GOP Puts Tom DeLay in Charge of House Ethics
Bush Busta
Karen Masterson, The Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau, February 1,
2003
WASHINGTON -- One of Rep. Tom DeLay's first maneuvers as majority
leader was to engineer a change of House ethics rules so charities now
may pay for lawmakers' travel and meals whenever they participate in
charitable fund-raising events.
The change came as DeLay is organizing a Florida golf tournament that
will benefit a project in his district south of Houston.
The tournament is expected to raise more than $1 million -- some of it
coming in six-figure donations -- from lobbyists and corporate
officials who have legislation before Congress.
They will be paired with key lawmakers for golf and dinner. Because
the money is going to a nonprofit organization, the names of the
lobbyists, corporate officials and lawmakers can be withheld from the
public.
Proceeds will go to the DeLay Foundation for Kids, which is raising $6
million to build a foster home in Fort Bend County.
On a donated lot of 50 acres, the foundation hopes to build a
community center that will serve nearly 250 abandoned and abused
youths, and include sports facilities, a chapel and resources for
physical and psychological assessments.
But the worthiness of the charitable cause -- DeLay's or any others --
isn't the issue that is rankling some lawmakers. They say DeLay
surreptitiously slipped the rule change into a larger measure that
established committee ratios and other housekeeping matters that
generally need redefining at the beginning of each new Congress.
Particularly upset by the change was Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colo., chair
of the House ethics committee, who said he was "blindsided." He told
the Washington Post that his committee's job "is to keep people out of
trouble. We don't want to have the impression, nor the reality, that
we're trying to weasel around ways to live high at someone else's
expense."
Citizen watchdog groups, including Common Cause and Democracy 21, are
trying to find a Republican willing to reverse the rule change by
introducing a measure to repeal it. But few lawmakers, Democrats
included, are willing to take on the powerful majority leader --known
for punishing his adversaries by killing funds for projects in their
hometowns.
Meanwhile, philanthropists worry the rule change will turn back the
clocks to a time when charities were used as fronts for political
activity.
"For lobbyists to be able to buy access to lawmakers under the guise
of supporting charity is an affront to the philanthropic community --
and it ought to be an embarrassment to the House Republican
leadership," said Rick Cohen, executive director of the National
Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.
The rule change reverses a ban put in place in 1995 by former GOP
House Speaker Newt Gingrich. It was part of a sweeping reform package
designed to end expensive junkets that bought the powerful and wealthy
access to the nation's leaders.
DeLay had opposed the changes, arguing at the time that a better
policy would be to disclose such financial transactions, not prohibit
them.
"You want to play on a good golf course on a sunny day, and it's
helpful to have a few VIPs to attract support for this great cause,"
DeLay spokesman Jonathan Grella said of the new rules change that will
apply to DeLay's golf tournament, as well as other charitable
fund-raisers.
DeLay's event will be held in April at the Ocean Reef Club, a resort
in Key Largo.
Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, asked DeLay in a widely
publicized letter sent Wednesday to disclose a list of contributors
expected for the event, and an accounting of the expenses paid to each
lawmaker who attends.
DeLay refused. However, his office told Wertheimer if he wanted to
give to the foundation, that donation would be made public.
In a touché on Thursday, Wertheimer wrote a $250 check to DeLay's
foundation, with one stipulation: None of the money may go to pay the
way for lawmakers attending the Key Largo golf tournament.
"We're glad that Mr. Wertheimer's facility for self-promotion has not
only benefited him, but now needy children," Grella quipped Thursday,
after learning of the check.
He added: "We're proud of our efforts to help abused and neglected
children. The DeLays have dedicated themselves to this cause and will
continue to do so."
Wertheimer said that helping children was not the point: "We're asking
Mr. Delay to stand by his own words. He's the one who said that the
way to deal with this problem is full disclosure."
--
"Have you noticed that while Dubya is talking, Dick Cheney
never takes a sip of water?"
-- Robin Williams
Foxtrot
>Subject: GOP Puts Tom DeLay in Charge of House Ethics
I seem to recall Dems putting Ted Kennedy in charge
of a Senate subcommittee on physical fitness! LOL
>GOP Puts Tom DeLay in Charge of House Ethics
>Proceeds will go to the DeLay Foundation for Kids, which is raising $6
>million to build a foster home in Fort Bend County.
>
>On a donated lot of 50 acres, the foundation hopes to build a
>community center that will serve nearly 250 abandoned and abused
>youths, and include sports facilities, a chapel and resources for
>physical and psychological assessments.
Sounds like an admirable cause. I suspect lefties like
Buttsta are upset because they don't believe in private
charity, they want the government to be responsible for
all of society's needs.
>--
>"Have you noticed that while Dubya is talking, Dick Cheney
> never takes a sip of water?"
>
> -- Robin Williams
Yawn, Robin Williams is *not* funny. He's another dull
limousine liberal who does fund raisers for the DNC.
Roedy Green
wrote or quoted :
>GOP Puts Tom DeLay in Charge of House Ethics
Bush Jr. has a sense of humour doesn't he. Putting Tommy Thompson of
Philip Morris in charge of the nation's health, Gale Norton of
National Lead in charge of the environment, Ann Veneman of Calgene
genetically modified foods in charge of agriculture, and Tom Delay in
charge of House Ethics.
"A man is ethical only when life, as such, is sacred to him, that of
plants and animals as that of his fellow men, and when he devotes
himself helpfully to all life that is in need of help."
~ Albert Schweitzer
--
Canadian Mind Products, Roedy Green.
Coaching, problem solving, contract programming for $35 US per hour or fixed price.
For rapid answers to Java questions, see the glossary at http://mindprod.com/jgloss.html
GoreWasRobbed
}On Sun, 02 Feb 2003 00:24:20 GMT, Bush Busta <Bush...@America.com>
}wrote or quoted :
}
}>GOP Puts Tom DeLay in Charge of House Ethics
}
}Bush Jr. has a sense of humour doesn't he. Putting Tommy Thompson of
}Philip Morris in charge of the nation's health, Gale Norton of
}National Lead in charge of the environment, Ann Veneman of Calgene
}genetically modified foods in charge of agriculture, and Tom Delay in
}charge of House Ethics.
The foxes in charge of the henhouses...EXACTLY like the
Reagan-Bush years. Can you say, "James Watt?"