DeLay inquiry set to move; GOP ethics chairman backs down (raw news)

[IChing]

Breaking new!!!

John Byrne

The Republican Chairman of the House Ethics Committee has retreated on a bid to have his chief of staff become co-director for the Committee, paving the way for ethics investigations of House members, including House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), RAW STORY has learned.

In a letter to members of Congress today, Ethics Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA)indicated he will retreat from a plan to have his personal chief of staff Ed Cassidy serve as co-director of the committee.

The move is a breakthrough for Democrats, who have demanded all aspects of the committee remain bipartisan. Once a chief counsel is selected, the committee can organize and begin investigations into House members, including Republican leader DeLay

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/DeLay_inquiry_set_to_move_Chairman_of_Ethics_committee_backs_0629.html

[democrat_patriot]

1. Yes. Today is a good day.

(Unless your in Iraq)

[drm604]

10. Yes, it does seem to be a good day.

It looks like maybe this and the Plame case may both be starting to move forward. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Occulus]

13. I'm pretty shocked that some even here want to stop that one n/t

[shanti]

16. there's most likely

dirt on many of them, even our own. bring 'em to the light. if they're corrupt, we don't need them.

[LightningFlash]

2. FINALLY!!!! Lets get these trouble makers out....

I don't care if it has to bring down Jim McDermott AND Tom DeLay or if Pelosi has broken the law or what, every single person who's violated rules with shady lobbyists needs to be held to the letter of of the public bill of rights!!!!!

:thumbsdown:

And oh yeah, lets appoint somebody to step up in place of Tom DeLay who can initiate DSM proceedings.

[thereismore]

3. Love it. kicked.

[IChing]

4. Yes, good news and maybe some honest progress

It does sound like a breakthrough
I wonder who will be appointed chief counsel? Normally someone from justice.

[powwowdancer]

5. Great Zeus's Eyeballs!

:wow: It's about time. I believe that the few rethugs who aren't bloated with their own hubris and propaganda are beginning to realize that they've milked the "majority" status like Doc Frankensteins' milkin' machine runnin' on moonshine in a thunderstorm; milked it to death and way beyond. The familiar (carcinogenic) smell of public disgust is finally beginning to waft through the shallowed halls of congress. Mark my semi-prophetic words, you'll continue to see a slowly increasing stream of rats leaving the sinking SSFortunateSon right on up 'til the 2006 elections. THEN, when the check comes due, we'll find out who's gonna pay the fiddler for dancin' with the devil, er... dubya. It is my dearest hope that Bush's "political capital" will turn out to be a elephant-chokin' wad of blood money with MONDO vig from Tony Soprano. We shall see.

:dem:
powwowdancer out

[UpInArms]

6. Welcome to DU, powwowdancer !

Glad to have you here :hi:

[IChing]

7. .........Welcome to DU, powwowdancer ! glad to have you

[LightningFlash]

8. Salutations,

Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[NEOBuckeye]

9. No more delays for DeLay

[LynneSin]

11. Tom DeLay inquiry set to move; GOP ethics chairman backs down

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/DeLay_inquiry_set_to_move_Chairman_of_Ethics_committee_backs_0629.html

DeLay inquiry set to move; GOP ethics chairman backs down
John Byrne


The Republican Chairman of the House Ethics Committee has retreated on a bid to have his chief of staff become co-director for the Committee, paving the way for ethics investigations of House members, including House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), RAW STORY has learned.

In a letter to members of Congress today, Ethics Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA)indicated he will retreat from a plan to have his personal chief of staff Ed Cassidy serve as co-director of the committee.

<<<<<more>>>>>>

[splat@14]

12. If they worried as much about ethics as they did about how to "handle"

breaches of them, we'd all be better off.

[maddezmom]

14. Houston Chronicle: Ethics panel moves closer to starting DeLay investigati

By BENNETT ROTH
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - A partisan dispute that stalled a House investigation of Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, moved closer to resolution Wednesday as Republicans dropped their insistence on a new staffing setup for the ethics committee, top Democrats said.

House Ethics Committee Chairman Doc Hastings, R-Wash., bowed to Democrats' demands that the committee hire a chief of staff who has bipartisan support and does not have partisan connections.

Hastings had sought to install his top aide as staff director, a plan that drew opposition from Democrats who alleged the move would violate rules adopted in 1997 that the committee be overseen by a "professional nonpartisan staff" approved by a majority of the panel.

The 10-member committee is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, meaning that the hiring of any staff member must receive support from both parties.

more: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/3246994

[maddezmom]

15. yahoo link.....Democrat Says Deal Near on Ethics Panel

By LARRY MARGASAK, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jun 30,12:37 AM ET



WASHINGTON - The top Democrat on the House ethics committee said Wednesday he was close to a deal with the Republican chairman to end the committee's partisan stalemate and resume business, including a possible investigation of Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

A senior Republican official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak on the record, said no agreement has been reached between Democrat Alan Mollohan and GOP Chairman Doc Hastings.

The evenly divided committee has been unable to hire staff and conduct investigations this entire year because of partisan bickering, with the latest disagreement about the role of Hastings' chief of staff in committee business.

Mollohan, D-W.Va., said Hastings, of Washington state, agreed in a meeting Wednesday that chief of staff Ed Cassidy would be walled off from the panel's investigative staff.

more: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050630/ap_on_go_co/house_ethics_2

[mctrotter5]

17. Can't believe it!

[AllyCat]

18. Ah the fantasy wheel is turning in my head....

....what if more Republicans than Dems are ousted by the ethics committee...and Dems gained a majority in the House...and then the elections came in 2006 and the people were mad...so they ousted a number of Repugs....and then we controlled both houses...and then

IMPEACHMENT!!!

Oh, it's jut too beautiful to think about. (A long shot, I know, but a girl can dream, can't she?)

[paineinthearse]

19. Go, John!

Raw Story breaks another one!