Well, if they didn't mean it, why did they bother? From the
NY Times yesterday:
Spurred by an investigation connected to the majority leader, House Republicans voted Wednesday to abandon an 11-year-old party rule that required a member of their leadership to step aside temporarily if indicted.
Meeting behind closed doors, the lawmakers agreed that a party steering committee would review any indictments handed up against the majority leader, Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, or any other members of the leadership team or committee chairmen, to determine if giving up a post was warranted. The revision does not change the requirement that leaders step down if convicted.
...The Republicans' old rule was adopted in August 1993 to put a spotlight on the legal troubles of prominent Democrats. Mr. Bonilla said revising it had been necessary to prevent politically inspired criminal investigations by "crackpot" prosecutors from determining the fate of top Republicans.
...Mr. DeLay said he had not instigated the change. But he applauded it nevertheless, saying it could deprive "political hacks" of an ability to influence the makeup of the Republican leadership.
Republican lawmakers "fixed the rules so that Democrats cannot use our rules against us," he said.
Mr. DeLay said he did not expect to be indicted, but added, "This has nothing to do with whether I was going to be or not going to be.''
Yeah, right. Not all Republicans agreed with the ploy to cover Tom's ass:
"This is a mistake," said Representative Christopher Shays of Connecticut.
When the Republicans gained control of the House in the elections of 1994, "we were going to be different,'' Mr. Shays said.
But "every time we start to water down what we did in '94," he said, "we are basically saying the revolution is losing its character." [emphasis mine]
When are they going to figure out there's a gang of foxes in the henhouse and they're making everyone smell of rotten eggs?
