I receive The Federalist Patriot via email three times a week. Always good stuff, although I seldom agree with everything in it.
Today Mark, et al, had this to say:
In the House, Democrats refuse to allow Tom DeLay to have his day before the House Ethics Committee. Republicans instituted rule changes recently, among them the automatic dismissal of an ethics complaint if no action is taken within 45 days. Rep. Doc Hastings, chairman of the committee, offered to extend that period to 90 days, but the Demos just aren’t buying. Clearly they fear that if DeLay actually gets a hearing, he’ll be exonerated. Regardless of party affiliation, it is patently unfair to accuse someone of violating rules and then not allow him to defend himself in the proper forum.
What appears to be holding things up is not that Republicans are preventing any investigation, but that Democrats are. Have you heard anything like this on the network news? I think there was mention on FoxNews. But the fact certainly hasn’t been spread around.
Some say the Democrats don’t want the Ethics Committee to be empaneled because there are several of their members who have a few skeletons to be wary of. They would prefer to see DeLay lambasted continually.
I don’t know where the truth is in all this. As I mentioned before, I don’t think much of DeLay. But if there’s any meat on this bone, I can’t imagine why the Democrats would object to his getting a hearing.
I say bring DeLay in front of the ethics committee for his alleged sins…and then we can start marching EVERYONE that has done the same things as he’s been accused of to appear as well.
Sounds like we need to rework some of the House and Senate rules about the appearance of impropriety! If it looks and smells fishy, you probably shouldn’t indulge yourself OR your family.
As a federal employee that has stalled out in my current grade, I am a little more than peeved at the apparently legitimate nepotism that Congressmen can use to transfer campaign funds into the hands of their kin. While it might be legal, it sounds a little unethical to me when I have to compete for promotions and other job appointments.
Maybe next time I’ll have to do a better job in picking my parents and station in life.
See you on the high ground!
MajorDad1984
Comment by MajorDad1984 — April 23, 2005 @ 8:31 am