DeLay isn't going anywhere.
Posted on 04/21/2005 6:11:04 PM PDT by bgsugar
Conservative Icon Plagued by Latest Liberal Buzz Congressman Tom DeLay (R-Sugarland) has built his career on eradicating pests in the political ointment of the Republican agenda.
Nicknamed, “The Hammer,” DeLay is renowned for his ability to unite Republicans toward a common cause, while effortlessly squashing the Democrat opposition.
Delay, who was a successful small businessman in Houston prior to his political career, has consistently supported limited, constitutional government, peace through strength, lower taxes and the sanctity of life during his 20-year tenure in the uash House of Representatives.
DeLay has provided a consistent, unwavering voice for the so-called “red states,” and has stood unyieldingly for the principles embraced by his conservative base. During his time in the uash Congress, DeLay has helped the Republican Party overcome overwhelming odds to pass initiatives like the Contract With America, the Balanced Budget Act, sweeping reforms to the welfare system, and the largest tax relief measure in a generation.
These days, however, DeLay is up against some pretty stiff odds himself. Recently, a hoard of bitter Democrats ranging from an obsessed Austin district attorney, clear up the ladder to the sour, fuming minions at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) have collaborated in a political witch-hunt, and they are presently warming up the embers.
Unless DeLay does some fast explaining, talking heads across the nation are beginning to agree this may be one problem DeLay can’t squish.
There are three basic allegations put forth by Democrat hate groups like Common Cause, Public Citizen, Move-On and the DCCC themselves. First, startlingly reflective of Texas’ bitter redistricting battle in 2003, is the assertion that DeLay somehow acted inappropriately during the massive redistricting plan undertaken by the 78th Texas Legislature.
A June 15, 2004 article on the website for quasi-news corporation, CNN, explained that the complaint, filed by disgruntled former Congressman, Chris Bell (D-Houston), was three-pronged. Bell, who was redistricted right out of a job, contended that Delay behaved inappropriately in his dealings with Westar Energy Corp, which leveraged influence on upcoming legislation against contributions to Republican candidates.
Bell also accused DeLay of illegally funneling corporate money to candidates for state offices in Texas, and using his clout to get the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and/or Department of Justice (DOJ) to intervene when Democrat legislators fled Texas to avoid their constitutional duty to redistrict.
A document distributed to supporters by DeLay earlier this week points out that upon investigation, the House Ethics Committee dismissed two of the allegations made by Bell, and deferred a third allegation at DeLay’s request.
According to DeLay, the House Ethics Committee dismissed the Westar allegation. A memo from then-committee chairman, Joel Hefley (R-Colorado) confirmed DeLay’s assertion, saying, “The information we obtained indicates that: 1) Neither Representative DeLay nor anyone acting on his behalf improperly solicited contributions from Westar, and 2) Representative DeLay took no action with regard to Westar that would constitute am impermissible special favor.”
Hefley’s memo also addressed the FAA allegation, which was also dismissed, saying, “With regard to the (DeLay’s staff’s) contacts with the Justice Department, the information we have obtained indicates that they were not improper. Instead, they consisted of a straightforward inquiry on whether there was any legal basis for the DOJ to intervene (in the matter of the absent Texas legislators).”
On the issue of DeLay’s involvement with Texans for a Republican Majority (TRMPAC), and the funneling of money to state candidates, a charge which was deferred, Hefley wrote, “Whatever Representative DeLay’s role was in the TRMPAC activities challenged in Count II, his participation in those activities, if any, was not related to the discharge of his or her duties as a Member of the House.”
Investigation into TRMPAC’s role in Republican domination of the Texas House is ongoing. In the document distributed earlier this week, DeLay calls Austin D.A., Ronnie Earle’s indictment of three TRMPAC figures and eight corporate donors, “a political dirty trick sprung 40 days before an election.” DeLay went on to point out that, “Earle has a history of targeting political enemies, including Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, whose case was dropped due to a lack of evidence.”
Even the Washington Post-which is not exactly a bastion of conservative literary talent- seems to be questioning how involved DeLay really was in TRMPAC. On March 6, 2005, the Washington Post wrote, "...during a related civil trial in Austin last week, DeLay's name repeatedly came up, but no evidence was presented that the veteran GOP leader had done anything wrong….by the close of the trial on Friday, the testimony presented showed DeLay's direct role in TRMPAC's successful bid to win the Republican takeover of the Texas House was mostly that of a figurehead and a casual adviser early on."
In recent weeks, DeLay has faced scrutiny over several trips he took to Russia, the United Kingdom and Korea.
DeLay claims the trips were completely legitimate in how they were planned and paid for. The 1997 Russia trip and 2000 UK trip were sponsored and paid for by the National Center for Public Policy Research to facilitate talks with conservative leaders of those nations. DeLay contends that while his Korea trip was illegally paid for because KORUSEC, the sponsoring the trip, was registered as a foreign agent, he points out that the group only registered as a foreign agent two days prior to the trip, and neglected to tell his office of the change.
