TX blogs: Rumors flying re: Delay replacing Hastert in 2005

[rainbow4321]

May be nothing but thought I would share it here... several Houston/TX blogs are throwing this around:

http://safety.websoaring.com/index.php?itemid=761

Tom DeLay Is 'Moving On Up'?
I have heard some rumors lately, and I trust the sources.
I’ve been informed that Dennis Hastert will step down as Speaker of the House. My own Congressman, Tom DeLay, will fill the position. This will occur at the end of the 109th Congress, or possibly by the end of this calendar year.

I've been told that DeLay has been openly discussing this with several Republicans, so I'm surprised this news hasn't already broken. Let’s discuss what this means.


http://houtopia.com/

Now, it was widely rumored during the whole 2003 Texas redistricting imbroglio that Delay's aim was not just creating more Republican House seats, but electing more GOP members loyal to him.

It was thought that by helping to elected new GOP Reps in Texas and elsewhere, he was earning their fealty in preparation for a leadership challenge to current Speaker Hastert. Perhaps rather than openly taking him on, Delay is pushing him out behind the scenes.

Unsettling as it may be to imagine Delay wielding that gavel in the House, if the GOP caucus decides to elect him Speaker it could be good for Democrats, provided they adopt and maintain an aggressive posture.
Having the poster child for corporate corruption and unethical behavior (not to mention strident partisanship) as the third-most powerful person in Washington (behind Cheney and Rumsfeld), would provide a great opportunity for Democrats to, let us say, draw contrasts. In short, Delay would be easy to Gingrichize.
Delay still may very well be indicted by Ronnie Earle, and should he rise to Speaker, he'd have nowhere to go but down.


http://www.burntorangereport.com/

February 17, 2005
Something Stirs in Mordor

Chris Elam informs us that Dark Lord Sauron Tom DeLay may be on the move.


http://www.offthekuff.com/mt/archives/cat_show_business_for_ugly_people.html#004959

Speaker DeLay?
There's a rumor going around that Tom DeLay might be getting a promotion to Speaker in the near future. I find it a little hard to understand. It's not like the change in title would mean more actual power for him. Maybe it's a legacy thing - history seldom remembers Majority Leaders. I'm pretty sure history won't forget Tom DeLay, though.
Mostly what puzzles me is that this would make DeLay a lot more visible, and thus a lot easier for Democrats to run against in 2006. I guarantee that one of the first things to happen after this were to be announced would be another round of editorials bashing DeLay and the Congressional Republicans for their ethics problems. All of which is fine by me, of course, but I'm not seeing what the Republicans will get out of it.
Anyway. It's a rumor, and rumors are written on water. If it does happen, there will be plenty more to say.

[aquart]

1. DeLay doesn't care about Republicans.

If he cared about the party, he would have resigned on the ethics complaints. But noooooooooooooooooo.

He's out for himself. Two good men died to prevent his assassination. I always remember that.

[Edgewater_Joe]

2. This Might Be A GOOD Thing For Us

Raise your hand if you think Howard Dean can do to Tom DeLay what Bill Clinton did to Newt Gingrich in '96 and '98.

(Two hands raised.)

[DemoTex]

3. Speaker of the House. It has a charming ring to it.

Speaker of the Big-House. Even more charming! Know what I mean, Vern?

[usregimechange]

4. Than he gets arrested!

[nevergiveup]

5. Hastert is my congressman and he is a

buffoon. Delay is a crook. So we replace a buffoon with a crook? Wow, this is a tough one.