Text 5196, 72 rader
Skriven 2004-11-18 16:11:06 av Alan Hess
Ärende: Republicans aping Dems
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http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bal-ed.delay18nov18,0,5368295.story?c
oll=bal-pe-opinion
Corrupting influence



November 18, 2004

A CAUTIONARY TALE of the corrosive effects of holding too much power for too
long can be found in the annals of the House of Representatives from the early
1990s, near the end of the Democrats' 40-year reign.

Party leaders were caught in one scandal after another, from cashing rubber
checks at the House Bank to laundering money through the House Post Office.
Legislation was written in secret; potential beneficiaries were shaken down for
campaign contributions. An attitude of arrogant remove permeated the place.

But 10 years after Republicans skillfully stoked voter anger to sweep their
candidates into majority control of the chamber, the corrupting influence of
such near-absolute power is revealing itself again.

The most glaring example is the brazen political maneuvering of House Majority
Leader Tom DeLay, who has pushed the limits of the law so far his colleagues
fear he may face criminal charges.

On his behalf, House Republicans voted yesterday by a show of hands behind
closed doors to change a party rule requiring lawmakers to step down from
leadership positions if they are indicted -- thus unraveling one of the reforms
Republicans adopted a decade ago to distinguish themselves from Democrats.

Mr. DeLay contends he is an innocent target of the "politics of personal
destruction," practiced by a Democratic Texas prosecutor who has already
brought charges against three close DeLay associates.

But the majority leader's heavy-handed tactics have been so embarrassing to his
colleagues, the bipartisan House Ethics Committee has admonished him three
times in recent weeks for creating the "appearance of impropriety."

Yesterday's rules change is likely to reinforce that impression and make all
House Republicans seem complicit.

The most serious complaints against Mr. DeLay stem from his extraordinarily
successful campaign in 2002 to secure control of the Texas legislature for the
GOP, and then oversee the redrawing of congressional district lines to ensure
Republicans would dominate the Texas delegation in Congress as well. The
resulting boost in GOP ranks blunted a determined Democratic drive to reclaim
the House in this month's election.

A Texas grand jury investigating the effort indicted Mr. DeLay's associates in
September on charges of illegally channeling corporate donations into the state
legislative races.

So far, there has been no signal that Mr. DeLay might also be charged, but his
allies decided to make sure he would not be forced to give up his post if that
happens.

And there are plenty of other indications of a return to the arrogance of
power. Legislation is once again written in secret, potential beneficiaries are
shaken down with even greater efficiency. The House Bank and Post Office are
gone, but Republican lawmakers are figuratively bludgeoned and -- in at least
one reported instance -- literally bribed to fall into line. The minority party
has been reduced to background noise.

With astonishing speed, Republicans seem to be morphing into the imperious
Democrats they worked so hard to replace. They would be wise to listen to
warnings from within their ranks that if they repeat the Democrats' mistakes,
they run the risk of bringing about their own downfall as well.

Copyright + 2004, The Baltimore Sun

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