Posted on 04/12/2005 3:48:56 PM PDT by Libloather
DeLay Urges GOP to Blame Dems Over Ethics
20 minutes ago
By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, hoping to hold support among fellow Republicans, urged GOP senators Tuesday to blame Democrats if asked about his ethics controversy and accused the news media of twisting supportive comments so they sounded like criticism.
Officials said DeLay recommended that senators respond to questions by saying Democrats have no agenda other than partisanship, and are attacking him to prevent Republicans from accomplishing their legislative program. One Republican said the Texan referred to a "mammoth operation" funded by Democratic supporters and designed to destroy him as a symbol of the Republican majority.
DeLay also thanked Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., for his recent comments and said the news media had twisted them to make them sound critical, the officials added, all speaking on condition of anonymity.
In an appearance on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, Santorum said DeLay "has to come forward and lay out what he did and why he did it and let the people then judge for themselves. But from everything I've heard, again, from the comments and responding to those, is everything he's done was according to the law."
The officials who described DeLay's brief remarks noted that the session, a regularly scheduled weekly lunch, was held under rules of secrecy. Dan Allen, DeLay's spokesman, declined comment.
DeLay's case is at the heart of a broader controversy in the House, where Democrats accuse Republicans of unilaterally changing ethics committee rules to prevent any further investigation of DeLay. Republicans have denied the allegation.
The panel arranged a meeting for Wednesday, and Rep. Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, the senior Democrat, said he would renew a push for a bipartisan rewrite of the rules that Republicans put into effect in January on a party-line vote. Officials in both parties said they knew of no compromise discussions.
One senior Republican spoke sympathetically of DeLay after the closed-door meeting.
"I hope he survives, and I hope he will stay in there and do his job," said Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss.
"The power of prayer is the only thing that will sustain you" in the circumstance DeLay is in, Lott added, and he spoke disparagingly of any Republicans who fail to stand by the Texan.
"That's the problem, you know, Republicans eat their own. ... Democrats stand by their own until hell freezes over," said Lott, who was ousted as Senate majority leader two years ago after making controversial race-based comments at a birthday party for the late Strom Thurmond.
DeLay was admonished three times last year by the House ethics committee. Recent articles have disclosed that his wife and daughter were paid approximately $500,000 in recent years by political organizations under his control, and have raised questions about the financing of three overseas trips he took.
DeLay has consistently denied any violation of either law or House rules.
His private remarks to Senate Republicans were in keeping with the response frequently offered on his behalf by House Republicans: Blame the Democrats and occasionally the news media for the scrutiny he faces. House Republicans intend to follow the script later in the week, hoping to showcase passage of bankruptcy legislation and estate tax repeal as a counterpoint to Democratic charges that they are merely power-hungry.
Several Republicans stressed that DeLay's appearance at the senators' lunch was routine, noting that GOP leaders of one house have begun attending meetings of the rank and file of the other house in recent weeks.
His remarks were "very low-key. It wasn't demanding or threatening or pounding the table," Lott said afterward.
Give 'em hell Hammer.
So he's going to blame everyone else for his problems. He needs to quit making excuses and fight back if he is really innocent. I'm getting sick of people who blame everyone else first.
It's half past time.
No, it's time!
I wish that Trott would have fought back.
Democrat's remind me of wolve's!
Republican's need to do the same!
It's difficult to fight back when one is accused, based on untruths and shadow-accusations. This is what the Dems are so good at -- getting the Press/Media to do the dirty work, to post twisted stories -- and suddenly the false becomes the truth to the unsuspecting public. The illusion is made -- and there is no way to immediately "erase" the illusion.
Those of us who keep up with these tactics, realize that in most cases, IN TIME the facts come out -- and when the accused person is vindicated -- there is no retraction from the media, no apology. And the public doesn't ever figure out that they were manipulated. It's like trying to un-ring a bell.
This is why it is so difficult for Tom DeLay to defend himself. I say the best defense is a strong offense.
>>blame everyone else for his problems<<
Specifically, what are his problems?
Well, when someone accused of something starts blaming others for trying to smear him, that's not exactly establishing innocence. In fact, "going on the offensive" is usually regarded as a sign of guilt. Basically, DeLay is trying to handle an ethics investigation by agitating the citizenry to contact their representatives and demand that they close ranks along partisan lines. That may well work in getting the charges quashed, but it doesn't prove his innocence in any objective way. If he were on trial, then I would say that his tactics would probably be highly counterproductive and likely to earn him a conviction.
DeLay, on the other hand, is what a Republican is supposed to be. Full of conservative brimstone and contempt for the Rats/MSM.
Seems like every DeLay thread has a troll suggesting that DeLay should surrender.
There's nothing against DeLay. NOTHING. These people got NOTHING on DeLay. Please, stop being spoon-fed the B.S. from the MSM and DemoRats.
You know and I both know that if DeLay were to flatly deny the allegations the MSM/Rat feeding frenzy will just escalate. If he holds a news conference displaying FACTS that the allegations against him are bogus, it'll be ignored.
demand that they close ranks along partisan lines. That may well work in getting the charges quashed, but it doesn't prove his innocence in any objective way.
DeLay is playing hardball by pointing out that this is nothing but an orchestrated smear campaign against him. He's talked about the left-wing special interest groups trying to get him out and the hypocrisy of the Dems. People pay attention to that stuff instead of boring press releases and denials.
Obviously, the MSM/Rats are upset because DeLay won't cower in the corner like all the other Republicans do.
It's about time for this. The RATS are Communists. They don't have any ethics.
Looks like the poster you responded to doesn't have the answer to your question, which means that his post has the intelligence of bread mold.
I don't think DeLay will be apologizing to anyone, especially to the Democrats calling for his head.
God Bless, Tom Delay.
I wrote a huge response, then deleted it.
If he's clean, let him stand forth.
My gut tells me DeLay, as all of the representatives that we toiled to put in power have jerked us every bit as the Dems do to their own.
Maybe we should just vote to wreck America, and perhaps 30 years from now, a band of patriots will strictly adhere to the Constitution.
Maybe we should just vote to wreck America, and perhaps 30 years from now, a band of patriots will strictly adhere to the Constitution.
I can't... try as I might, I could not dishonor that Document, that idea that our Forefathers, my grandfathers and grand uncles gave their lives and their livelihoods to create and then defend.
We owe them no less than a full out assault on those who would destroy not only our Constitution, but also the Liberties that God in his graciousness allowed us to have in this Great Country.
Retreat?
Nah, we just got here!
I was being sarcastic, and a bit cryptic.
You and I are here right now. At last, the adults are in charge, but now all I see is our reps cowering from the slightest comments from the minority of political power.
What are WE going to do?
Eventually, it will go back to them, and, at this really bad time for them to be in charge, will wreck the United States. If we survive that, perhaps the country will begin at the root of its inception - the Constitution.
Ahhh, yes. The ol' "there's no difference between the parties" argument. If that's your premise, how do you really expect anyone around here to take you seriously? The GOPers sure ain't perfect, but to put them on par with the Hypocrats is just ridiculous.
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