!!

[SpaceCowboy]

Tom Delay has more "values" than most politicians in Washington.

Sure, if you count cash.

[Bart Katz]

Sure, if you count cash.

I wonder why he keeps calling me asking for money.

[Guest_davis¹³_*]

Tom Delay has more "values" than most politicians in Washington.

And that's a fact jack and funny to boot!!

Well I guess I just don't know what your definition of "values" is.

It must be pretty god damned twisted.

[lil bart]

It's appropriate that you started this thread, davey-do, because the entire brouhaha (and it should be one) belongs to the Ministry of Irony & Vice. Of course they should establish special rules for DeLay, just like he established special redistricting to bolster the House Majority.

Can I borrow JT's word?

[underhi2p]

Compared to this guy, Tom Delay is a saint.


(IMG:http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20041111/capt.sge.ffc49.111104165812.photo02.photo.default-389x259.jpg)

[Bart Katz]

Compared to this guy, Tom Delay is a saint.
(IMG:http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20041111/capt.sge.ffc49.111104165812.photo02.photo.default-389x259.jpg)

World class crook there.

[Guest_davis¹³_*]

Uh... as much as you'd like, this isn't about that corrupt idiot, it's about our own corrupt idiot.

DeLay is quite possibly the most crooked, unethical man in Congress.

Did you know he used an abused childrens' charity to shelter Republican campaign contributions? Bribing on the House floor?



How low does this maggot have to go before one ethical Christian Republican politician demands accountability?



You call this "values"?




Is there even one among them with enough honesty and integrity to do what is right?

[underhi2p]

DeLay is quite possibly the most crooked, unethical man in Congress.

Hardly.

Whitey Byrd, Paddy Leahy, Splash Kennedy, Bustaveininmyforehead Hatch, Big Wad Kerry, Tommie "I'm outta here!!" Daschle all make Delay look like a saint.

Ya see, we've set our standards so high with these wonders, that it becomes acceptable for folks like Delay to do what they do.

We must maintain the status quo!!!

[Bee]

The vote changes a decade-old rule passed when Republicans wanted to draw attention to the questionable ethics of such powerful Democrats as former Illinois Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, who eventually pleaded guilty to mail fraud and was sentenced to prison.

Connecticut Rep. Christopher Shays, one of the few Republicans to openly oppose the rule change, said it was a return to ``business as usual.''

``If you are a cop, a judge, a prosecutor, and you are indicted, you step down,'' he said, adding that Congress should follow similar standards.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-congress-delay.html

Never been a big fan of Shays, but he did my lttle state proud today. He mentioned (on NPR this evening) that he was aware his "no" vote would probably hurt him in his senority position appointments. However, he said he weighed that power against doing what was right, and decided doing what was right was more important. Would that more Republicans had his conscience. I think he got a lot of heat over his pathetic "party line" agressive stance in the intelligence committee. He did not have an easy race this last time out, either. Could be contributing factors, yet still a brave stance...considering.

So.

The Republicans created theis rule--as I recall--because they were more "ethical" and wanted to prove that they were "different" (as in better.)

My, How the worm turns

Their own hypocrisy must be beginning to sicken them, I hope that there a lot more "Shays moves" in the house. Perhaps there will be. Flip-flop?

Oh my!

(IMG:http://spannerbackup.ipbhost.com/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[Guest_davis¹³_*]

"Values" my foot.

I have to find out how LaHood voted. I don't really even have to look. If you want any projects for your district you cooperate with that fargin piece of crap DeLay or he'll fork you good.

A fine example of the US evangelical corporate Christian whore, who is an expert in "situational ethics".


Greed, lust and coveting the world are sins too.

[Guest_davis¹³_*]

I hope that there a lot more "Shays moves" in the house.

Dream on, it's very, very profitable if you cooperate.

[Guest_davis¹³_*]

The backing for DeLay "took on a life of its own; it was like a tsunami," Rep. Ray Lahood, R-Ill., said in comparing Republican support to a large sea wave.

Lahood, elected with the 1994 Republican class that captured control of the House, opposed the change but understood the outpouring of support.

"It was the result of the fact that he increased our numbers, he takes care of members when they need legislation passed, his fund raising and, in Texas, his drawing people a good district," LaHood said.

There is no indication DeLay will be indicted by an Austin grand jury in a probe led by a Democratic prosecutor, Ronnie Earle. In September, however, grand jurors indicted three DeLay associates and eight corporations in an investigation of allegedly illegal corporate contributions to a political action committee associated with DeLay.

DeLay is known as "the hammer." He hammers liberals. He hammers Democrats. He hammers out majorities for legislation. In September, the House ethics committee concluded he overdid his efforts of persuasion offering to support the House candidacy of a lawmaker's son in return for a vote in favor of a Medicare prescription drug benefit.

It's called a BRIBE, you assshole.


http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=262040

[Nomarchy]

Compared to this guy, Tom Delay is a saint.
(IMG:http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20041111/capt.sge.ffc49.111104165812.photo02.photo.default-389x259.jpg)

Oh, shut the fark up! Kofi Annan is not a crook, and there is no Oil-for-Food scandal. EVERYTHING that went on during that period was done with the full knowledge of the Security Council and its approval. Both we and the U.K. are permanent members thereof.

You dumbfarks . . . defending DeLay . . .

[Guest_davis¹³_*]

You dumbfarks . . . defending DeLay . . .

It takes quite a hypocrite with a hole in their values system the size of a Cadillac to defend DeLay.

More distraction, more deflection.

Baffle them with bullshiit.

[SpaceCowboy]

BECOMING PIGS: The Republican attempt to change the rules they once supported in favor of keeping Tom DeLay in his leadership post is a revealing turning point. It's that Orwellian moment when you realize that ten years after the Republicans pledged to overturn the self-serving corruption and complacency of the majority Democrats, they have become indistinguishable from the people they once targeted.

http://andrewsullivan.com/index.php?switch...=dish_blog.html

You tell 'em, Andrew.

[Bart Katz]

Oh, shut the fark up! Kofi Annan is not a crook, and there is no Oil-for-Food scandal. EVERYTHING that went on during that period was done with the full knowledge of the Security Council and its approval. Both we and the U.K. are permanent members thereof.

You dumbfarks . . . defending DeLay . . .

"It happened on his watch".

[hunin]

You tell 'em, Andrew.

"they have become indistinguishable from the people they once targeted."

Hmm, they seem to wear better suits. (IMG:http://spannerbackup.ipbhost.com/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Nomarchy]

"It happened on his watch".

It happened with the full knowledge and authorization of the Security Council, of which the USA and UK are permanent, veto-wielding, members.