Posted on 01/08/2006 2:48:05 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
WASHINGTON — The race is under way to replace Rep. Tom DeLay as House majority leader, the No. 2 position in the House of Representatives, one day after the Texas Republican announced he would step down to turn attention away from his legal troubles and back toward the Republican agenda.
Speaking to FOX News on Sunday in his first television interview since announcing his decision, DeLay said he was being railroaded by a "runaway district attorney" motivated purely by partisan politics.
"Republicans, not the Democrats, have a rule that says if you're indicted you have to step aside from your leadership position. ... A grand jury has indicted me and the only reason to indict me was to get me to step aside," DeLay said.
"The only reason that I am indicted right now is because of the Republican rule. It's working for [Democrats], but in the end they're going to lose," DeLay said, adding that the pursuit against him is purely "to hide the fact that these Democrats don't have an agenda."
DeLay stepped down as leader on Saturday, saying he is confident that he would be exonerated from conspiracy charges in his home state, but the job of majority leader is too important to be hamstrung by distractions.
"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," DeLay wrote in a letter to his caucus.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I'd say better and better but don't think for one minute that the pro entitlement mods and the pro illegal immigration crowd in the GOP, still hold sway.
Probably a little less of a chance than DeLay, who plans to run again for the office - assuming he's cleared by then of the current indictments.
Go Pence!! An important stepping stone to 2008.
Don't know about anyones real chances at this stage... The question in my mind is who is clear of the Abramoff event? It's appears that some maybe caught up in it I believe even is nothing they did was illegal.
from the following link:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/3573260.html
"Our party's in big trouble," Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., said Sunday. "We've created a huge controversy and if we don't get beyond this, we're going to be the minority party a year from now."
In an effort to repair the damage from the Abramoff scandal, Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said Sunday that Republicans will draft a lobbying overhaul. He has put the chairman of the House Rules Committee, Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif., in charge of the effort.
"Recent developments have made clear the need for the House to take a closer look at the rules regarding members' interactions with lobbyists," Dreier said. "The speaker has asked me to begin that examination, and to do it in a bipartisan way."
Hastert said he intends "to move forward aggressively and quickly" on lobbying changes.
At DNC headquarters they're breaking out a case of reefers, in celebration.
Reps never learn. They just want to be loved.
Get ready for President Hillary, whose platform will be
"This time, no more Mr. Nice Guy!!"
BTW, have Hitlery and Kerry given their Abramoff cash back yet?
This just confirms what a class act Tom DeLay is!
I'm sorry, but haven't you heard? Howard Dean has spoken: there were no Democrats involved!
And that's how the MSM will play it. To think I once listened to Radio Moscow and called them a bunch of commie liars (I was 14)!
The MSM are ten times worse.
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