House Republicans officially approved rule change--Delay will keep position

[imenja]

even if the Austin DA indicts him. Just announced on MSNBC
So much for moral values

[SeattleDem]

1. This MUST be publicized

Every American must know about this and recognize how egregious this vote is.

This is disgusting. Moral values, my ass.

[Brundle_Fly]

22. Everybody Knows.

It is on MSNBC, FOX & CNN

This is the most fucked up thing. So now you can break all the rules and laws and still represent the moral majority, and no questions asked.

FUCK THE BOZOS!

[SeattleDem]

40. not safe to assume

While I'm glad to hear it's getting airplay on the cable news channels since I'm not home watching, lots of folks don't get cable or don't watch those channels or aren't "newshounds" like the rest of us.

This should be the top story on the evening news on ABC, NBC, CBS and the front page of papers all of the land.

But I doubt that will happen.

[Voltaire99]

44. For faith-based Murrica, Delay's offenses are easily dismissed...

...as the bitterness of the Godless liberals.

There's no point in trying to reason with these people. The mono-cultural American has no interest, just really couldn't care. Going into high moral dudgeon over Delay is just ideological masturbation; the outside world, where the Bush majority resides, isn't affected.

I feel a bit like Zarathustra having to say this, but let's face it, people: *everything* has changed. That old America, premised upon a shared secular culture, is gone.

[Jivenwail]

63. It was covered on the ABC Evening News last night

We saw it, but it was "glossed over" as just another bit of House business. Anyone watching that report would assume there was absolutely nothing wrong with what they did - there was no investigative nature to the report at all to give anyone listening or watching the inference that this was wrong, illegitimate, illegal or disgraceful. All I could think about was how Jim Wright was railroaded right out of Congress because of a book deal in years gone by....

[aquart]

2. What do indictments have to do with morals?

It's not as though he'll keep the job when he's in jail, right? Right?

[zbdent]

13. Ask James Traficant Jr.

Even though he was acting much like a Repuke more than a Dem. He just had the (D) behind his name.

Target for smear.

Oh, Delay is a Repuke? Hey, he's a "good guy"!

Guess that this will stop that "how many convicted whatevers are in Congress" e-mail







NOT!

[cassiepriam]

32. LOL they will change the rules to allow jail birds ....

... to maintain their congressional seats.
But Delay will never serve any jail time.
None of them will. Ever.

[ilovenicepeople]

58. Well they will change the laws to allow the voting machines to vote for...

The PREZINATOR in 2008,and then again in 2012 it's THE 2nd TERMinator.Isn't politics fun!!:puke: How can I say this politely,WAKE THE FUCK UP!!!!!!!!!!

[JPace]

3. This is almost fun to watch if one can detach emotionally,

the repigs are devouring everything in sight that smells
of fairness or decency. Are our leaders going to continue
playing Mr. and Mrs. Niceguy while they are being destroyed?

[cassiepriam]

60. yes I agree...

If you can sit back and not get too angry, sad, and scared
it is almost fun to watch them turn on everyone and everything.
Like watching a horror movie. Perverted I know.

[shoelace414]

4. 1994? what 1994? we're in power now.

Next they'll remove term limits on chairmanships

[Krs216]

34. Don't discount that

If they could get it passed, they would do it in a heartbeat.

[WestHoustonDem]

5. I'm Shocked, Shocked!

To hear there's gambling in this establishment!

More of the same.

[imenja]

6. if felons can't vote

I realize an indictment isn't a conviction, but if felons can't vote in may states, can they still serve in the House? What about Trafficant? Wasn't he threatening to keep his position even while in jail?

[MGKrebs]

17. Ya see, there's a hypocrisy issue here.

Dem's are supposed to be all about helping underpriveledged and powerless and disadvantaged, so it's OK for us to try to have a Congressman from jail. It would be stupid, but it is not inconsistent from a principle standpoint.

But the Repubs say they are all about morals and ethics and law and order and God, so when they do this, we get to point out their hypocrisy and bankrupt moral values and greed and mania for power at any cost.

OK?

