Interesting.......things have advanced in Congress........this is the first time I have seen GOPers willing to admit publicly they want a new majority leader. Delay's power must be waning which is probably why he is asking for this change:
Delay Seeks to Split Remaining Charges
abcnews.go.com
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House Republicans quietly pushing for new leadership
Voice concern about prospects for '06 elections
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff | December 7, 2005
WASHINGTON -- Beset by a series of high-profile scandals, House Republicans are increasingly looking to usher in 2006 with a new majority leader to give the party a fresh start with voters that could help avert potentially devastating midterm elections next year.
The sentiments, which are starting to bubble up from the party's back benches, make it less likely that Representative Tom DeLay, whose indictment on money-laundering charges will almost certainly last into the new year, will return as majority leader.
The prospect of a high-profile trial next year involving DeLay -- on top of the resignation of representative Randy ''Duke" Cunningham last week for taking bribes, as well as investigations of other GOP House members -- has rank-and-file representatives growing concerned about their 2006 reelection prospects.
By demanding new leadership elections, Republican House members can send a powerful message to voters that they are addressing ethical lapses and are ready to move forward, said Representative Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican. New leaders can also set a new agenda that emphasizes the party's commitment to fiscal discipline.
''It's more likely than not that we will have new leadership elections," Flake said. ''Most of us want to be able to say that we're moving ahead. . . . I don't know if it's going to be enough to turn it around in time for the midterm elections, but it's an important message to send."
Representative Charles Bass, a New Hampshire Republican, said he has asked DeLay to renounce claims to the majority leader's post. Only by holding new leadership elections can the party begin to get beyond the scandals that have sidetracked the GOP agenda this year, Bass said.
''For the sake of the Republican conference -- and without casting any aspersions one way or the other on Tom DeLay -- the conference would be better off talking about issue differences with Democrats, not trials and ethics issues," Bass said.
''I want a campaign in New Hampshire on what I think important priorities are," he added. ''I don't want to be defending colleagues who are going through the ethics process."
House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and his top lieutenants are seeking to avoid a divisive intra-party leadership fight. They engineered a scenario whereby the majority leader's position is being filled on a temporary basis through at least the end of the year by the number-three House Republican, majority whip Roy Blunt of Missouri, with other members of leadership taking on increased responsibilities.
In addition, Hastert has scheduled the first House session of 2006 for Jan. 31 -- after a holiday break of more than a month, and two weeks after senators are due to return to Washington. The late start gives DeLay, a Texas Republican, a greater amount of time with which to dispose of the charges, as new leadership elections could not occur until the House is back in session.Continued...
''I believe Mr. DeLay's situation will be resolved by then, and I believe it will be resolved to his satisfaction," Blunt said yesterday. ''Mr. DeLay is getting the swift movement in this case that he's asked for."
A Texas judge on Monday tossed out one of the three criminal charges DeLay was facing in connection with an alleged scheme to circumvent campaign-finance laws by funneling corporate contributions to candidates. But the judge let stand the most serious charges filed against DeLay: two felony money-laundering counts. No trial date has been set.
If new leadership elections are held, DeLay will stand little chance of reclaiming his post even if he is later vindicated, said Julian Zelizer, a congressional scholar at Boston University. DeLay will remain a political liability for Republican members, and House members will want to distance themselves more as next November's elections approach, Zelizer said.
''It's hard to imagine him or his allies being put back in office," Zelizer said.
''Once you get to the point of electing new leadership, the Republicans are going to want to separate themselves from him as much as possible."
No Republican members have publicly suggested that Hastert, an Illinois Republican, should be ousted from the post he has held since 1999. But the other two major leadership posts -- majority leader and majority whip -- would be fiercely contested. Under Hastert's power-sharing approach to running the House, the number-two and number-three positions have far more clout than they did under many previous speakers.
If DeLay is out of the picture, the most widely mentioned candidates for majority leader include Blunt; Representative John Boehner of Ohio, chairman of the House Education and Workforce committee; and Representative Mike Pence of Indiana, chairman of the Republican Study Committee. Representative Thomas Reynolds of New York, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, informed colleagues yesterday that he would not seek the post.
Representative Zach Wamp of Tennessee has already announced his intention to run for majority whip -- the vote-counting post that Blunt would vacate to run for majority leader. His rivals for the slot are expected to include Representative Eric I. Cantor of Virginia, Blunt's chief deputy whip.
The signatures of 50 Republican members can force a meeting to discuss new leadership elections at any time, and a majority of Republicans can force new elections.
But Flake said he believes Hastert and Blunt can be convinced to call new elections without the threat of being forced into it by rank-and-file members.
''If I were Roy Blunt, I would welcome and want them," Flake said. ''The last thing we want is moving ahead and not knowing if you have the support of your colleagues. It would help him with more leverage on the floor" if Blunt is elected majority leader.
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