Ohhhh....those "moral" Republicans.

GOP Pushes Rule Change To Protect DeLay's Post (washingtonpost.com): "House Republicans proposed changing their rules last night to allow members indicted by state grand juries to remain in a leadership post, a move that would benefit Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) in case he is charged by a Texas grand jury that has indicted three of his political associates, according to GOP leaders.

The proposed rule change, which several leaders predicted would win approval at a closed meeting today, comes as House Republicans return to Washington feeling indebted to DeLay for the slightly enhanced majority they won in this month's elections."

So despite adopting this rule in 1993 to show how ethical Republicans were compared to Democrats, the Republicans are now doing anything to protect their dark prince of politics. Rep. Eric I. Cantor's (the Republican deputy whip) attitude towards this rule change shows just how bankrupt and craven the Republicans have become,"'this [proposed rule change] is going to pass, assuming it's submitted, because there is a tremendous recognition that Tom DeLay led on the issue to produce five more seats' for the Republicans." Of course, all the other Republicans are playing nice in order to keep DeLay in power. In all reality letting them do so might be good for Democrats in the 2006 mid-term election in that this little "rule change" might help convice all those regular Joe's and Jane's out there that DeLay and his Republican cronies are nothing more than well-shod hucksters.

The justification that state and county indictments should be ignored because they are often poltically motivated is just delicious. Really, it is. I'm sure lots of defense attorneys out there will be making this argument in the coming months.
posted by Idle Crank at 11/16/2004 10:32:00 PM