Cracks seen in GOP front on DeLay
Some voice doubt leader will return to House position
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff
September 30, 2005
WASHINGTON -- The united front Republicans built to support ousted House majority leader Tom DeLay showed signs of crumbling yesterday, with conservatives threatening a leadership challenge and some moderate Republicans saying they don't think DeLay, facing criminal conspiracy charges in Texas, will ever come back to House leadership.
Members of the conservative Republican Study Committee, upset with Congress's spending, said they are prepared to challenge some of House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert's top lieutenants if the case against DeLay isn't resolved by year's end. They warned that the three-way power-sharing arrangement Hastert set up in Delay's absence can't last into the next House session, which begins in January.
''The reality of the ordeal [DeLay] faces is not as rosy as everyone's hopes and aspirations," said Representative Zach Wamp, Republican of Tennessee, who said he plans to seek the number three post, House majority whip, if DeLay isn't back in power. ''Everyone's rooting for Tom DeLay to quash this indictment and prevail. But the realistic view is, this is going to take some time, and therefore the conference has to go forward."
Meanwhile, some moderates who have clashed with DeLay were already speaking as though his temporary resignation from leadership is permanent. Yesterday, as DeLay vacated the majority leader's office space, Representative Christopher Shays, a Connecticut Republican, said it was ''doubtful" that the 11-term Texas Republican would ever return to leadership unless the criminal case ends quickly in his favor.
''He's not going away, but he's not the leader," said Shays, who called for DeLay to resign in April and in January pressed to reinstate the party rule that required members of leadership to step down if they're indicted. ''I don't think we're in limbo now. With all due respect, he's moving out of his office."
DeLay's indictment on a felony conspiracy charge related to an alleged campaign-finance money laundering scheme exposed long-simmering tensions within the House GOP caucus. By generating equal measures of respect, loyalty, and fear, DeLay has been the linchpin for the Republican-controlled House, but he presided over a 231-member caucus whose differences have never been sharper since taking control of the House a decade ago.
...contd at boston.com |
