Redstate

Actually, the "four or five (potential) cases aren't hard to find. CNN speculates on whom they might be. http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/21/hastert.ethics/index.html

The trouble with the list, of course, is that none of the cases seems to rise to the level of major ethics violations and that is probably the reason that none of the cases has been filed despite the fact that all represent incidents from two to eight years ago.

As for the other incidents you've cited, one concerns failure to file a report amounting to $9,087 and another dealt with the trip amounting to $1,782 which the Democrat in question asked be investigated by the Ethics committee, as your post indicates.

Meanwhile, a single trip by DeLay, his family, and staff to Scotland to investigate legislative issues associated with golfing at St. Andrews amounted to charges of over $120,000

It's hilarious to see DeLay's defenders scramble to concoct a "so's your old man" defense from such thin evidence. Unfortunately, it's all about to end since Hastert and Co has apparently concluded that they've lost this one just as they lost the effort to shield DeLay from losing his job if indicted.

Looks like the old Ethics Committee rules will be revived and Bug Man will get his chance to explain that he didn't know his airline tickets, hotel, dining, limousine, and golfing were paid for by Jack Abramoff's credit card.

none of the cases seems to rise to the level of major ethics violations

Beholder, you got sumthin' in your eye.

See, this is why I refer to this exercise as a "slimefest." The facts are the same or similar in all these cases, yet only DeLay's "rise to the level." Questions swirl about them. He becomes embattled. A "growing chorus of allegations" is found. "Increasing reports" happen.

That stuff is pure slime. It is 100% U.S. Grade A innuendo.

Nancy Pelosi didn't even file a report. She hid the trip. When this is discovered, the Wash Post and the rest of the Democrats tell us it doesn't "rise to the level," whereas anything DeLay does is the frigging Washington Monument.

Gimme a break.

The press wanted slime. Well, slime it shall be. When we're done with this, people are going to be wondering what Tom DeLay did that was so bad.

Pelosi "hid" a trip to South Korea with a total expense of less than $10,000? Apparently, it wasn't "hidden" very well since it was brought to her office's attention by a Washington Post reporter. Meanwhile your claim that poor Tom DeLay is persecuted for "anything" he does?

Well, not quite. I notice you didn't cite the case of Senator David Vitter (R-LA) for failing to report a $1863 fundraiser hosted by Jack Abramoff included in the same WaPo story. Frankly, neither would I. Neither would anyone else. I'm perfectly willng to believe it was an accounting error, especially in view of the fact that a US Senator is unlikely to sell his favors for $1863. (Just as Pelosi was unlikely to have "hidden" a public trip  that was so easily traced.

DeLay's troubles stem from the magnitude of his ethical lapses, not occasional accounting errors. $120,000 for a golf outing. $500,000 paid to his wife and daughter for political activities. Repeated and continuing favors for scum like Abramoff.

I'm sure when DeLay is either defeated or convicted you'll manage to convince yourself it results from a vast left-wing conspiracy, but in truth, like Newt and Jim Wright, he will have brought it all on himself.

Apparently, it wasn't "hidden" very well since it was brought to her office's attention by a Washington Post reporter.

Precisely, as opposed to the Washington Post rushing to print with a big headline that says, Pelosi failed to report trip. Now please, in the interests of comity, do not tell me that the Washington Post would not have done that had they discovered a similar thing about Tom DeLay. I'm still laughing from your "doesn't rise" post, and my sides will explode if you try that.

the magnitude of his ethical lapses

More damned slime. Nothing specific, just a gaudy claim that his problems are of "magnitude." Why? Because you say so. So does the Washington Post. Good for you. Just remember, what goes around comes around.

Don't be too sure you know who's "going down." This is not your father's hit on Trent Lott. Your media doesn't run the show anymore. Now we can shoot back. This "slimefest" is not going to end on your schedule. You got to start it. We get to finish it.

It seems to me that money has way too much influence over politics in Washington.  Human nature is extremely suseptible to corruption and no political party is immune from the influences of money and power.  The question is; how can the corrupting influence of money in government be mitigated while still respecting the right to free speech and expression?  The current structure is failing in that all too often, the only voices heard are those who have made a financial contribution.  The notion that money does not influence how a legislator votes flies in the face of human nature. In my view, anyone who accepts money from lobbyists, even if indirectly, is open to suspicion.  It's gotten out of control.  But what's the solution?

McCain-Feingold will remedy all of the ills of the political system. You see it works this way. First thing we do is ...

If this is about the violation of House ethics rules, the amount doesn't matter. It might be unseemly, but that's hardly a new thing in politics, whatever side of the fence you're on.

