You win the first anual "Perfect Rovian Oscar Award".
Posted on 09/28/2005 9:35:52 AM PDT by West Coast Conservative
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay indicted on one count of criminal conspiracy by Texas grand jury, according to Travis County clerk's office.
Yes, he said this. Then somebody (we could speculate someone from the DNC) sent high-price lawyer help to tell him he COULD indict for conspiracy.
And "poof",here's a conspiracy charge. It all came up in the last couple of days.
Oh........you are RIGHT! The nominee announcement is coming up, and will bury this story until Delay is cleared of this nonsensical charge.
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By LARRY MARGASAK
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON
A Texas grand jury on Wednesday charged Rep. Tom DeLay and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme, forcing the House majority leader to temporarily relinquish his post.
DeLay attorney Steve Brittain said DeLay was accused of a criminal conspiracy along with two associates, John Colyandro, former executive director of a Texas political action committee formed by DeLay, and Jim Ellis, who heads DeLay's national political committee.
"I have notified the speaker that I will temporarily step aside from my position as majority leader pursuant to rules of the House Republican Conference and the actions of the Travis County district attorney today," DeLay said.
GOP congressional officials said Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., will recommend that Rep. David Dreier of California step into those duties. Some of the duties may go to the GOP whip, Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri. The Republican rank and file may meet as early as Wednesday night to act on Hastert's recommendation.
The charge carries a potential two-year sentence, which forces DeLay to step down under House Republican rules.
"The defendants entered into an agreement with each other or with TRMPAC (Texans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee) to make a political contribution in violation of the Texas election code," says the four-page indictment. "The contribution was made directly to the Republican National Committee within 60 days of a general election."
The indictment against the second-ranking, and most assertive Republican leader came on the final day of the grand jury's term. It followed earlier indictments of a state political action committee founded by DeLay and three of his political associates.
Kevin Madden, DeLay's spokesman, dismissed the charge as politically motivated.
"This indictment is nothing more than prosecutorial retribution by a partisan Democrat," Madden said, citing prosecutor Ronnie Earle, a Democrat.
"We regret the people of Texas will once again have their taxpayer dollars wasted on Ronnie Earle's pursuit of headlines and political paybacks."
The grand jury action is expected to have immediate consequences in the House, where DeLay is largely responsible for winning passage of the Republican legislative program. House Republican Party rules require leaders who are indicted to temporarily step aside from their leadership posts.
However, DeLay retains his seat representing Texas' 22nd congressional district, suburbs southwest of Houston.
DeLay has denied committing any crime and accused the Democratic district attorney leading the investigation, Ronnie Earle, of pursuing the case for political motives.
Democrats have kept up a crescendo of criticism of DeLay's ethics, citing three times last year that the House ethics committee admonished DeLay for his conduct.
Earlier, DeLay attorney Bill White told reporters, "It's a skunky indictment if they have one."
As a sign of loyalty to DeLay after the grand jury returned indictments against three of his associates, House Republicans last November repealed a rule requiring any of their leaders to step aside if indicted. The rule was reinstituted in January after lawmakers returned to Washington from the holidays fearing the repeal might create a backlash from voters.
DeLay, 58, also is the center of an ethics swirl in Washington. The 11-term congressman was admonished last year by the House ethics committee on three separate issues and is the center of a political storm this year over lobbyists paying his and other lawmakers' tabs for expensive travel abroad.
Wednesday's indictment stems from a plan DeLay helped set in motion in 2001 to help Republicans win control of the Texas House in the 2002 elections for the first time since Reconstruction.
A state political action committee he created, Texans for a Republican Majority, was indicted earlier this month on charges of accepting corporate contributions for use in state legislative races. Texas law prohibits corporate money from being used to advocate the election or defeat of candidates; it is allowed only for administrative expenses.
With GOP control of the Texas legislature, DeLay then engineered a redistricting plan that enabled the GOP take six Texas seats in the U.S. House away from Democrats _ including one lawmaker switching parties _ in 2004 and build its majority in Congress.
HUH? Guess you haven't been paying attention to Delay's attempts to torpedo Opperation Offset. "Hard Right" Delay? Not that we can seen in the last 60 days or so.
LOL! They are getting VERY hammered.
The way Trent Lott was handled was nothing short of a rape job.
Indicted means squat. If he's convicted, then we'll have something to talk about.
Won't happen. He'll be reelected, but he MIGHT have to run with the indictment hanging over his head unless he insists on a SPEEDY trisl.
Note that Earle went for "conspiracy" not the act. Easier to get a guilty verdict.
6 grand juries failed to indict.....#7 must be Earles lucky number.
Whoa, that's the ticket, Mehlham and Dreier, quite a pair of boyz there.
I say we put in Ron Paul.
Add to that: Chris Bell called into Fox. No mention was made that he plans to run against Delay next year. He lost his seat in the redistricting that the dims are still whining about.
I hope GWB is thinking the same!
JANICE ROGERS BROWN.
She sounded absolutely beleaguered!
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You win the first anual "Perfect Rovian Oscar Award".
but unfortunately, our side does not play these games. hell, we even passed up solid investigations of things like the Marc Rich pardon sale - and didn't pursue it.
Second!
All those in favor...
AYE!
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