Posted on 10/07/2004 5:40:27 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
To: National Desk
Contact: John Feehery of the Office of House Speaker Hastert, 202-225-2800
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- House Speaker Dennis Hastert released the following statement on the Ethics Committee findings regarding House Majority Leader Tom DeLay:
"I want to commend the Members of the Ethics Committee for their hard work in reaching a conclusion in the Chris Bell complaint against Tom DeLay. The Ethics Committee made the right decision to dismiss two out of the three counts, and I am confident that they will reach the same conclusion in the final one.
"The Ethics Committee is comprised of good, responsible members of Congress. They are given the grave responsibility of protecting the reputation and the standards of this institution. They have done their best with their decision tonight under very difficult circumstances.
"Tom DeLay is a good man. He fights hard for what he believes, but he has never put personal interests ahead of the best interests of the country.
"When I first became Speaker, it was my hope that the days of the politicization of the ethics process were over.
"I am profoundly disappointed that the Ethics Committee has once again become a battleground for politics. I am troubled by the intimidation tactics of outside groups and organizations who have tried to influence the decision of those upstanding members of the Ethics Committee."
http://www.usnewswire.com/
Alan Keyes had to gate crash the New Trier Republican luncheon the other week. Which party does Judy Barr-Topinka belong to?
Having Hastert in charge of the House is a real mistake. As bad as having Karen Hughes involved with Bush's debate prep, which is why he's doing poorly in the polls. Another loser is that Jim Dyke, hoo boy did he fumble a puffball interview on Fox a couple of weeks ago.
If Bush was serious, he'd elevate more people like that Tucker-Fletcher, she's a tiger who takes her job seriously. Hey Shrub, screw up Friday night and all your coat holders are going to be looking for a job Nov 3. Personally, I won't mind if you lose, Kerry will be even better than Clinton for my to fav issues, home schooling and gun ownership. Hey George, if you can't pick personnel any better than this, you and your dad can become a trivia question.
Could you please elaborate on how Dennis Hastert forced Peter Fitzgerald not to run for re-election.
Now I can see why no serious Republicans supported Keyes even though I used to be a supporter of his. I think either he has gone whacko or the media are hanging him out to dry.
Some of it is hard to defend or to acknowledge in an election year. The stuff with the FAA especially - using the FAA to track down the personal/private plane of a democrat (regardless of what they were doing) - that sounds more like something Clinton or another democrat would do than a Republican.
It's consisent with his statement condemning groups for trying to intimidate the Ethics Committee.
Actually, I don't think Hastert did any such thing. I wanted to get the poster to explain his or her reason for blaming Hastert. Fitzgerald didn't believe he could win (debatable) and chose not to run in the primaries. It doesn't appear he was forced out by anybody.
For those not into Chicago politics, this third airport has been in the works for thirty years, it hasn't been built because 1) it shares airspace with ORD 2) Illinois voters don't want to pay for it .
The ironic thing is, Chicago will wind up with 3 "third" airports. Mitchell/Milwaukee and Waukegan for Lake and McHenry Counties, and Gary for eastern Cook and the south burbs.
Hey is that you, Karen Hughes? Was it worth trashing a sitting senator over a silly local dispute? Oh well, at least you got rid of someone prolife, something any RINO can dig.
Yeah, that's what it was. BTW, why didn't Fitzgerald run in the primary? He would have won easily. He didn't need anyone's blessing. Granted, it's easier to believe conspiracies are afoot...
You must be so proud!
Let's clarify this.
DeLay "tracked down" the democrat representatives of the Texas Legislature, who had skipped town in order to avoid doing their jobs.
WOW! What are YOU smokin'?
Gimme some.
If Hillary Clinton were to contact the FAA and the Department of Homeland Security to find some local Republican politicians for whatever reason, people here would be screaming their heads off.
If you want to clarify, then let's clarify even more.
Tom DeLay is a member of the United States House of Representative. The person(s) that he was trying to track down were members of the Texas House of Representatives. They are two very distinct groups.
Last I checked, Tom DeLay's job was not to get involved in local/state matters of a legislative body that he is not a member of, nor is it his job to involve federal agencies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Homeland Security, in local issues, that are handled by local lawmakers, and that are clearly not issues of national security.
I apologize if I come across as ranting, but I do not care for politicians in Washington that get involved in matters that are outside of their jurisdiction. I can almost excuse his overenthusiastic assistant(s) that misled the FAA and the DHS into thinking that something had happened to that plane and those on board, but he is responsible for their actions, since they got the federal agencies involved at his prompting.
His replacement, Jack Ryan, ran and won the primary. Remember Jack Ryan, the guy who helped the education of inner city blacks? The guy who had his divorce records splattered all over by the Chicago Tribune, a man who wasn't half as kinky as the SinkMeister?
The Republicans closed ranks behind Ryan. Oh wait, they let him twist in the breeze. Remember all the support Hastert gave to Ryan? Oops, my bad, Hastert was silent.
Fitzgerald is an honorable man, he knew what he was up against. Ryan knows it too, now. The Illinois Republican party is a lost cause.
Here's my guess, you hate the IL GOP (for good reason), Fitzgerald hates the IL GOP (for good reason, although he was sometimes unnecessarily antagonistic, he had no dry powder left). Since Hastert is the tallest man standing in the IL GOP, it must be his fault.
Even though you have no proof or evidence or anything. Just smear the guy, what the hell.
The bottom line is that Fitzgerald didn't even try. He had a clear path to the nomination and he decided not to take it. Whatever credentials Jack Ryan had, even the lowliest precinct boss knows that you go with the incumbent unless you have a truly celebrity candidate (Ditka, for example). I don't care how maverick he is, you stick with the incumbent. Look at Ron Paul, if you want an example.
Even though you have no proof or evidence or anything. Just smear the guy, what the hell.
The bottom line is that Fitzgerald didn't even try.
Well said, AmishDude. You must have been following this a lot more closely than many Illinoisians.
Tom DeLay was a member of the Texas State House for six years. He probably worked along side most of the members who took a taxpayer-funded vacation. Congressmen who were in the State Legislature maintain ties with the local elected officials -- what better way to keep in touch with your constituents.
These democrats were elected officials who deliberately shirked their duties (which, at that time, involved a redistricting map that affected the U.S. House of Representatives). DeLay wanted to know where they were, and the FAA told him. It's not as though he sent the Army out to hunt them down.
The Texas democrats are the culprits, not the victims. To say Tom DeLay deserves to be sanctioned by the Ethics Committee for finding truant legislators is carrying this a bit too far.
Ohio is in danger of following Illinois in the next two cycles. If the party doesn't start grooming true Conservatives, folks are going to bolt. The Governor and the legislature are a disgrace.
Hastert will only support a proabortion candidate under the big tent theory, probably true in IL.
If Scott Fawell flips, Lyin' Ryan and the pubbie party in IL could be finished.
By the way, the tallest man IS the party leader. In IL, that's Hastert, just like Bush is the national party leader.
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