Probe May Force Delay To Step Down (Texas Witch Hunt)

UPI ^ | 3-25-04

[dogbyte12]

WASHINGTON, March 25 (UPI) -- House Republican leader Tom DeLay of Texas is reportedly discussing temporarily stepping down from his post if he is indicted.

A Texas grand jury is investigating him for alleged campaign finance abuses.

Roll Call reported Thursday the conservative majority leader has begun quiet discussions with a handful of colleagues about the possibility, which would be required under Republican conference rules.

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, a Democrat, has been conducting an investigation into whether Texans for a Republican Majority, a non-profit group and related political action committee with ties to DeLay, broke Texas law during the 2002 state legislative elections by using corporate donations.

If indicted, DeLay would be allowed to return to his leadership post if cleared of the charges, reduced to a non-felony, or if they were dismissed by the court.

DeLay has denied any wrongdoing, decrying the inquiry as a politically motivated witch hunt.

House Republicans argue that the move is an act of vengeance following the successful GOP redistricting effort in the state, which was lead by DeLay.

[Arrowhead1952]

Anyway, I thought it was a good one, Earle is an extremely biased, partisan attack dog with way too much power.

Earle is an extremely biased DUMBOCRAT! To bad there isn't a way to recall him, but there are too many many libs in Austin.

Wish I could remember who posted this resolution originally! Unfortunately, I didn't make a note of the source.

(Arrowhead, when are you going to come to one of our HOT Chapter meetings?

I don't know when i'll make it. I live in Lago Vista, and have quite a tight schedule.

[deport]

I have no real knowledge of the ivestigation so can't offer any detailed insight. However it is most likely motivated by political partisan action. 2002 State elections is where the Republicans took over the the State House by a fairly large majority after redistricting and increased their numbers in the State Senate. So some degree it appears to be centering on those races I'd guess. Also the outcome of those 2002 state races allowed for the ultimate redistricting to occur last year that has now or will give Texas a Republican majority in it's Congressional delegation after the 2004 elections....

It's very possible to see him indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury in Austin. Now to associate that with guilty would be a totally different thing.

[bayourod]

Call your State Republican Executive Committee members (one male & one female), your Senate District Convention temporary chairman, and the perrson who recruited you to be a precinct chairman today. Tell them what you want to do and also tell them that you want to be elected a delegate to the State Convention and that you want to represent your senatorial district on the Temporary Platform Committee at the state convention. Be very pushy and demanding. Remind them of how hard you work and how strongly you have supported them.

The Temporary Reslutions Committee of your Senatorial District Convention might be meeting tonight or early in the morning (if tommorow is the date of the conventions.

Ask them how many people will be attending you're SD convention and make enough copies for everyone, as well as copies of newspaper articles or other material. PUT YOUR NAME ON EVERYTHING AND ASK THAT THEY VOTE FOR YOU TO BE THIER REPRESENTATIVE ON THE PLATFORM COMMITTEE AT THE STATE CONVENTION.

Ask someone to nominate you for the platform committee. Type up a 15 second nominating speach for him to read that tells who you are and why you want to be on the Platform committee.

When I was on the state committee many years ago a youg man in my district called me about a resolution he had wanting to make English the official language. It was violenlty opposed by the governor and Karl Rove and US Senator, and I wasn't all that eager to committ political suicide, but because he was a precinct chairman in my district I helped him. We bypassed the elected officials and professional consultants, got the proposition on the republican Primary ballot and got 97% of the state vote.

Good luck.

[onyx]

Just as I suspected.
Payback time.

[TheSarce]

Too bad there isn't a way to recall him, but there are too many many libs in Austin.

Agreed, and that's what I found fascinating about this resolution. I always knew Earle was carrying on witch hunt "investigations," apparently exclusively against "eee-vil" Republicans, but I didn't realize that it was because he had such uniquely-assigned powers far beyond other County DA's. Makes NO sense to me that a County DA is handling Public Integrity investigations for the whole STATE

I don't mean to imply I'm an expert on this issue-- I wish I could remember which FReeper posted this resolution originally. I just liked it and copied it, and then pulled it out again when I saw this thread. But wouldn't it be delicious to de-fang Earle?

[mabelkitty]

He better not step down.
He'll just get pardoned in another couple of months, so what is the point?

[Arrowhead1952]

But wouldn't it be delicious to de-fang Earle?

But wouldn't it be delicious to de-fang nut Earle?

[TheSarce]

Thanks so much for the advice! I am a total novice at this whole Convention/Delegate thing. I had a nice talk with my County Chair on the phone, and there seems to be a real good chance that there are enough slots open that I will get be a delegate to the State Convention. I have a call in to the Nominating Committee just to make sure they know I want to go. I'll try to find out about the Resolutions committee info, too, thanks for the tip.

We bypassed the elected officials and professional consultants, got the proposition on the republican Primary ballot and got 97% of the state vote.

Wow! ((grassroots applause!))

[TheSarce]

But wouldn't it be delicious to de-nut Earle?

Ewww, only if we change the "delicious" part, LOL, you've given it a bit more graphic connotation than I intended, yecchh.

Let's just say it would be a lovely image to see Ronnie whimpering in a corner because no bigwigs will return his phone calls anymore, "but I used to BE somebody, I was a powerful guy once upon a time, they all used to fawn over me....where'd everybody go?"

[lewislynn]

House rules state that if you are indicted for a felony that carries a sentence of 2 years or more, if convicted, you have to step aside from your leadership position, until you are acquited. This bites.

Would being indicted for a felony "bite" if Delay was a democrat?...I didn't think so.

The fact that the same rules apply to everyone is a good thing, not a bad thing.

[Arrowhead1952]

Let's just say it would be a lovely image to see Ronnie whimpering in a corner because no bigwigs will return his phone calls anymore, "but I used to BE somebody, I was a powerful guy once upon a time, they all used to fawn over me....where'd everybody go?"

I was talking to some of my friends the other day, and with all the people like Doggett, Ma Richards et al backing Earle, he may be around for a long time. Wish we could just send him out of state.

[MeekOneGOP]

I think it likely is a political 'payback' witch hunt for Redistricting.

Here are a few other articles on this jerk Ronnie Earle.

SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM/JACK PLUNKETT

RONNIE EARLE

[goldstategop]

He should keep his post. What's good for Clinton ought to be good for Delay as well.

[MeekOneGOP]

"Poor George. Born with a silver foot in his mouth," sneered the then Texas
Governor Ann Richards, mocking her opponent as an idiot son of privilege.

[onyx]

He really and truly looks like a jerk.
He's one I'd like to slap in the face about 18 times.
Know what I mean?

[MeekOneGOP]

haha ! Yeah ! ;^)

[DrewsDad]

It's in our temporary platform(SD14).

[WOSG]

We passed this in SD-14 ... DA Earle is *unfit* to hed any public integrity unit. Leave the state function to the state.

hopefully, we will get SERIOUS about this, finally.

[backhoe]

 The Persecution of Tom Delay