It’s a relatively minor point, but I’ve seen several news reports explain that Tom DeLay has been rebuked by the House Ethics Committee three times. That’s not quite accurate — he was reprimanded three times last year, but there have been five admonishments over DeLay’s House career. * In 1997, the Ethics Committee rebuked DeLay, […]
Part of the trouble with following Tom DeLay is that, unlike with most controversial politicians, there isn’t just one scandal to watch. Upon learning that a scandal led to a DeLay indictment yesterday, a casual political observer might be tempted to ask, “Which scandal”? It’s a reasonable question; DeLay has been busy. Is this one […]
It was an odd series of events. Executing a plan that had been crafted in advance, House Speaker Dennis Hastert told reporters yesterday afternoon that Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) would serve as “acting” Majority Leader following Tom DeLay’s indictment. Then there were rumors that Dreier would share the post with Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). […]
(Editor’s Note: The Carpetbagger Report, as regular readers know, has joined the Coalition for Darfur, a bi-partisan online initiative created to raise awareness and resources to address the crisis. This is the latest in a series of posts from the Coalition.) As Darfur descends into anarchy, the United Nations appears unable to do any more […]
All indications were the Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) had been tapped to serve as the (temporary) House Majority Leader now that Tom DeLay is under indictment. Now it appears the earlier reports may have been premature. In a surprising twist in the ongoing GOP power struggle, CNN is reporting that House Speaker Dennis Hastert will […]
So, Tom DeLay is out and Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) will be, at least for now, the House Majority Leader. OK, so who’s David Dreier? Dreier has been in Congress for 25 years and isn’t known for much of anything. He worships free trade and tax cuts, and because his district includes a lot of […]
Tom DeLay has given up his leadership post, at least for the time being, as his caucus’ rules mandate for a lawmaker under indictment. DeLay hasn’t resigned from Congress and, as far as he’s concerned, he’s planning to resume his duties after his trial. The impact on the House Republican caucus is entirely unpredictable at […]
This shouldn’t be necessary, but it’s quickly becoming apparent that the principal line of defense for Tom DeLay is smearing Travis County DA Ronnie Earle. Again. This isn’t new, of course. Earle is a self-identified Dem, but he’s been a play-it-straight District Attorney. To accuse this guy of having some kind of personal/ideological vendetta against […]
At least for the time being, the White House is (publicly) standing behind Tom DeLay, indictment and all. At the White House, press secretary Scott McClellan said the president still considers DeLay “a good ally, a leader who we have worked closely with to get things done for the American people.” “I think the president’s […]
It’s official — House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has been indicted on one count of criminal conspiracy by a Texas grand jury. More soon. Update 1: from the Austin American-Statesman A Travis County grand jury today indicted U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on one count of criminal conspiracy, jeopardizing the Sugar Land Republican’s leadership […]