DeLay further explains that subsequent to the KORUSEC trip to Korea being questioned, numerous Members, both Republican and Democrat, including a staffer for Nancy Pelosi, have taken similar trips sponsored by the group.
Last weekend, as DeLay prepared his written statement to his supporters, several of DeLay’s Republican colleagues scrambled for cover from the pending assault from the other side of the aisle.
Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado), who is counted among the more conservative members of the Congress, was quoted saying, “If the majority leader were to temporarily step aside so that these trumped up charges can be dealt with in a less hostile environment, as they have proven to be a distraction, it may be a productive move.”
Tancredo’s comments came on the heels of a request by fence-sitting (moderate) Republican, Congressman Chris Shays (Connecticut), that DeLay resign from his leadership position immediately. Another Republican, Congressman Rick Sanitorum (R-Pennsylvania), also urged DeLay to fess up about the ethics allegations. One has to wonder, as the DCCC and others intensify their pestilential attacks, how many more of DeLay’s colleagues will defect from the party leader, and scurry for cover.
There is no doubt that attacks on DeLay are just the beginning; Republican victories across Texas and the nation have stirred the Democrat nest, and their words and actions are seeped in as potent a venom as they have ever been.
Yesterday, DeLay told Fox News’ Tony Snow that a “left-wing syndicate” is coordinating the effort to bring him down as the No. 2 Republican leader, although, he pointed out, none of the charges leveled by the opposition are being investigated. “These people are hooked up.
The same people that went after George W. Bush have just changed their focus onto me. They are running ads, they are raising money. This is pretty serious stuff,” DeLay said.
If they throw DeLay to the snakes, the party will lose its core supporters.
DeLay isn't going anywhere.
I love street fighters. :-}
Chris Bell (D-Houston)
Prissy little thing isn't he?! DeLay will stomp him like a bug while the other cowardly Republicans run for cover.
"Prissy" looking works for me.
I think Sissy Bell lives in a garage apartment in the Montrose!
The Ethics committee should be made up of a Panel of Taxpayers/Citizens.
That's the best suggestion I've heard in a while.
Yeah, me too. There's only one principle among street fighters, and that is "Just win, baby."
Do it by random SSN's A committee of 13. For the original 13 colonies!!
The Democrats GOT NUTHINGGGGGGG!
Dems spew venom everytime they speak.
The Dems failed to take the GOP House members up on investigating him on ethics.
It sure seems the dems are opening a can of worms that they may regret opening. Rush has highlighted the excessive travel by dems and the employing of family members. Let's hope it bites them on their pansy a$$es.
The MSM will TOTALLY IGNORE any facts about Dem's on fundraising, travel, lobbyists, ballot fraud etc. or give it a couple of days of coverage, I.E. the BERGERGATE criminal investigation that seems to have disappeared or Hillary's HOLLYWOODGATE fundraising scandal. Haven't seen a thing in the MSM on these REAL issues for weeks.
Most of us here know that the MSM won't cover this stuff until they are forced to, and even then, they will give it the minimum coverage they can. When it becomes a real hot-button issue though, they can't avoid it. The Republicans aren't doing a very good job of exploiting the exact things that the Dims are complaining about though.
We really need to do a better job of expressing ourselves, but when we get blindsided by the Hagel's, McCain's and the Voinivich's of our party, it makes that task harder. These folks should be sanctioned by the party.
If the Republicans stand strong behind DeLay, they will win the day on ethics and responsible government.
If they throw DeLay to the snakes, the party will lose its core supporters.
1 posted on 04/21/2005 6:11:04 PM PDT by bgsugar
I support Tom Delay.
If the Republicans run true to form they will throw Tom to the wolves.
All the mouthpiece of the Democrats, the mainstream media, has to do is use the term "mean spirired" in describing the Republicans who support Tom. They will fold faster than an accordin.
Using a historical metaphor, this offensive against Delay is the Dems surprise assault into the Ardennes, December 1944. Yes, it made significant progress in the first days, but now the opposition is stiffening. This will shape up into another major Democratic defeat.
The Democratic party will collapse in 2006. After that, we can begin to curb government excesses.. God willing, our descendants will know a America fee of welfare & government largess in all forms - food stamps, housing subsides, Medicare, Medicaid, excessive Vet benefits (though reasonable benefits will still be allowed) and Social Security
Bell has indicated that he may run for Governor.
Oh Please....let him. He'll get destroyed.
HE IS THE REASON WHY REPUBLICANS PUSHED FOR THE COMMITTEE RULES CHANGES!!!!!
He made those bogus charges against Delay before....during a campaign time.
And when they found Delay totally innocent...they also found that Chris Bell had been playing politics...had lied...and misrepresented the laws and the rules.
I'm surprised Bell did not get indicted.
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