WP: House GOP Leaders Name Loyalist to Replace Ethics Chief

[kskiska]

Thursday, February 3, 2005; Page A01

House Republican leaders tightened their control over the ethics committee yesterday by ousting its independent-minded chairman, appointing a replacement who is close to them and adding two new members who donated to the legal defense fund of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.).

Republican officials have spent months taking steps to ensure DeLay's political survival in case he is indicted by a Texas grand jury investigating political fundraising, and House leadership aides said they needed to have the ethics committee controlled by lawmakers they can trust.

Rep. Joel Hefley (R-Colo.), who clashed with DeLay so often that they barely spoke and was considered wayward by other leaders, was replaced yesterday with Rep. Richard Hastings (R-Wash.). Hastings has carried out other sensitive leadership assignments and is known as a favorite of Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), who made the decision.

Hefley said in an interview yesterday that he believes he was removed because he was too independent. He said there is "a bad perception out there that there was a purge in the committee and that people were put in that would protect our side of the aisle better than I did."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58884-2005Feb2.html

[merwin]

1. Can't have an ethics leader that thinks independently... n/t

[Supersedeas]

5. favoritism means everything to the cronies in Whorington

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

2. Typical

The pro-torture party is also the anti-ethics party. Gotta love the GOP.

[ixion]

3. and so, how is it ethical to place a 'loyalist' on the ethics committee?

But of course, that is not mentioned. The MSM never states the obvious. It's like living in crazyland. :crazy:

Republican ethics = military intelligence = non sequitur

[rodeodance]

4. it is the behind the scene stuff that counts!!