"I am not a crook!"

House republicans proposed changing their rules Tuesday night to allow members indicted by state grand juries to remain in a leadership post. Mr. Delay has not yet been indicted but may be soon by a Texas grand jury, which in September indicted three of DeLay's political associates on charges of using a political action committee to illegally collect corporate donations and funnel them to Texas legislative races.

In 1993 the republicans wanted to show the world that they held themselves to high standards. They made rules to clean up what they saw as ethical problems in the House leadership under the democrats, such as then-Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski (Ill.), who eventually pleaded guilty to mail fraud and was sentenced to prison.

Now one of the republican's own has come under fire. But Mr. Delay needs to be protected! This is the man responsible for helping the republicans gain five new seats in the House.

" House Republicans recognize that DeLay fought fiercely to widen their majority, and they are eager to protect him from an Austin-based investigation they view as baseless and partisan, said Rep. Eric I. Cantor (Va.), the GOP's chief deputy whip.

"That's why this [proposed rule change] is going to pass ... because there is a tremendous recognition that Tom DeLay led on the issue to produce five more seats" for the Republicans, Cantor said." -- WaPo 11/17/04