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 […]
It’s been a couple of months since a high-profile Republican official accused Democrats of siding with the enemy in the war on terror, so I guess we were due. In June, it was Karl Rove. In September, it’s Sen. George Allen (R-Va.). On MSNBC’s Hardball last night, Allen and Chris Matthews teamed up on Sen. […]
I’m not a theologian, but I’m pretty sure there’s nothing in the New Testament about Jesus whipping and punching those with whom he disagreed. Then again, maybe Jerry Falwell has a less turn-the-other-cheek kind of Bible. (thanks to Eugene for the tip) During his September 25th sermon to his Thomas Road Baptist Church congregation, the […]
Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * Sen. Jon Corzine (D) continues to lead Doug Forrester in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race, but by how much depends on which poll you read. A Fairleigh Dickinson poll has Corzine up 10 […]
Over the weekend, we learned of a devastating new report prepared by Human Rights Watch documenting widespread and systematic abuse of detainees in Iraq. We’re not talking about “isolated incidents” by a few “bad apples.” HRW’s report was prompted by three former soldiers with the 82nd Airborne, who felt compelled to come forward and explain […]