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Celtic Radio Community > Politics & Current Events > Will Tom Delay Accept Responsibility

Posted by: MDF3530 13-Apr-2005, 04:18 PM

QUOTE DeLay advises fellow Republicans to blame Democrats if asked about ethics Wednesday, April 13, 2005 By David Espo The Associated PressWASHINGTON ? House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, hoping to hold support among fellow Republicans, urged GOP senators Tuesday to blame Democrats if asked about his ethics controversy and accused the news media of twisting supportive comments so they sounded like criticism. Officials said DeLay recommended that senators respond to questions by saying Democrats have no agenda other than partisanship, and are attacking him to prevent Republicans from accomplishing their legislative program. One Republican said the Texan referred to a "mammoth operation" funded by Democratic supporters and designed to destroy him as a symbol of the Republican majority. DeLay also thanked Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., for his recent comments and said the news media had twisted them to make them sound critical, the officials added, all speaking on condition of anonymity. In an appearance on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, Santorum said DeLay "has to come forward and lay out what he did and why he did it and let the people then judge for themselves. But from everything I've heard, again, from the comments and responding to those, is everything he's done was according to the law." The officials who described DeLay's brief remarks noted that the session, a regularly scheduled weekly lunch, was held under rules of secrecy. Dan Allen, DeLay's spokesman, declined comment. DeLay's case is at the heart of a broader controversy in the House, where Democrats accuse Republicans of unilaterally changing ethics committee rules to prevent any further investigation of DeLay. Republicans have denied the allegation. The panel arranged a meeting for Wednesday, and Rep. Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, the senior Democrat, said he would renew a push for a bipartisan rewrite of the rules that Republicans put into effect in January on a party-line vote. Officials in both parties said they knew of no compromise discussions. One senior Republican spoke sympathetically of DeLay after the closed-door meeting. "I hope he survives, and I hope he will stay in there and do his job," said Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss. "The power of prayer is the only thing that will sustain you" in the circumstance DeLay is in, Lott added, and he spoke disparagingly of any Republicans who fail to stand by the Texan. "That's the problem, you know, Republicans eat their own. ... Democrats stand by their own until hell freezes over," said Lott, who was ousted as Senate majority leader two years ago after making controversial race-based comments at a birthday party for the late Strom Thurmond. DeLay was admonished three times last year by the House ethics committee. Recent articles have disclosed that his wife and daughter were paid approximately $500,000 in recent years by political organizations under his control, and have raised questions about the financing of three overseas trips he took. DeLay has consistently denied any violation of either law or House rules. His private remarks to Senate Republicans were in keeping with the response frequently offered on his behalf by House Republicans: Blame the Democrats and occasionally the news media for the scrutiny he faces. House Republicans intend to follow the script later in the week, hoping to showcase passage of bankruptcy legislation and estate tax repeal as a counterpoint to Democratic charges that they are merely power-hungry. Several Republicans stressed that DeLay's appearance at the senators' lunch was routine, noting that GOP leaders of one house have begun attending meetings of the rank and file of the other house in recent weeks. His remarks were "very low-key. It wasn't demanding or threatening or pounding the table," Lott said afterward. So, DeLay wants Republicans to blame Democratic partisanship because he got caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. See my blog for my opinion.

Posted by: bubba 13-Apr-2005, 11:01 PM

DeLay is a self serving scumbag. I hope they nail his hide to a tree.

Posted by: j Padraig moore 14-Apr-2005, 06:04 AM

QUOTE (bubba @ 14-Apr-2005, 01:01 AM) DeLay is a self serving scumbag. I hope they nail his hide to a tree. Hear, Hear!

Posted by: Shamalama 14-Apr-2005, 11:03 AM

Tom DeLay is in a heap of trouble - or so the media would have you believe. For weeks now, the front pages of the Washington Post and New York Times have hammered away at the House majority leader for a series of supposed transgressions. But what exactly is it that Tom DeLay is alleged to have done? After hundreds of hours of investigative work by the nation's biggest news organizations, the evidence of any actual ethical, much less legal, breach is pretty thin. Now contrast the media coverage of DeLay with, say, the admission by former Clinton National Security Adviser Samuel "Sandy" Berger that he stole and destroyed classified documents that might have shed light on the Clinton administration's failure to take seriously the threat posed by al Qaeda. No wonder conservatives are a little paranoid about media bias. Like many members of Congress and their staffs, DeLay has taken trips overseas paid for by third parties. Frankly, I think this is a lousy practice. It happens in Delta, as well as any other major corporation. It happens in state and local governments. And it's been going on for 200 years here in the US. But to suggest that someone step down just because someone bought him a trip to Barbados is ridiculous. Quit whining. According to the above quoted article DeLay's wife and daughter "were paid approximately $500,000 in recent years by political organizations under his control", and there are "questions about the financing of three overseas trips he took". First, about hiring your own kin: - Connecticut Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman - Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash. - California Democratic Rep. Fortney "Pete" Stark - Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif. - Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich. - Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio - Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif. - Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah - Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tenn. - Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas - New York Democratic Rep. Tim Bishop - California Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher all either have hired or are currently employing their close kin. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/04/13/national/w124553D99.DTL Politicians have been hiring kinfolk and their "drinking buddies" as long as there has been politics. Why all of a sudden this is such a terrible crime I cannot understand. And, as far as I understand, it is not illegal to hire your close kin. He needs to quit blaming the Democrats - they didn't do anything to him that he hasn't done to himself. But if he were to plainly and truthfully tell his side of the story I bet most of America would yawn and go back to watching Jeopardy, leaving the media with no one to slap around. Grow a pair, Tom, or you're unworthy of your title. - Social Security is going broke - Americans are losing 1/3 of their income to an ever-increasing government - There are still way too many terrorists out there that still want to kill us - We have no national borders - Iran will soon have nukes ... and this DeLay thing is all we have to worry about?

