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Monday, May 09, 2005
TX-22: DeLay on the Run
Posted by Bob BrighamSorry to get your hopes up with the headline, Majority Leader Tom DeLay hasn't tried to skip town yet, but he is retreating, from the Washington Post:
In the euphemism favored on Capitol Hill, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is "not staff driven." Translation: He is used to doing what he wants. [...]Suddenly, the old Texas brio that carried him through years of smaller controversies is on the wane. The leader recognizes -- belatedly, some GOP colleagues say -- that the latest questions about his relationships with lobbyists are a problem threatening his career and the GOP majority he helped to build and sustain since coming to the House 20 years ago. Everywhere there are signs of a politician in retreat.
DeLay's prowess in fundraising, for instance, was always a pillar of his power in the House. Lining up a corporate aircraft to ferry him to an event was usually arranged with a single phone call. These days, Republican officials report that they are having trouble finding available aircraft -- as businesses fret that DeLay may be radioactive.
DeLay, likewise, usually no longer attends joint news conferences of the GOP leadership. His presence, Republicans say, would distract from the party's message about gas prices or other topics of the day.
Now comes the excruciating period of waiting for the final blow.
Posted at 12:59 AM in 2006 Elections - House, Republicans, Texas | Technorati