Ethics probe of DeLay sought

[CShine]

WASHINGTON -- In a new twist to a bitter Texas political feud, Rep. Chris Bell, a Houston Democrat, is finalizing a House ethics complaint against Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Sugar Land. Bell, a first-term congressman who lost his House seat in a redistricting battle engineered by DeLay, plans to file documents Tuesday seeking an investigation by the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, said spokesman Eric Burns. Officials who have seen a draft of the complaint say it focuses on DeLay's relationship with Westar Energy Inc. and the Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee. Also included, they said, is DeLay's effort to get federal law enforcement officials to track Texas lawmakers who fled last year to Ardmore, Okla.

Jonathan Grella, spokesman for DeLay, accused Bell and Democrats of waging a "kitchen sink strategy" in an attempt to smear DeLay and the Republican Party. "These are warmed-over and factually deficient allegations from a bitter partisan seeking liberal martyrdom on his way out of office," Grella said Sunday. "This election-year kamikaze mission is doomed to fail, as have all previous attempts of this cynical and sad sort that make a mockery of the process."

Bell's move against DeLay is unusual in that it defies an unofficial but widely acknowledged truce among House lawmakers against filing ethics complaints against each other. Under House rules, only a member can file an ethics complaint against another member. In seven years, there has been little activity in House ethics investigations, said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

"I think this filing will really push the ethics committee to take a hard look at this," said Sloan, a federal prosecutor who worked with Bell in drafting the complaint. "When no one has been willing to do this for seven years, it is not an easy thing to suddenly go and file a complaint against DeLay, who is known to be one of the most vindictive people in government."

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/2625608

[Tellurian]

1. What is a "kitchen sink strategy"?

[theivoryqueen]

3. accusing or trying everything but the kitchen sink

[drfemoe]

5. sounds like a good strategy

if you ask me .. throw enough spaghetti on the wall, something's gonna stick. They don't like that :EG:

[theivoryqueen]

2. Sweet - from Texas, I am glad the exterminator/hammer is being called out

let's hope the investigation survives

[Wonk]

4. NOW with Bill Moyers covered this on this week's show, too. Video here

and more.

[Tight_rope]

6. Yahooo...This is music to my ears!

I live in Sugarland. And Tom Delay did do exactly that. He is scum.:puke: He will go down just like the rest of the neo-cons.

Yaaaahooooo! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Robbien]

7. Texas hoodwinked the Democrats into thinking bipartisan

cooperation was a good thing. After seven years, it is about time the Democrats figure out they are being screwed.

[theivoryqueen]

14. and number 2 - true story

we were sold out by our own homegrown officials. Nothing pardons that. They always knew better, but did the ostrich dance. I know several of my representatives, have worked with them on many projects, but they effectively laid down during the early onset of relentless powermongering by the GOPintexas and now we all are losing - in a variety of ways. Dems in TX "figured it out" too late and as a result, exodus of quality Dem political players and some Dems are caving to absurd lobbyist legislation and outrageous GOP demands. biz as usual for Bushwhack politics.

[foo_bar]

8. they'll need a microscope

[theivoryqueen]

13. okay - number 1 - funny

shoot - edit lost my number 2... hm - that didn't sound right. wait - it's down below... again - that didn't come off as well either

[struggle4progress]

9. Ethics questions? Few House answers (May 22, 2004)

<snip>
Organizers pulled the plug last week on one of the more dubious of DeLay's proposed capers. Celebrations for Children, an organization set up by DeLay cronies, was to sponsor fund-raising events during the Republican National Convention at New York this summer. Access city for the well-heeled who want to hobnob with Republican big shots, and tax-deductible to boot.

True, organizers claimed that much of the money was to go to needy children, but the rest was to bankroll freebies for DeLay's congressional pals. Many of DeLay's colleagues might rank, in the bigger picture, as "needy children," but it's not what the Internal Revenue Code has in mind.
<snip>

"Tax-exempt charitable organizations are not supposed to be used as political playthings by members of Congress," Wertheimer said in a March letter begging just one House member to file a complaint with the House ethics committee. "The DeLay scheme will allow House members to attend, free of charge, such events as Broadway shows, golfing tournaments, yacht cruises, dinners, parties and other events, with the events being paid for by a 'charitable' organization and funded by big donors to the 'charity,' many of whom are likely to have important interests pending in Congress."

How many House members took up Wertheimer's challenge to file a formal complaint with the ethics committee? Zero.
<snip>
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/editorial/2585444

[Tight_rope]

10. Tom DeLay's Axis of Influence! Here's some info to digest about Tom

"It is well known that Enron lavished money and attention on political figures all over the nation's Capitol. But for an insight into how carefully the company cultivated members of Congress, look no further than its efforts to please Representative Tom DeLay." (The New York Times, Jan 16, 2002)

By the time Enron collapsed, its tentacles had penetrated deep into our federal government. No investigation into just how deep would be complete without a comprehensive examination of House Majority Whip, Tom DeLay.

In researching this story, it quickly became apparent that Tom DeLay's deep and personal involvement with Enron was not an exception but part of a pattern of controversial relationships that reach back to DeLay's earliest days in Congress.

All these relationships were consistent with a far-right, free-market, anti-regulatory philosophy that DeLay has raised to nearly religious status and upon which he has created a lucrative and ruthless power base.

Among other discoveries, we found a startling contrast between the wholesome, born-again, pro-family image DeLay portrays to voters back home in Sugarland, Texas, and the controversial causes and companies he backs in Washington.

more----------> http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=13104

[Tellurian]

11. No wonder corporate ceo's make huge salarys...they have to kickback

to their legislative feeders at fundraising time.

[Hawkeye-X]

12. Two Words

Jack Abramoff.

Do some research folks.

[murielm99]

15. In Worse than Watergate, p. 41,

John Dean writes about how much Bush is hated by the rest of the world, and Cheney's precarious health.

He postulates that Bush could be assasinated, because he is so hated. Cheney could die of a heart attack before selecting and having a confirmed vice president. Hastert could be forced to step down temporarily as Speaker of the House, by DeLay, who is the power behind Hastert. Delay would be elected Speaker of the House, then...

Bugman would be president.

Scary!

[theivoryqueen]

16. The ONLY reason not to wish ill upon the evil cretins

[Sugarbleus]

17. They've got their evil cretins in every conceivable

place in government. Delay is a monster in his own right. He needs to be tossed out with all due fan fare!!

[anarchy1999]

18. DeLay should already be gone. Okay, we'll take it all the way.

It's over bug man. Resign or be forced out in disgrace. Wouldn't you like to spend more time with your family?

DeLay has no ethics. Kenny Marchant can go with him. Go www.GaryRPage.com and here is Morrison's website:

http://www.richardmorrisonfordistrict22.com/

These both should be Nationwide campaigns to let them know we don't like their redistricting maps and plans! We need to let them know they are toast.

In the Dallas Morning News a reporter a few weeks ago crowned Marchant and said there were no other viable candidates running against him. WTF! For that one article I vow to give every dollar I have to making sure Marchant and the Dallas Morning News know that there is another viable candidate running against, or maybe I shouldn't. Better they think they already have won.

[struggle4progress]

19. Kicking Tommy back to the front page ...

:kick:

[TommyO]

20. DeLay needs a good bug-swatting!

[Demeter]

21. Did Somebody Acuse Delay of Having Ethics?

Then call out the investigators! Have to crush that ethic before it multiplies!

[Wonk]

22. Kick, with a link to a dupe thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=622534&mesg_id=622534