[Supersedeas]

7. and Republican standards get lower and lower and lower

Fiscal conservative standards.....in decline

Intellectual conservative standards...in primate decline

Ethical conservative standards...in Rovian decline

[AlCzervik]

8. Sounds like he's getting indicted

which is good, the other part sucks though.

[wildmanj]

9. delay

its called family values---republican style

[lil-petunia]

61. family values - Texass style

[peacetalksforall]

10. And Democrats in Washington will roll over once again?

[malachi]

14. Dems in Washington? Where? Yer shittin' me! No way! A joke right?

[imenja]

18. there is nothing they can do about this

My understanding is that the Republicans lock the Democrats out of rules making sessions. Under DeLay, most of the House business is carried on behind closed doors. The entire House only meets twice a week, and Democrats are kept out of all the meaningful work. It's covered in the book _The Hammer_ about DeLay. Terri Gross had an interview with the author on "Fresh Air." It was very interesting, but horrifying.

[gulfcoastliberal]

26. It's because Daschle wasn't nice to enough to the repugs

You see, if he had only been a bit more conciliatory, the repugs would let the dems in their now locked-out sessions. Hopefully Reid will be even nicer than Daschle, so they'll allow dems in the meetings.

/sarcasm off

[imenja]

28. Daschle was Senate minority leader

DeLay controls the House of Representatives. Nancy Pelosi is the House Minority Leader. The Senate is far more reasonable that the House.

[RobertSeattle]

11. Delay should never be mentioned without CORRUPT in the same sentence.

[donkeyotay]

65. That's right, because their family values are CRIME family values

Where is the ACCOUNTABILITY??? These hypocrites wanted it for welfare mothers, wanted it for Clinton, but have consistently excused themselves from ACCOUNTABILITY. The party of the moral majority is the party of corruption. The Banana Republicans are turning America into - what else? - a Banana Republic.

There is no freedom without rule of law, and it applies to everyone equally.

CROOKS!

:nuke:

[MO_Dem]

12. I don't know how these people

can face themselves in the mirror! Also, I REALLY can't understand their "morality".

[dubyaD40web]

36. looking in the mirror is a nonissue for them - they don't have reflections

[screembloodymurder]

50. It's their Christian values.

Bush can forgive all sins.

[Massachusetts]

15. Urgency

Where is the media?

Where are the Dem leaders?

Where is the sense of urgency regarding this continued Blitzkrieg?:puke: :puke:

[jus_the_facts]

21. They're in the back pockets of PUKES.....

.....Where do you think they've been for the last 4+ years? :eyes:

[donkeyotay]

67. Hello Massachusetts. You've noticed. Welcome to hell.

Not only will the revolution not be televised, but neither will the destruction of our country.

[mike_c]

16. ethics mean nothing to these pigs....

eom

[carolinalady]

19. and yet you can be impeached for infidelity! Go figure.

[Stargazer09]

75. Oh, but that's different!

It's okay to screw your state and your country, but it's not okay to screw an intern, at least according to the republicans.

This whole thing makes me sick.

[VegasWolf]

20. The "values" party huh.

[arwalden]

23. Above The Law. Above Rules. Above Reproach. Above It All.

How nice.

[SillyGoose]

24. Ok, this pisses me off....

A closed-door session? Where the hell is the outrage about this in our media or in the democratic leadership???? This is an absolute disgusting example of what those bastards are all about. Screw them and their non-existent "moral values".

[imenja]

25. Link to Washington Post article

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57294-2004Nov17.html

House GOP Approves Rule Change to Protect DeLay

By Larry Margasak
The Associated Press
Wednesday, November 17, 2004; 1:24 PM

"House Republicans approved a party rules change Wednesday that could allow Majority leader Tom DeLay to retain his leadership post if he is indicted by a Texas grand jury on state political corruption charges.

By a voice vote, and with a handful of lawmakers voicing opposition, the House Republican Conference decided that a party committee of several dozen members would review any felony indictment of a party leader and recommend at that time whether the leader should step aside. . . .

Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-Texas, said that under the change embraced Wednesday, the House Republican Steering Committee would have 30 legislative days to review a felony indictment and recommend to all House Republicans whether a lawmaker who is charged could remain as a committee chairman or leader. . . .

