Former GOP congressman leads effort to oust DeLay (primary challenge)

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON - A former Republican congressman who was a moderate ally of former President Bush is leading an effort to find a 2006 Republican primary election opponent for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

Former Rep. Pete McCloskey, whose eight terms in Congress ended before DeLay arrived in 1984, said Friday that he will meet in Houston this month with perennial DeLay opponent Michael Fjetland and "any Republican who is willing to challenge Mr. DeLay."

"It takes guts to challenge him," said McCloskey, who was known as a party maverick and endorsed Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004.

But, he said, he and moderate allies are embarrassed by the controversies surrounding DeLay, R-Sugar Land, including three admonishments of him last year by the House Ethics Committee.

"The stench coming out of the DeLay operation" does not represent the GOP that he served with in Congress, McCloskey said.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3136907

[Old and In the Way]

1. Sounds like dormant moderate Republicans are beginning to speak out.

If ex-Republican Congresspeople like McCloskey were voting for Kerry, kind of makes you wonder about Bush's alledged 90%+ Republican voters choosing him in 2004.

[beyurslf]

2. How about a good strong primary challenge and then an awesome

Dem candidate challenge too. :)

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Just a thuoght if Delay sees the pressure and all that

he may, just may, bow out of the race... not likely, but the bugman is a coward deep down

[halobeam]

4. Personally, I don't think DeLay matters much

what I mean by this is, he needs to be out, but I'm a believer in this administration sidetracking our attention, and I think DeLay is another distraction that we spend our energy on. Our energy should be spent on getting our party stronger, more organized and candidates that take seats back come 2006 and '08. DeLay is a sore in the side of the repubs, his own parties is taking him down now, we don't need to spend much more time on this loser, THANK GOD... but we do need to keep our priorities straight and IMO, it's on the elections coming.

[drduffy]

6. Absolutely true.

once again we ('the opposition') are responding true to form. Lookin' at the chaff.....ignoring the meat.

[wakeme2008]

5. Love it,,, DeLay to spend $$$ on Primary and if he wins

which is not 100% on the main election.... I love it.

[sonias]

7. Good sign that DeLay is bleeding

When there are repukes willing to challenge him in the primary, that's good news. Let them fight hard and let it get ugly. DeLay has so much money he'll still come out ahead I predict, but by then the voters would have had it with him. We need to keep helping Richard Morrison organize this precinct and take it back for the Dems.

Sonia