Republicans more concerned with saving their own buns — than the ethics of Foley scandal
The White House and GOP leaders are standing
together in supporting embattled House Speaker Dennis Hastert, under fire over
the handling of the scandal involving former Rep. Mark Foley.
The White House and GOP leaders are standing together in supporting embattled House Speaker Dennis Hastert, under fire over the handling of the scandal involving former Rep. Mark Foley.
Several top Republican leaders, including President Bush, rushed to Hastert’s defense.
House Majority Leader John Boehner also said Hastert should keep his seat but acknowledged that the Foley matter was Hastert’s responsibility.
“My position is it’s in his corner, it’s his responsibility,” Boehner, R-Ohio, told WLW radio in Cincinnati, Ohio. “The clerk of the House who runs the page program, the page board — all report to the speaker. And I believe it had been dealt with.”
A GOP aide said House Republican leaders held a conference call Monday night with about 100 members, answering questions and reassuring them that there was an investigation into the situation. There were no calls for Hastert to resign, the aide said.
With just five weeks before midterm elections, GOP leaders are trying to stem the fallout from the Foley matter. The scandal threatened to hurt the GOP, with control of the House up for grabs in November.
As usual, the “standards” of Congress defer to power. Who controls what is more important than ethical policies and practices.
Jim Gerlach, Pennsylvania Republican, also is giving $1,000 Foley’s political action committee gave to his campaign to the “Crime Victims Center of Chester County…”
Other Republican representatives who say they are planning to donate to charities or return contributions from Foley include Rep. Nancy Johnson of California, Rep. Clay Shaw of Florida, Rep. Geoffrey Davis of Kentucky, Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Rep. Deborah Price of Ohio, Rep. Curtis Weldon of Pennsylvania and Sen. George Allen of Virginia.
Just the tip of the greenback iceberg. Every now and then a bit of slime oozes out into public view — how dollars are floated around Congress — money from sleazy sources is redistributed from one congresscreep to another.
Posted: Wed - October 4, 2006 at 07:49 AM