The good soldier does the right thing for the good of his country and party. God Bless you, Rep. DeLay.
Ronnie Earle, that sleazy weasel, wins this round. It won't be the last round though.
THIS SUCKS!!
This had better end with Ronnie Earle in jail - or there will be no end to the political persecutions against GOP leaders.
Maybe Delay's departure will open the door for a more conservative Majority Leader, who will set goals that require the House to legislate in a more fiscally responsible manner. After the last five years the GOP controlled Congress has spent the taxpayers money like liberal Democrats and expanded the federal bureaucracy to levels never seen before in US history. PresBush hasn't vetoed one spending bill of any kind. The brakes have to be applied, immediately. Bush won't act responsibly, then maybe a strong Majority Leader can set the right course.
I liked the fight in DeLay, but at the end of the day he is a corporate whore, good riddance
Dear Colleague:Today, I have asked Speaker Hastert to convene our conference for the purpose of electing a new majority leader, the position I have been honored to fill these past three years through the trust and confidence of our colleagues.
During my time in Congress, I have always acted in an ethical manner within the rules of our body and the laws of our land. I am fully confident time will bear this out.
However, we live in serious times and the United States House of Representatives must be focused on the job of protecting our nation and meeting the daily challenges facing the American people. History has proven that when House Republicans are united and focused, success follows.
While we wage these important battles, I cannot allow our adversaries to divide and distract our attention. I will continue to stand up for the issues I care so deeply about and work with you all on these priorities. I am constantly thankful for the support of my constituents in recent days as well as over the years they have allowed me to serve them. I will continue to work every day to fulfill their trust, and yours.
Regards,
Tom DeLay
Good riddance! Now it's time to get some true conservatives in charge.
Rumors and innuendo about Abramoff did the most damage to Delay. But short of an indictment of Delay in an Abramoff bribery charge, he would have survived had it not been for Earle. Unbelievable, and not fair. Still, conservatism is about the principles, not the personalities. Tom Delay deserves much credit for stepping aside.
The Hammer kicked RAT butt. He will be back.
After strongarming that Medicare drug benefit through the House, he should resign!
Embattled Republican politician Tom DeLay will not attempt to reclaim his post as majority leader of the US House of Representatives, officials say.
Mr DeLay was forced to step aside temporarily after he was indicted in Texas on a campaign finance case.
The politician is accused of laundering corporate contributions for use in Republican campaigns in the state.
He has maintained his innocence and had until now said he intended to resume his leadership post once cleared.
His decision to quit clears the way for Republicans to choose a new leader to represent them in the House of Representatives.
Mr DeLay, a close ally of President George W Bush, was one of the most powerful politicians in Washington before his indictment in September.
Mr DeLay's spokesman said the politician would retain his seat in the House, Reuters news agency reported.
It galls me to no end that we sacrifice our own on the "alter of perfection", while the rat party continues it's march into socialism. Politics is a dirty business and none of them have "clean hands". Hell, the rats won't even give the bribes back!
I believe that Delay will dispatch the charges against him in Texas soon enough. What I feel may have prompted this move is the Abramoff situation.
It was one thing to clear himself of the charges in Texas, but soon there will be charges of impropriety in relation to Abrimoff. Then he'll have to spend time clearing himself of those charges.
What this boils down to, is a situation where the leader of the Republicans in the House would have to focus on clearing himself once again, rather than spending full time on his duties.
I don't see Delay stepping down unless there was something in addition to the charges in Texas looming.
The charges in Texas were trumped up. They were purely political from my point of view. I just don't know how you clear yourself in a timely manner from all the muck and still perform your job.
I question whether it was wise of Abrimoff to go belly up without a fight. Evidently his defense team thought this was the right thing to do, but it sure is going to put a lot of folks in the crosshairs, for basicly doing what's been done in D.C. for centuries, and considered legal.
I don't agree with some of the things that go on in D.C., and Abrimoff is probably a good example of why. The problem for me is that it appears he did operate by the rules in place, but still got dinged. I'm by no means convinced what he did was illegal, although I think much of it should be. The question for me is one of timing. Create laws that make what Abrimoff did illegal. Then go after people like him.
Perhaps in the end that is what has taken place, but I'm not completely convinced of it at this time.
Here we have a Justice Department under a Republican Administration going after anyone no matter who their actions may have touched. Imagine a Justice Department with that much zeal under the Clintons. Now that would have been something to watch.