AP: "Delay Must Step Aside if Indicted"

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24749-2004Mar25.html

By SUZANNE GAMBOA
The Associated Press
Thursday, March 25, 2004; 6:54 PM

WASHINGTON - A 1993 Republican rule would force House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to temporarily vacate his leadership position if he were indicted in a Texas criminal investigation of state election spending.

The House Republican Conference rule stipulates that members in leadership jobs, committee or subcommittee chairmanships and ranking committee members must step aside if they are indicted on a felony punishable by at least two years in prison.

Some House members have raised the issue after learning of the Texas investigation and the GOP conference rule. DeLay's office said any discussions about stepping aside would be speculative.

"The only discussion Mr. DeLay has had with members has been to make clear that we don't anticipate any indictments and we are cooperating," Stuart Roy, a spokesman for DeLay, said Thursday.

Prosecutors are examining, in part, whether corporate contributions made to Texans for a Republican Majority, a political action committee formed in 2001 by DeLay, ultimately went to GOP state House candidates. That would be a violation of Texas campaign finance laws.
_____________________________

Tom Delay, reputed shake down artist, deserves to spend time behind bars--if anyone does.

[mandyky]

1. Oh God! Pray for that indictment!

Or meditate, hope hard or cross your fingers.

[BlueEyedSon]

6. You will never in your life see an Atheist pray so hard!

[barbaraann]

8. There's a joke that Unitarians pray "to whom it may concern."

:-)

[BlueEyedSon]

9. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

[barbaraann]

14. Here's another Unitarian joke.

You know how some churches want 10% of your income or some other percent? Well, the joke goes that Unitarians donate 10% of what they donated to their former church. :-)

p.s. UU's are very good people who have a sense of humor.

[corporatewhore]

2. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

:cheers: :party:

[barbaraann]

3. Texas has campaign finance laws??!!

Wow, you learn something every day. :o

[Padraig18]

4. Hear our prayers, O' Lord!

:evilgrin:

[texastoast]

5. Well we can always hop

"A 1993 REPUBLICAN rule would force House Majority Leader Tom DeLay . . ." (emphasis added)

Well, wouldn't it be tasty if it came back to bite them soundly on the wazoo!

Sweet.

[SendTheGOPPacking]

7. Be still, my heart!

This is almost as good as Rush being a drug addict. No, better!

[no name no slogan]

13. It's DEFINATELY better!

I would love to see this slimeball behind bars, for all his misdeeds (legal OR illegal). Unlike Rush, he actually holds a political office that influences legislation that affects the rest of us.

Delay is the posterboy for what's wrong with our system: shaking down corporate donors and passing them favors, the ugly tone of debate in the House in the last decade, the gerrymandering of Texas's congressional districts, etc.

Time to take out the trash-- one 250lb. bag of Pure Texas Horseshit® oughtta do it.

[SendTheGOPPacking]

15. AMEN!

[indepat]

10. DeLay surely is above the law

[Turbineguy]

11. Step aside?

Yeah, preferably into an open manhole.

[AntiCoup2K4]

12. If it were anywhere else but Texas,.....

Obviously, they didn't seem to mind when he pulled his illegal redistricting bullshit, so what's a little pocketing money?

I'd like to see this bring down the Bug Man, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Leilani]

16. Please, Please, Please

After Bush & Rove, I hate Delay more than any of the others.

Bugman would be in big trouble, if incarcerated.

But this is Texas? I don't hold much hope.

[Adelante]

17. Let it be, let it be

Please, please, please.

[LividLiberal]

18. Tom DeLay a crook?

Nah! :)