Posted on 04/17/2005 3:11:04 AM PDT by GOPXtreme20
Conservative Lawmaker: DeLay Should Quit
NewsMax.com Wires
Saturday, April 16, 2005
WASHINGTON -- One of Congress' most conservative members on Friday became the second House Republican to urge Majority Leader Tom DeLay to step aside because of the ethics scrutiny he's facing.
"If the majority leader were to temporarily step aside so that these trumped up charges can be dealt with in a less hostile environment, as they have proven to be an unnecessary distraction, it may be a productive move," said Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.
Tancredo's comments come after Connecticut Rep. Chris Shays, a moderate Republican, urged DeLay to resign from his leadership position at the beginning of the week. Also, Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, said DeLay needs to answer questions about his ethics.
Tancredo, elected in 1998, said he believes all charges against DeLay, R-Texas, "lack merit" and are "being leveled in the hopes of bringing him down and with him, the Republican majority."
Tancredo is known in the House for his tough stand on immigration and has 100 percent rating from the American Conservative Union for votes and his position on issues.
DeLay has been dogged by questions for months about his overseas travel, corporate fundraising in 2002 for Texas legislative campaigns, campaign payments to family members and his connections to a lobbyist now under federal investigation.
Some GOP colleagues have suggested his continuing ethics controversy is harming the GOP, while others say the criticism has been orchestrated by Democrats and their liberal allies.
DeLay has said he is eager to appear before the leaders of the House ethics committee and give "everything I have" in connection with allegations of misconduct. Spokesman Dan Allen provided a similar comment Friday and cited a list of accomplishments by House Republicans with DeLay as majority leader.
Before DeLay can meet with the ethics committee, Democrats and Republicans must resolve a deadlock over rules Republicans pushed through the House. Democrats oppose the changes.
Well, I think I'll do a copy and paste of my ping last night on another thread that says a lot of what I think of this BS smear attempt of Tom Delay.http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1385076/posts?page=110#110
Tancredo Statement on Majority Leader Tom DeLay
(from his own website)I JUST NOW fired off my email to President Bush, VP Cheney, Ken Mehlman and others regarding my demand to SUPPORT Tom Delay.
I am really on a tear over this issue. If we can't support our LEADERSHIP in the GOP, then we are going to have major problems down the road.
We ALL need to jump on this and contact EVERYBODY we can to get this message to the party leadership LOUD and CLEAR.
My email to President Bush, VP Cheney, Ken Mehlman and others regarding Tom Delay:
My Dear President Bush, V.P. Cheney and Mr. Mehlman, et al:
I am quite disappointed in some of the Republicans reactions to the Democrats and media attacks on MY House Leader Tom Delay.
Tom Tancredo's press release was VERY disappointing ( http://tancredo.house.gov/pressers/04.15.05%20Tancredo%20Statement%20on%20DeLay.htm ).
In a nutshell, let me say that I would desire the Republicans to come forward and support Tom Delay 100%. He has done NOTHING wrong, either morally or ethically or legally. The Democrats and the media have been UNRELENTING in their unwarranted attacks against Mr. Delay.
Below, you will find my letters sent to Tom Tancredo and to Tom Delay regarding these baseless attacks on Tom Delay.
I STRONGLY urge you to come forward with your full support of Tom Delay at every opportunity. An immediate press release expressing such support would be very gratifying and reassuring for me to see from each of you. I have been a straight ticket GOP voter for some years now. I HOPE to remain so, and hope to get YOUR support on this issue that is very important to me.
Thank you.
Here are my letters to Tom Tancredo and to Tom Delay sent today:
My Dear Congressman Tancredo:
I saw your note regarding Tom Delay today on your link:
http://tancredo.house.gov/pressers/04.15.05%20Tancredo%20Statement%20on%20DeLay.htm
I am quite disappointed. I think that you and ALL Republicans should stand behind Tom Delay 100%. He has done NOTHING wrong and has stood FIRM for Republican ideals for many years and deserves our support.
I would strongly urge you to reconsider your wobbly position and put out a more positive position of support for Tom Delay.
Below is a copy of MY LETTER of support to Tom Delay.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
-----------------------------------------------------------
My Dear Representative Delay:
I have been noticing all the undeserved and unwarranted personal attacks on you by the Democrats and the media. I despise them for that.
I just wanted to send you a short note to let you know that I support you 100% and strongly urge you to stand firm and keep doing the right things. You are an effective leader and doing a great job for your constituents. That is why they are attacking. That, and the fact that they have ZERO ideas or posititive initiatives to bring to the table. Attack! Attack! Attack! That's all they know. They are despicable.
Hang in there my dear sir. We need you to stay on as the House Majority Leader.
Very sincerely,
Screw Tancredo.
haha! I was thinking about McLame in reference to this turn of events too.:)
great minds think alike.... :)
Tancredo should shut his mouth and do the job he was elected to do.
Yes, but the other part of this story, that they didn't print, was that Tancredo said the GOP handled this whole situation stupidly; in context as a RESULT of their stupidity they should set him aside for a bit, but he doesn't agree DeLay should resign. And I have to agree with the whole of it.
The GOP always cringes under the weight of accusation instead of fighting. Well, what do we need them for, then, if the Rats are running the entire show?
Sheesh, one of the good guys(Tom DeLay) is getting bombarded relentlessly and is enemy #1 by the liberal mainstream media.
What part don't you get, if DeLay steps aside the MSM gets their pound of flesh, and tancredo, IMO, is right their helping the MSM along, which isn't surprising since he showing the true grandstander he really is.
If Delay steps aside, even temporarily as Tranidiot suggests, then the MSM and the Dems WILL smell the blood in the water and go for someone else.
They need to stick together. Tancredo needed something to get him headlines and bolster is seemingly longer than a long shot Presidential hopes, so he went McCain on Delay.
Tancredo is a kook.
Uh... there's a little bit more to it as to why the RATS won't meet than just the rules change.
It was reported last week on FNC, and only a couple of times, that another reason is there are Ethics Violation Charges pending against Jim McDermott (D - WA) for his little Baghdad trip a couple years back (not sure about that RAT traitor from Mich(?) who went with him). So the RATS are stonewalling by refusing to meet.
Ergo, Delay can't appear to clear himself and conveniently McDermott gets a free ride and NO PRESS coverage.
Addendum.. its just been reported on FNC that there's NUMEROUS RATS under investigation on FELONY CHARGES, so its more than just McDermott!!!
GMTA bump!!:)
Well, I sort of agree on the sticking together thing; honestly, except for Afghanistan and Iraq, our misrepresentatives have been doing the lousiest job possible on the domestic side. I expect them to buckle under the weight of social security, and they won't even touch income taxes, education, or immigration/domestic security.
The New Tea Party is cranking up - Minutemen on the border. It's just the beginning.
ummm ok....sure thing.
a 3rd party has as much a chance as Tancredo does now....
If the Republicans would just brush this stuff off for what it is up front and show some backbone, we wouldn't have to argue the case at all. All politicians are grandstanders. It's the GOP giving ammo to the MSM by their crumbling behavior.
The second a lefty comes along with an accusation, the GOP is all aflutter, crying into their hankies and wringing their hands and crying "poor me!" Works every time, and the MSM knows it.
And it seems to me the "good guys" are just as powerless in the face of it.
Translation: Let's just roll over and play dead even though we know the charges are false.
What a wuss.
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