"This takes the power away from any partisan crackpot district attorney who may want to indict" party leaders and make a name for himself, Bonilla said. "

[yellowcanine]

41. They approved the change on a voice vote! Delay didn't trust using

a secret ballot. I thought party leadership issues are usually decided by secret ballot. What a bunch of chicken shits.

[Free2BMe]

27. What do you expect from the immoral majority?

[DuaneBidoux]

29. HypoFuckingCrits

[Ima]

31. How special

Just change the laws as you go along. If a law isn't convient...trash it.

[Tace]

30. Delay & Repubs May Have Shot Themselves In The Foot

I'm horrified by Delay. Yet, can you imagine the stigma of an indictment?

[Krs216]

35. We can only hope

If there is any justice left under repug control, he will be indicted.

[Krs216]

33. morals

They only spout crap about morals when it serves thier purpose.

[grumpy old fart]

37. None of the Rules apply....

to any of the rethugs. Geneva Convention, International Court, Treaties, Ethic Rules, it's all for the OTHER guy. Sheesh.

[yellowcanine]

38. I truly am surprised. I thought Delay would stop this. It was part of

the Contract with America, no? I guess absolute power has corrupted absolutely, once again. Big test of the media's ability to fairly report the news. How many will even bother to report that the House pubs just overturned part of the 1994 CWA?

[Raster]

39. after all, he is the government.

[0007]

42. If Nancy Pelosi had this much trouble you'd hear about it 24/7

until she was run out of town. But since it is junior's bud, nothing will happen. Hope I'm wrong!!

[ArnoldLayne]

43. Like this position

also http://www.ubersite.com/m/5381

[ElectroPrincess]

45. What rule will they devise from the crypt if he's also convicted?

Oh oh oh! I got it BOSS! You have to be convicted on a FEDERAL felony (not STATE) to lose your job. After all, don't you know that these charges are just baseless partisan politics.

Just when you think they can't stoop any lower in morals, Right Wing Republicans go and scrape down to another rock layer. :(

[zulchzulu]

46. It was a "voice vote"...can we find out who voted and attack them?

Not sure about "voice votes".... perhaps they are untraceable too.

[Robert Oak]

47. party member corrupt? Just change the law on the fly

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/1196991.html

another link with more details.

this is yet another disgusting undermining of any sort of accountability
and any sort of government that connect with the people.

So many stories I can't keep up. it's turning into white noise of disaster.

[KansDem]

54. "Just change the law on the fly..."

Maybe the GOP ought to write their laws on an Etch A Sketch®. Then when the Repubs find a law "inconvenient," they can just turn it upside down and shake...

[zulchzulu]

48. Sign the petition

..even though it probably doesn't matter. Repugs will make petitions illegal.

http://www.petitiononline.com/tdl0000/petition.html

[quaoar]

49. Nancy Pelosi's statement

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the House Republican Conference rule change that would allow Tom DeLay to continue to serve as Majority Leader if he is indicted on a felony charge:

“Republicans have reached a new low. It is absolutely mind-boggling that as their first order of business following the elections, House Republicans have lowered the ethical standards for their leaders. To change their own rules to allow someone indicted for a felony to serve as a top Republican leader is completely unacceptable.

“The Republicans’ hypocrisy is staggering. Just yesterday, Speaker Hastert claimed that ’the 109th Congress will be a reform Congress.’ And today the Republicans vote, with almost no dissent, to allow an indicted Member of Congress to continue to serve in leadership.

“Clearly, the Republicans do not care about the integrity of their party or the poor example they set for the nation. Their action today demeans the work of all ethical, law-abiding public servants

[johnnyrocket]

51. How many segments will the MSM devote to this? My guess: zero!

[Lindacooks]

52. Nice to see the Repukes being so tough on crime.

:puke:

[Brand New Tico]

53. GOP - 'Let's go do some crimes!`

Republicans love crime. It's official.

They're gonna go get sushi - and not pay, three times a day every day, times a hundred thousand.

And we will pay the bill.

[flying_blind]

55. Nobody gives a phuck

even National Corporate Radio cast the change as a correction to reactionary policy written for back when them cheating Dems were in power.

Goddamn this administration.

How could ANYONE be a Republican????

