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House Ethics Committee Will Change Rules

By TChris, Section Other Politics
Posted on Wed Apr 27, 2005 at 10:16:23 AM EST
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by TChris

By insisting that Republicans play by a fair set of rules, House Democrats apparently achieved a victory today.

Speaker J. Dennis Hastert said this morning that Republicans were ready to relent on rules changes that have left the ethics committee unable to do any work.

House Republicans endured some just criticism for their attempt to shield Tom DeLay's alleged ethical violations from scrutiny. As a face-saving measure, Hastert claimed that restoration of the original rules for ethics investigations will give DeLay a chance to clear his name.

Hastert ... did not specify what he would do and said he would outline his plan later today in a letter to Representative Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader. But he and others indicated that his intention was to reverse three rules opposed by Democrats, an action that would require a vote of the full House.

The lesson for Democrats to learn as they face a confrontation in the Senate over the filibuster: stand your ground, and let the Republicans embarrass themselves with their insistence on changing rules that the public would prefer left unchanged.

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    House Ethics Committee Will Change Rules | 8 comments (8 topical)
    Re: House Ethics Committee Will Change Rules (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Apr 27, 2005 at 10:33:47 AM EST
    Let's hope this is another sign that the writing is on the for this crowd...America without Republicans wouldn't be America, but America without these thugs and crooks will be a better place.

    Re: House Ethics Committee Will Change Rules (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Apr 27, 2005 at 02:18:27 PM EST
    I concur. My families closest friends were another family of staunch Republicans. They came from the Goldwater camp and if all members of this family were alive today, especially the father, they were would be unanimous agreement that the GOP has moved away from it's basic tenets to try and grab a hold of as much power as possible. I count myself fortunate to have good friends that are not only Republicans and Christians, but also thoughtful individuals who are lamenting the destruction of their party in the name of power as much as I do. This country needs Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Libertarians, and a couple other political parties to correctly reflect the true nature of the citizens of this country. Unfortunately many Republicans, and some post here, believe this nation would be better of without any opposition to GOP rule.

    Re: House Ethics Committee Will Change Rules (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Apr 27, 2005 at 02:21:33 PM EST
    I meant "better off without any opposition to GOP rule". I truly hope that one day the insanity this great country is experiencing dissipates and we can all breath easier, but sometimes I am not so sure that things will get better.

    Re: House Ethics Committee Will Change Rules (none / 0) (#4)
    by jimcee on Wed Apr 27, 2005 at 07:43:39 PM EST
    IMO the rules should be changed to the effect that all outside financing of trips, junkets, vacations or whatever are 100% disallowed afterall a bribe by any other name is still that, a bribe. I would suggest that any politician that excepts these gratuities should be ashamed of themselves but then again politicians obviously have no shame. None at all. The posing on all sides is a sick, hypocritical joke on the American public.

    Re: House Ethics Committee Will Change Rules (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Apr 27, 2005 at 07:48:21 PM EST
    DeLay is going down. Ever so slowly. I believe that in the long run it will be clear that he was every bit as honest as Rostenkowski, but maybe less personal charm.

    Re: House Ethics Committee Will Change Rules (none / 0) (#6)
    by kdog on Thu Apr 28, 2005 at 07:12:58 AM EST
    Well said Sherm.

    Re: House Ethics Committee Will Change Rules (none / 0) (#7)
    by Richard Aubrey on Thu Apr 28, 2005 at 05:51:12 PM EST
    This is puzzling. The dems must know that Delay hasn't anything particularly illegal--smelly, yes, just like a number of dems--so the ethics committee isn't going to be able to bounce him. But the door is now open to check on other folks, like dems who've done the same things. What is the dems' plan to manage this?

    Re: House Ethics Committee Will Change Rules (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Apr 28, 2005 at 06:50:04 PM EST
    Let the ethics committe do its work. I think that is the dems plan. Was that a rhetorical question? RA has already determined that DeLay hasn't done anything particularly illegal, let's move on to the dems. Let's just bypass the indictments and investigation underway in Texas, shall we?

    House Ethics Committee Will Change Rules | 8 comments (8 topical)