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The guy is DOING HIS JOB. His thanks are his paycheck, and the personal knowledge that he is pursuing justice and upholding the law. Any activity by a bunch of partisans who happen to approve of his efforts to uphold the law only toss ammunition to the enemy. Again, I think it is a HORRIBLE idea. No offense, I know you mean well, but he would be hurt, not helped, by any partisan displays. There's no real difference between a group of Democrats praising Earle and sending him gifts, or those ghastly JUSTICE SUNDAY events that Frist, et.al. attended. And frankly, Earle is the least of DeLay's worries. The FEDERAL PEN awaits, he's representative number Two. Representative Number ONE is feeling the heat as well: Ney resigned as House Administration Committee chairman Jan. 15, explaining that growing allegations about his connection to Abramoff were beginning to detract attention from the committee and the work of the House GOP conference.
Ney has been accused of performing legislative favors in exchange for lavish gifts, trips and campaign contributions. In the Abramoff plea agreement, he is referred to as the “Representative #1” singled out in a Justice Department probe of Abramoff’s dealings....Ney has maintained that once his name is cleared he will return to his post as the chairman of the House Administration Committee.
He stepped down from that position that day. Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) appointed Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.), the second most senior member on the committee, shortly after Ney’s departure.
But Ehlers seems to be settling into the chairmanship, if staff changes are any indication.
Less than a month after becoming the new mayor of Capitol Hill, as the chairman of the administration panel is often referred to, Ehlers began reviewing all committee staff, and on Feb. 2 he replaced Ney’s staff director, Paul Vinovich, with William Plaster, formally the deputy chief administrative officer....Additionally, House sources close to the committee indicated that four interns, hired during Ney’s tenure, were immediately let go during the changeover. At the time, Brandt denied the interns’ jobs were ever in jeopardy and said some had opted to go to Ney’s personal office.... http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/040506/news4.htmlSigns point to federal investigators zeroing in on DeLay
By RON HUTCHESON , Knight Ridder Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Rep. Tom DeLay's decision to leave Congress ends his political problems, but his legal woes may be far from over. The former House majority leader announced his resignation three days after court documents revealed that federal investigators have uncovered evidence of corruption in his leadership office. Tony Rudy, former deputy chief of staff to the powerful Republican congressman from Texas, admitted in a plea agreement that he sold his influence to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff while he was working for DeLay.
Rudy became the second former DeLay aide who's agreed to cooperate with federal investigators in return for a more lenient sentence.
"Any rational person in his (DeLay's) position would be very concerned," said Kendall Coffey, a former federal prosecutor who's now a prominent defense lawyer in Miami. "Whether it's working up the ladder at Enron or a drug organization, it's classic strategy to work up by getting plea agreements and cooperation at each level." ...Scanlon and Abramoff also are cooperating with prosecutors as part of a plea bargain. DeLay said his decision to step down had nothing to do with Rudy's plea bargain or any concerns about the criminal investigation.
"I have not been subpoenaed, I have not been talked to," he told National Public Radio. "I know you, the press, has a hard time believing it, but the truth is I am not a target of this investigation. Abramoff has nothing to do with me."
Even so, legal experts said DeLay should be worried that federal prosecutors seemed to have him in their sights.
"They've penetrated his inner sanctum with a guy who says he was doing things in his office," said Stanley Brand, a Washington lawyer who's defended about two dozen cases involving official corruption charges. "This case is just beginning."
Stephen Saltzburg, a professor at the George Washington University Law School, said DeLay's former aides almost certainly were feeling intense pressure to pass along any damaging information they had about their former boss or any other member of Congress.
Rudy and Scanlon each face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for their admitted crimes. Abramoff faces up to 30 years. Passing along helpful information could save them years behind bars.
"In order to get substantial credit, you have to be able to give something," Saltzburg said. "There's going to be a lot of pressure on his former aides, if there's anything there, to cooperate. People have a motive to point the finger, even if it shouldn't be pointed."
...."The guy has a hide of titanium. This is not about his election, this is about his defense of the criminal investigation," former federal prosecutor John P. Flannery II said. "The circle is closing on him for a federal indictment." .... http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/04-06/04-05-06/14world-nation.htm
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