Posted by: bubba 14-Apr-2005, 10:58 PM

Yup, I want DeLay gone, but then, I want ALL of em gone. There is entirely too much corruption in Congress. More of the budget gets wasted on pork than is spent for the public good. The only solution is can em all and start over.

Posted by: MDF3530 21-Apr-2005, 04:04 PM

Here is the comic strip "Doonesbury" for the past week.... Garry Trudeau is having a high old time this week ....

Posted by: Shamalama 26-Apr-2005, 12:37 PM

A new study shows that members of Congress have taken more than $16 million in privately financed trips over the past five years, with many of the trips sponsored by non-profit groups that are not obligated to disclose who paid the bills. The results of the study by PoliticalMoneyLine, an Internet site that compiles campaign finance information, were first reported by USA Today. The problems of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, have placed a spotlight on congressional travel. DeLay has been accused of a spate of alleged ethical lapses, including travel that may have been paid for by a lobbyist. Congressional rules permit privately financed travel, provided the money doesn't come from a lobbyist or the representative of a foreign interest. But the study shows that more than half the private money spent on congressional travel since 2000 - $8.8 million - came from non-profit organizations who are not obligated to identify who may be actually paying the bills. Widespread interest in DeLay's woes have spread bipartisan jitters through the halls of Congress. The Washington Post reports that members are racing to put their travel and campaign finance records in order in case their own activities come under scrutiny. The newspaper also said that some members are restricting privately financed travel or even halting it altogether because of affaire DeLay. The PoliticalMoneyLine study reviewed 5,410 trips taken by 605 members of the House and Senate. Democratic lawmakers had the edge, taking 3,025 trips, to 2,375 trips for GOP members. The No. 1 trip-taker in dollar terms was Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Sensenbrenner took 19 trips valued at $168,000. In contrast, DeLay finished 28th by taking 14 trips valued at $94,568. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., D-Tenn., took the most trips - 63. But Ford's less expensive domestic jaunts only totaled $61,000. Top travel destinations, besides the U.S., were Mexico and Israel. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/26/politics/main690917.shtml --- Brother MDF3530, when are you and I going to get jobs where we're jetted around the world without having to pay for it? There are a number of places that I'd love to visit (that I probably will never visit), and it would be so much sweeter to be able to leave my wallet at home: - Mayan, Aztec, and Incan ruins - Greece - Canadian frontier - South Pacific (the area, not the musical) - Italian and German back-country - Ireland - Scotland Heck, I'd settle for a quick trip to Chicago as long as you don't make me eat a pizza with pineapple on it - I did that once in Chi Town, and I'd rather not do it again.

Posted by: MDF3530 26-Apr-2005, 03:02 PM

QUOTE Heck, I'd settle for a quick trip to Chicago as long as you don't make me eat a pizza with pineapple on it - I did that once in Chi Town, and I'd rather not do it again. tongue.gif Pizza w/pineapple ? Gross ! That sounds like something they'd serve at California Pizza Kitchen. Next time you come to Chicago, go to Connie's, Pizzeria Uno, Giordano's, Gino's East, Lou Malnati's or Aurelio's for pizza. Some people swear by Home Run Inn, but I ain't one of them.

Posted by: stevenpd 26-Apr-2005, 03:51 PM

QUOTE (MDF3530 @ 26-Apr-2005, 02:02 PM) Pizza w/pineapple ? Gross ! That sounds like something they'd serve at California Pizza Kitchen. Next time you come to Chicago, go to Connie's, Pizzeria Uno, Giordano's, Gino's East, Lou Malnati's or Aurelio's for pizza. Some people swear by Home Run Inn, but I ain't one of them. Being a Californian, I for one, do not condone this abomination known as "Hawaiian Pizza". I would like to go on record as saying that whoever thought of this sacreligious conglomeration should be taken, tarred and feathered, and given a one way ticket out of town!!

Posted by: MDF3530 26-Apr-2005, 04:33 PM

QUOTE (stevenpd @ 26-Apr-2005, 04:51 PM) Being a Californian, I for one, do not condone this abomination known as "Hawaiian Pizza". I would like to go on record as saying that whoever thought of this sacreligious conglomeration should be taken, tarred and feathered, and given a one way ticket out of town!! Wouldn't suprise me if that was a Wolfgang Puck idea. Pizza was meant to be topped with three things: 1. Sausage 2. Cheese 3. Pepperoni

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