"Historic Parallels as Delay's Woes Deepen" (Dems have Benefactor)

[KoKo]

Historic parallels as DeLay's woes deepen

From Jim Wright to Newt Gingrich, powerful House leaders have become targets of opposition.

By Gail Russell Chaddock | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

t's a battle with historic parallels in an institution where it is not unusual for partisan power struggles to play out as controversies over ethics - with a powerful leader as target. Democrats' focus on DeLay, for example, mirrors the GOP campaign to topple Speaker Jim Wright (D), but on a much wider scale. Minority Republicans, led by Rep. Newt Gingrich, choreographed a "gathering storm" in the media around Mr. Wright, whose fall from power in 1989 was triggered by a book deal with the Teamsters Union. Mr. Gingrich made a special effort to draw good-government groups, such as Common Cause, to the fight.

In recent weeks, Democrats and activists who helped fund the 2004 presidential campaign have created their own "good government" coalitions to target DeLay. Billionaire George Soros's Open Society Institute has contributed some $2.5 million to ethics coalition groups.

"Republicans are suffering from what once helped them gain power," says Marshall Wittman, a former conservative activist now with the Democratic Leadership Council. "While nothing DeLay has done may be illegal, Republicans based their takeover on a revolution to make things different. I was part of it. Now, they're outdoing anything Wright did in terms of power. DeLay has intimidated the whole business community."

http://csmonitor.com/2005/0412/p02s01-uspo.htm

[Lerkfish]

1. "While nothing DeLay has done may be illegal"?

Certainly the schiavo law is illegal AFAIK: congress cannot make a law about one person.

but thanks, csm for the laugh.

[AValdoux]

2. If he has done nothing illegal...

... why is a district attorney involved in our "left wing conspiracy"? I don't remember a grand jury investigation of Wright's or Gingrich's office.

I hope he survives this because it is splitting the GOP. Most of his supporters around here who consider themselves Republican but not especially religious are disgusted with Delay. He might play well with the fundies but there base GOP voters are put off by his behavior.


AValdoux

[InvisibleTouch]

3. There's no justice like poetic justice.

Gotta love it. :)

[RubyDuby in GA]

4. Just more proof:

of why DLC = Asshat

"Marshall Wittman, a former conservative activist now with the Democratic Leadership Council. "While nothing DeLay has done may be illegal"

[Larkspur]

5. Yep, I saw that too.

Wittman and his kind are a political termites.