The Moderate Republican

Delay Tactic

Like many folks, I'm pretty disgusted about the House Republicans efforts to protect Majority Leader Tom Delay. They changed a rule they themselves put in place a decade ago. Back then, the Dems let representatives that had been indicted to remain in their positions. The GOP enacted a rule that said that anyone in a leadership position that has been indicted should give up their posts.

It was a common-sense idea. And like all common-sense ideas, it was thrown out once it actually had to apply to someone, someone that might be responsible for their hefty majority.

What's disturbing about all this is that 10 years ago, the GOP came in to the leadership promising reform. A decade later, they are no better than the Dems they replaced. In some cases they are even worse, because they professed to take ethics more seriously than the Dems and yet did something totally different.

However, there is one bright spot. It has been said the moderate Republicans basically roll over grudingly to the conservatives. However, today at least one person did not roll over. That happened to be Christopher Shays of Connecticut. This is what the moderate represenative from Connecticut said:

“We took a strong stand in 1994 to make clear the Republican conference would live by a higher standard than our Democratic colleagues. This was instrumental in winning a Republican Congress for the first time in 40 years and the driving force behind passing the Congressional Accountability Act in the historic 104th Congress. Today, I spoke out against the amendment and voted against it because I believe it is a step in the wrong direction.”

Shays himself has said his going against this action might cost him the loss of future chairmanship. That could very likely be the case. However, he will be remembered for his integrity and that's more important than any chairmanship.

Posted by Dennis at November 17, 2004 11:38 PM