America 2004 = Germany 1933

[Just Me]

59. There is an untapped anger we must MUST funnel,...

,...and the "nice" people just don't freakin' get it.

Shark Rove got it. He is filtering the humility better than Goebbels.

We are failing to expose the pain of the American people. I am telling you,...we are failing to expose the PAIN of the American people who are humiliated each and every day by a corporate media which PROVES their worthlessness every single second with,....

,...yadayadayada,...

The obstacle is a corporate media that presents human worth as someone possessing "STUFF",...LOTS OF "STUFF".

[Hotdiggitydog]

56. I saw a comment from Christopher Shays on TV this evening....

He was dismayed at his fellow republicans for putting Delay above the law.

I don't know a lot about Chris Shays, but is it possible that he is a republican with a conscience?

[Protect The Vote]

57. Silent no longer

I can't remain silent any longer. It is the media's job to keep the feet of those in power to the fire. If the "media" can't do their job any longer, then we must do it for them. I'm contacting every media outlet I can to demand stories like this get covered properly. I'll even offer to write the story for them, if they will only run it.

PTV

[corker]

62. kick

[pdx_prog]

64. We know Delay is behind some pretty nasty shit...

If he is found out (which remains to be seen)....there could be a major backlash...

Oh, what the hell am I thinking....never happen...:(

[pauldp]

66. Nail Delay to a Burning Cross

Apparently he and Hastert were the ones who killed the paper trail legislation for the e-machines and in effect killed our democracy. The Nation, Dems and Repubs alike must turn up the heat on Hastert and Delay and fry the bastards.

[The Doctor.]

68. The funny part is it was the Republicans who instated

the 'No tolerance' rule back in the nineties.

How come people don't see this shit... blatant hypocrisy.

[petepillow]

69. well OF COURSE....

it wouldn't be fair for poor lil delay to be the ONLY blantant criminal in the admin to be punished. cuz you know how stringent the repukes are about fairness...

[FlyByNight]

70. More BS from the "(a)moral values" crowd

Do as we say, not as we do. Hypocrites.

:puke:

[Zorra]

71. The republicans doing the exact same thing that the nazis did in the '30s.

Republicans are no longer subject to the law or the processes of American democracy.

We now live in a malevolent fascist dictatorship.

Boycott all things republican.

DU Economic Activism Thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=255

[VegasWolf]

72. And the news is? n/t

[SiouxJ]

73. The Rethuglican Mafia

making themselves untouchable. They have no moral values whatsoever!

[vet_against_Bush]

74. Thank Jesus for values! nt

[Kellis]

76. I signed the petition

Thank you for the link.


Sign the petition if you haven't already!!!
http://www.petitiononline.com/tdl0000/petition.html

[VTHoosierPatriot]

77. Looks like the Austin DA

just made himself an appointment with the editors at Diebold in his next (s)election. He may want to avoid small aircraft, as well. Or motorcades in Dallas and motels in Memphis. Hope he's not too old like Zell Miller (they'll make him become a puppet by threatening to turn off his pacemaker).

[American liberal]

78. what kills me is that even though facing indictment...

HE WAS RE-ELECTED ANYWAY!!! the bastards!

[PocoCJ]

79. Rules Change

One thing that seems to be missing in this discussion is that these are rules that apply to only the Republicans. The Democrats have their own set of rules. Each party meets and sets its own rules as to how they will operate.

While it is a backward "watch us shoot ourselves in the foot" step being taken, it's not that much different than the Democrats' rules. At present the Democrats automatically remove committee members who have been indicted, but do not automatically remove those in leadership positions. The Repubs will have a committee of some sort to look at the indictment, and make a decision on whether to act or not, which is basically the same as what the Democrats' rules are now, with respect to those in leadership positions.

Pelosi recently said the Democrats will change their own rules to provide for the automatic removal of those in leadership positions, as well as committee members, upon indictment. What hurts the Democrats' position is that it has taken them almost 11 years to change their own rules to match what the Republicans did.

[Justathought]

80. Looks like to me

we are being set up for a Delay run for president in 2008. Corruption by the bushies was overlooked because he was born again christian, wonder if Delay will be born again before 2008.:puke:

[Dr Fate]

81. What are high profile Democrats saying about his on TV?

?