Via the NYT: House G.O.P. Voids Rule It Adopted Shielding Leader
Stung by criticism that they were lowering ethical standards, House Republicans on Monday night reversed a rule change that would have allowed a party leader to retain his position even if indicted.Lawmakers and House officials said Republicans, meeting behind the closed doors of the House chamber, had acted at the request of the House majority leader, Representative Tom DeLay, who had been the intended beneficiary of the rule change.
Quite frankly I can’t believe that they ever let this whole thing come up. To change a rule in the midst of a potential investigation of a member of leadership simply stinks. And while I understand the fact tha indictments can be poltiically motivated and manipulated, it probably is a good idea for a leader under indictment to temporarily step down.
Really, the move to change the rules is that kind of hubris the Republicans used to accuse the Democrats of possessing. Being in the majority tends to blind a party to their own foibles.
Really, I would prefer that members of Congress have to adhere to very high standards.
I am not sure where I stand on the proposed tie rule.
GOP Gains Ethics and Morality
Hurray for the GOP, and congratulations on attempting to at least keep up the appearance of propriety. However, before we get too teary-eyed in our admiration for them, let’s put this in context. As we pointed out here previously, the Texas Republica…
Trackback by Running Scared — Tuesday, January 4, 2024 @ 10:22 am
As we all should know, power corrupts, no matter who has the power.
Comment by Jan — Tuesday, January 4, 2024 @ 11:09 pm
Okay, a little Trekkie humor.
Where is Scotty when you need him to put up the shields.
(Irrelevant point: I once ran into — literally — Scotty [James Doohan] shopping for groceries once. It was actually kind of pathetic given that he was somebody I thought was really cool, but he seemed really out of it. I guess this was just a year or two before it was revealed that he had Alzheimers.)
Comment by John Lemon — Tuesday, January 4, 2024 @ 11:25 pm