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Don't like the rules..Change'm

Pacridge

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Today the GOP had an irritating little problem of a House Republican rule requiring any leader indicted for a crime to step down.

With Majority Leader Tom DeLay facing possible indictment in Texas for campaign finance violations, House Republicans found a solution -- change the rule.

This is a rule the GOP, flexing their moral superiority, insisted be enacted back in 1993 when Democrat Dan Rostenkowski was maintaining his post after an indictment. Now it seems that being indicted isn't such a bad thing after all. It's absurb for the GOP, or the Dems for that matter, to insist on rules such as this when it suits them and then do away with it when it no longer applies to the party of their choosing. What's good for the jackass should be good for the elephant.

But this story doesn't really end there, later in the day Tom Delay was given an early Christmas present when it became known that one of his accussers, a guy named Chris Bell, may have used "exaggerations" in his accusation against DeLay. That a nice way of saying he may have "LIED." Bell it seems is upset because he may have lost his seat in the house due to a "redistricting plan" engineered by DeLay. So, don't like the outcome of something someone does politically- go tell some lies about them. That'll show'em. Keep in mind Bell was only one of several accusers accusing Delay of several types of wrong doing. But if one guy's lying? Well I mean nobody would believe that in a town like Washington you could have say several members of one party or the other get together and... Oh, no I'm sure that just could not have happend. Not in Washington.

The botton line here is shouldn't we be demanding better of our elected representatives? With all that we are facing as a nation is it too much to ask that they behave like adults?
 
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This rabbit hole goes WAY deaper than the surface.

The Republican Texas legislature tried to create new districts in their favor back in 2000 after the census. The democrats have been able to change the districts as they see fit for years. Ever sinse I can personally remember the Texas congress has been Democrat. Every census, the democrats would huddle up and make it incredibly hard for the Texas congress to shift powers.

The power actually shifted over to the Republicans in 2000 and they wanted to do the same thing the Democrats have done for YEARS. The dems tried to stop those plans in court. When it finally passed federal courts (shifting lower/higher/lower) to allow redistricting the Democrats staged a "walkout" - they walked off the job in May 2003! They either went to New Mexico or Oklahoma while congress was in session!! By Texas law they could have went to jail, but Govenor Perry has no backbone and only requested federal police to 'watch' them.

Because of the courts, it finally went through and the districts changed.

They are still pissed that they lost power and will do whatever they can to make the Texas districts back into democratic power - including blaming everyone. Delay, being federal congressman was heavily involved in the process in turn became the point man.

A few sites of interest:
CNN
Congressional redistricting 2003
Texas Redistricting

The Republicans realize that Delay didn't do anything of out of ordinary so they are just waiting for it to pass over. Problem, some of his campaign monies have come from bad places. Again, nothing out of the ordinary, if presented well can mean some bad stuff for Delay.

If they indited every politican for having 'bad' money - there would be no congress left.
 
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vauge said:
The Republicans realize that Delay didn't do anything of out of ordinary so they are just waiting for it to pass over. Problem, some of his campaign monies have come from bad places. Again, nothing out of the ordinary, if presented well can mean some bad stuff for Delay.

If they indited every politican for having 'bad' money - there would be no congress left.
They passed laws concerning campaign finance for a reason. To say that having "some of his campaign monies have come from bad places" is "nothing out of the ordinary" that's kind of my point. If they, congress the house who ever, pass these laws shouldn't THEY follow them? Doesn't that just seem logical?

Now I'm not ripping on the GOP here, the Dems or Debs (since they act more like debutantes, or elite young women, then policitians anymore) as I like to call them, have done it for years. As you pointed out concerning their actions in Texas. The rule seems to be "we're in power let's do what ever sleeze ball thing it takes to stay there, screw the will of the voter."

As for- "If they indited every politican for having 'bad' money - there would be no congress left." I hope you're wrong about this, not sure you are, but I hope you are. If you're not wrong about this shouldn't we, the voters, be trying to correct this? Why do we just assume- Oh, politicians lie, cheat and steal and there's nothing we can do about it.
 
Again, all good arguments.

If they, congress the house who ever, pass these laws shouldn't THEY follow them? Doesn't that just seem logical?


Absolutely, I truely believe that the system at it's core is hosed though. I guess I was looking from the point of view..which is worse - 1000 illegally or 100,000 illegally? I am not sure of the amount he is in trouble for, as it was behind closed doors when he got spanked. I do know that it is not much.

I would like to have your positive approach to congress and politicians. Hopefully, one day we can restore that trust in them.
 
LOL, oops - should have read:
"I would (personally) like to have a positive approach...".

Anyway, here is a follow-up on DeLay:

Source: CBS News

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, appears to have dodged a bullet.

The powerful GOP chieftain is unlikely to be indicted by a state grand jury probing alleged campaign finance violations in Texas, according to an official involved in the investigation.

"No, no, I really don’t think DeLay will be indicted," the official told CBSNews.com. "And to be quite honest, [DeLay’s] lawyers know that."

Anticipating a possible indictment by a state grand jury in Travis County (Austin) Texas, House Republicans last week took steps to protect DeLay's position by changing a party rule that would have forced him to step aside as majority leader if indicted on a felony charge. The change will leave it up to a committee of GOP House members to decide whether an indicted leader should step down.

DeLay has denied playing any role in the move to protect him. DeLay's office did not return telephone messages requesting comment on this story.
 
vauge said:
LOL, oops - should have read:
"I would (personally) like to have a positive approach...".

Anyway, here is a follow-up on DeLay:

Source: CBS News
Yeah, not sure how positive my approach is, I think the whole damn system has gone completely bat shit nutz. I just think we're idiots for blaming the politicians when deep down it our fault. Like this guy here in Oregon- Sexually assault a woman, lie about it, tell the truth later when caught-win in a land slide because you're an incumbent. Who's knows maybe sites llike this can somehow help.
 
Unfortunatly, your right.

We are still in an infancy period, but I believe it will be sites like this that help determine the next Senators and Presidents for alot of people - Forums and Blogs. There are many many groups out there that have a voice and this is the type of enviorment to share them.

There have already been a few topics here that have made me personally rethink my position.
 
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