So your party’s majority leader is an ethical midget, a petty tyrant, and an immoral sot. Clearly the correct course of action is- a media offensive:
Allies and friends of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (Tex.) have concluded that public attention to his ethics is unlikely to abate for months to come, and they plan to try to preserve his power by launching an aggressive media strategy and calling in favors from prominent conservative leaders, according to Republicans participating in the strategy sessions.
The Republicans said the strategy combines leaks from DeLay allies about questionable Democratic trips and financial matters; denunciations of unfavorable news stories as biased, orchestrated rehashes; and swift, organized responses to journalists’ inquiries.
Let the strong-arm tacticcs, threats of retaliation, and intimidation begin in earnest. Really- by now the tactics of DeLay are beginning to resemble a third world dictator. What is abhorrent is that many House Republicans appear to be willing allies, save at least one:
“He is an absolute embarrassment to me and to the Republican Party,” U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Bridgeport, told more than 50 Greenwich residents yesterday morning at Town Hall. He was in Greenwich to host a public forum, open to all political parties, on whatever pressing issues attendees were interested in discussing…
Yesterday, Shays flatly denied supporting DeLay, telling the small but lively gathering that the Texan probably will not last out this term as house majority leader, lacks credibility and will never attain the prominent position of speaker of the house.
“He knows that . . . if he ever runs for speaker, I get to vote on the House floor, and my ‘No’ vote combined with the Democrats means he will never be speaker,” Shays said, drawing applause from the room. “One of the things I want to say here is that Tom DeLay will never be speaker in Congress.”
“With all due respect, I can be accused of a lot of things, but supporting Tom DeLay is not one of them,” Shays added…
Shays responded that some Republicans are rallying behind DeLay because he has been effective as majority leader. Even so, Shays said, DeLay’s legal difficulties and outspoken views will eventually cost him his role as house majority leader.
“Do I think Tom DeLay will be the majority leader by the end of this term? No,” Shays said. “I don’t think Tom DeLay is going to survive. He goes to the edge and he goes beyond . . . Even knowing there’s a microscope on him, he continues to do these things.”
His ethical lapses SHOULD cost him his job. But, when the times get tough, you can count on DeLay and his cronies to revert to form:
Keene said the leaders will show their solidarity by announcing this week that they are holding a tribute dinner for DeLay on May 12 at the Capital Hilton, complete with a film “summation of what Tom has done for conservatives.” Keene said 1,000 people are expected, and tickets will be about $200.
Becky Norton Dunlop, a Heritage Foundation vice president who was formerly Virginia’s secretary of natural resources, attended the meeting. She said charges similar to those that have been made about DeLay could be made about Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) or House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.).
Holda fundraiser and poison the werll- “Hey- We’re all crooks here!”
Moral midget, national embarassment, and the downfall of the GOP. Quite a leader we have.
KC
Let’s get real here. These tactics have been around a long time. While I was no huge Clinton fan, I read most of the books put out on him by the right and let’s face it, most were nothing but a series of outlandish allegations designed to smear the guy (Anyone see that video put out by Fawell?). You may not have liked him, you may have hated him, but you have to admit, the smear and jeer media tactics from elements of the Republican party have been around for a while. And, at times, as in the elections of 98, they have worked to the disservice of the party. Now that the terrible Bill Clinton isn’t in office, John Kerry’s off the scene, and Hillary’s still distant, these kind of tactics are going to get, quite frankly, what they deserve, some proper press exposure.
S.W. Anderson
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is emblematic of the bulk of his House Republican colleagues and of the top movers and shakers of his party.
Obviously, they’re not all as pronounced in their arrogant, overbearing, corrupt and underhanded ways. But they sink to his level by making him their leader and by defending him.
Ten years ago, these clowns proclaimed themselves great, glorious reformers on a mission. What they’ve done instead is turn the people’s house into a special-interest whorehouse that caters to big-bucks corporate johns and their K Street mouthpieces.
They’re all about power, about anything to win and, perhaps most of all, about insufferable hypocrisy.
M. Scott Eiland
Quite aside from any of the merits, Chris Shays’ math skills seem to be lacking–unless the Republican majority in the House lessens substantially, his vote against DeLay for Speaker wouldn’t mean diddley squat.
Kimmitt
Chris Shays’ math skills seem to be lacking
Well, he does support the Bush pseudo-kinda-sorta-plan for gutting Social Security, so that’s something of a given.