A thief is a thief whether it is stealing a flower from the neighbor's garden, a couple of dollars from the collection plate, or millions from the company's shareholders.

if theft were not illegal, one could not be arrested for it simply because one had stolen more than others.

If this is about the violation of House ethics rules, the amount doesn't matter.

I don't think it is about the violation of House ethics rules. I am old enough to be slightly cynical about this stuff. I fully expect that these August Personages will be flying around the world on the nickels of people who are trying to curry their favor. If they are so craven that they can be 'bought' with an airline ticket — even a $100,000 airline ticket — then I want to hear about it. Otherwise, to Hell with it.

I figure that if the Indians hire Jack Abramoff to go brown-nose Congressmen on behalf of the Indian Gaming industry, the mob will hire Suzy Creamcheese to advocate for Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and the guys who make those state lottery terminals will send in some clean-cut young man to remind the Critters not to forget the state lotteries. And the Purity Foundation will be there to remind everyone that gambling is a sin. This happens on every subject. I figure the existence of opposing crooks on every subject is sufficient to keep the Critters well-informed on all sides of the issues.

I am also old enough to recognize a media hit when I see one. This is selective reporting of Tom DeLay's — and only Tom DeLay's — horrible transgressions, with swirling questions and rising choruses added for effect... with the obvious intent of making him go away.

Sorry, I'm not fooled. I know they are all doing this stuff, and in fact most people know they are all doing this stuff. I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, they can go on all the yachts and airplanes and junkets they want, as long as they do their jobs. So long as the guys who make armor and the guys who make armor-piercing shells are both in there offering their trips, I figure the Republic is safe.

What the Republic is not safe from, apparently, is selective reporting on behalf of Democratic politicians by Democratic reporters and Democratic editors... this business in the Washington Post being a perfect example.

I am not going to stand here and watch these guys squirt another Republican off the stage with their slime-gun, when I know damned well that this stuff is all over the place and on both sides of the aisle.

If we're going to have a slimefest, it's going to be a fair slimefest, where the Democratic media doesn't get the only slime-gun. Let the slime fly, but let's make sure that everybody who deserves some gets hit.

When we have 200 members of Congress up there, from both parties, all of them covered with slime, we can stop and sort this out. What's not gonna happen is that one Republican is gonna get whacked by the media, and then it all stops.

That game is over.

to be hit hard by these same types of scandals--but I just haven't been seeing the dirt fly yet.

I'm fully willing (even hopeful) to believe that these assertions will result in something big, but if there is something there, why is it taking so long to come to light?

A more rational position at this point is just to admit that DeLay is dirty and be done with him.

If similar dirt arises over on the D side of the field, then by all means make a scene.  But it sounds hollow to assert that 'they're going to get it too!' when nothing surfaces.

why is it taking so long to come to light?

It takes time to put these things together. Democrats just call up reporters and say, "Got some dirt on a Republican for ya." Next day it's in all the papers.

We can't do that. Reporters don't want to hear about dirt on Democrats; only Republicans.

A year ago, the Swift Vets' plan was to hold a press conference, detail their charges, pass out documentation, and then go home. End of Kerry.

That's what they did. They all marched into the National Press Club, held a big, well-attended press conference, showed pctures, answered questions, passed out their documentation, and left.

Nothing happened. Not one of the reporters wrote a single word about what they'd said. Had it not been for C-SPAN's coverage of the event, no one would have even known they'd done it.

That pissed them off.

Resourceful men, they started improvising. The rest is history. So is Kerry. But the media fought it the whole way.

They say history repeats itself. We shall see. But first you have to form the non-profit, get the book written, get some video made, build a web site, pitch the thing to the Usual Suspects in talk radio and the more right-leaning media outlets... get the whole Vast Right Wing Conspiracy into it. Only then can you squirt slime at a Democrat.

Don't worry, we got a lot of it. The really gooey, sticky kind that has courts and lawyers and subpoenas in it. The first couple of squirts are coming Real Soon Now. Early next week.

If it were about the rules violations, the numbers don't matter, and plenty of other targets on both sides ought to show really, really soon. If it's just the numbers involved, I'm having trouble believing that Delay is really so great an outlier as he's been made out to be. Criminy.

If we're going to have a slimefest, it's going to be a fair slimefest

By all means, if there's corruption to be exposed then expose it. However, and this isn't necessarily directed at you personally, please make sure the slime is accurate, verifiable, and relevant.

I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, they can go on all the yachts and airplanes and junkets they want, as long as they do their jobs.

Yes, well, the point is to what extent that sort of thing influences how they do their jobs, isn't it?

System in place. Outstanding.

Hell, in 2000 this country spent more on professional wrestling. I like the think that the fate of our Republic is worth a little more.