Looks like it might be moving forward:
Retreating under pressure, Republicans on the House ethics committee said Wednesday they were ready to open an investigation into allegations of wrongdoing against Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
Four of the five Republicans on the committee were ready to move ahead, said Rep. Doc Hastings, the panel’s Republican chairman. The panel also has five Democratic members.
The Republicans were “prepared to vote at the earliest opportunity to empanel an investigations subcommittee to review various allegations concerning travel and other actions” by DeLay, he said.
The DeLay forces tried to change the rules of the ethics committee, but that seems to have gone by the wayside. Currently, five Republicans and five Democrats make up the Ethics committee, and it only takes five people to trigger an investigation. DeLay and company wanted to change that to require six members. I wonder why?
Via Ace, we see this nonsense from the folks on the other side of the aisle:
Senate Democrats are quietly trying to kill a 10-year legal probe that implicates several senior Clinton administration appointees for obstruction of justice, the Daily News has learned.
The Democrats, saying that the $21 million investigation by Independent Counsel David Barrett should have ended long ago, succeeded in attaching an amendment to a spending bill Tuesday to cut off his funding by June 1…
Barrett’s investigation was wrapped up two years ago, and his 400-page final report was submitted to a three-judge panel last August, said two sources.
Because those named in the report have until the end of June to refute Barrett’s findings, Kerry and Dorgan’s amendment would prevent its release.
Great.
BumperStickerist
Why six?
To require some sort of bipartisanship on an inssue before launching an investigation.
Seems obvious enough.
mmmmmm……
kooooooooool-aid…..
Just Curious
hi there. John and all here- I like this blog. I’ve been lurking and for the most part enjoy the commentary. Why? distinctive, thoughtful posts. Not the same old blogosphere hot air (uber left or uber right, all just yelling at each other).
thanks.
also- what’s so amazing about DeLay is that I’m thinking we all didn’t truly, fully realize the extent of his power. He clearly has worked very hard to wield this power (monied special interests have been paying very dearly for it).
That career politicians don’t want to truly open that can o’ worms is not surprising. Is there really a story here?
What’s relevant, and awfully sad, is how many everyday Americans can’t even tell you who DeLay is; that they are not jumping up and down for his demise is the saddest thing.
other than that- this seems like the same old thing- from the lambasting of Wright or of Gingrich. It’s good to see the congress critters eventually turn and eat their own.
I just bemoan how many people in our country can’t be bothered to pay attention.
Mr Furious
Careful John, this isn’t exactly what it looks like. The Republicans are eager (desperate) to get this off the front pages and starting a probe might be the only way to accomplish it at this point. Because the panel would be held in secret, it’s the ultimate trump card for DeLay or any of the rest of them; “I’d love to answer that, but I can’t comment because of the investigation.”
DeLay would be investigated, but under bullshit rules that would ultimately exonerate him of any wrongdoing. And if they agree to this, it cements the rule changes Hastert and DeLay wanted in January. Ain’t gonna happen. Democrats want DeLay twisting in the wind and they can’t cave on the ethics reforms.
norbizness
Mr. Furious is right. It’s like getting your tires inpsected, but not aligned, with a lifetime guarantee that the mechanic will never look at your tires again.
Birkel
The rules changes that were made in 1997 have been replaced with the pre-1997 rules.
And Republicans have agreed to restart the committee but Dems have balked at that. Why? Because the three rules changes are still in effect.
RW
From El Rushbo, today (take it for what you will, but here’s “why”):
HH
I’m sure there is nothing whatsoever bad in that 400 page report so it’s nothing the public needs to know about just like that Form 180 thing…
wild bird
Liberals oppse DeLay becuase he is a conservative and would change all what the left-wing liberals want kept the same i mean its getting a dirty place out there