I. AM. SHOCKED.
Republicans Reverse Course on Ethics Rules. (Reg. required)
By Mike Allen Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, January 4, 2005; Page A01House Republican leaders last night abandoned proposals to loosen rules governing members' ethical conduct, as they yielded to pressure from rank and file lawmakers concerned that the party was sending the wrong message.
The proposals in question would have made it more difficult for lawmakes to discipline a colleague for unethical behavior and would have allowed Majority Leader Tom DeLay to keep his post in the event he is indicted by a Texas grand jury that is looking into his campaign finance practices.
The sudden reversal came amid growing indications of dissension within the GOP. Just before House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert's office announced that the controversial measures were being dropped, the outgoing chairman of the House ethics committee issued an unusual statement denouncing the leadership's plan.
Rep. Joel Hefley (Colo.), who appears on the verge of being forced out as chairman after his committee voted three times last year to admonish DeLay, issued a statement criticizing the proposed rules changes as highly partisan and not in the best interests of the House
"Ethics reform must be bipartisan and this package is not bipartisan," Hefley said after sending his Republican colleagues a letter outlining his objections.
I guess the lesson of Newt Gingrich killing Democrat House members over the check bouncing wasn't forgotten.