Bell expects retribution for DeLay complaint

[Robbien]

Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Bell said today he expects to see retribution for filing ethics complaints against Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, one of the highest-ranking members of the U.S. House. Bell, who saw his political career halted by the congressional redistricting maneuverings of DeLay and other Republicans, filed multiple complaints with the House ethics committee Tuesday, accusing DeLay of "serious criminal acts."

"Obviously, you're going to attract the full wrath of the most powerful member of the House of Representatives and we fully expect that," Bell said shortly before addressing the Texas Democratic Party's state convention in Houston.

. . .

Already he's received threats from House colleagues, one saying "you kill my dog, I'll kill your cat," Bell said.

. . .

Bell's complaint alleged that DeLay illegally solicited and accepted political contributions in return for legislative favors, laundered money to avoid campaign finance laws, and abused his power when he became involved in the search for Texas House Democrats who fled the state last year to avoid a vote on congressional redistricting.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2636891

[uptown ruler]

1. lets fire em all and start over...

Spread the Word
CausePimpingThePeopleAin’tEasy

[Catfight]

2. I agree, let's start with bush and work our way down.

[Warpy]

6. If you don't like what your government is doing

VOTE AGAINST THE INCUMBENTS!

It's reamarkable how few people figure that out.

[Mikimouse]

3. DeLAy is nothing but a loudmouth punk...

typical schoolyard bully type. Fight back and see how fast he runs home to momma (er...the republican house of reps, that is).

[DemoTex]

12. MM, you are wrong! Sorry.

Tom Delay is far worse than your meatless description. Delay is an extremely dangerous political adversary. Delay - the Christian from Sugarland - hates his momma. Study your enemy, my friend. I sure have. Call his momma.

Mac

[Nevernose]

4. Good article about this in current Texas Monthly

Excerpts (full artivle is subscription only, but the link at bottom may still work for you):

WHO CAN BLAME TEXAS REPUBLICANS for succumbing to giddy euphoria in the weeks after the November 2002 election? The victories of 88 House candidates cinched a long-sought GOP majority, guaranteeing the election of a Republican Speaker, easy passage of pro-business legislation, and a new congressional redistricting map friendly to the party. No wonder, then, that political operatives were eager to take credit for the historic victory, as Texas Association of Business (TAB) president Bill Hammond did when he bragged that $1.9 million in corporate money raised and spent by his organization "blew the doors off" the election.

Hammond's boast, posted on TAB's Web site and in its newsletter, caught the eye of one of the few remaining Democrats in Texas with any clout: Travis County district attorney Ronnie Earle, the elected official whose office is responsible for prosecuting misconduct by state officials. No one needed to point out to Earle that using corporate money to elect state officials has been illegal in Texas for nearly a century. A 27-year veteran of his office, he successfully prosecuted former Speaker Gib Lewis and former state treasurer Warren G. Harding (both Democrats), but he lost his two biggest cases: against former Democratic attorney general Jim Mattox, in 1985, and in a 1994 trial that cast a shadow over his career, against newly elected Republican U.S. senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, when he gave up after a key judicial ruling went against him. The biggest guessing game in Texas politics today is whether Speakergate, Earle's high-profile grand jury investigation into alleged Republican campaign-finance-law violations, has any legs. Will it grow into the biggest stain on the Capitol since the Sharpstown scandal of the early seventies, or is it, as the Republicans contend, a partisan witch hunt (even though in this case, it seems, the witches called attention to their own sorcery)?

The now sixteen-month investigation centers on whether a Republican election machine that included U.S. House majority leader Tom DeLay and his political action committee, Texans for a Republican Majority (TRMPAC), Speaker of the Texas House Tom Craddick, and TAB illegally used and concealed corporate money in state political campaigns to guarantee Craddick's election as the first Republican Speaker in 130 years. (Three civil suits filed by Democrats who claim that they were defeated by the use of illegal corporate contributions are also moving forward.) Earle is probing issues from the technical (whether the use of corporate funds was for administrative or campaign purposes; the latter would be illegal) to the conspiratorial (whether GOP candidates had to promise to support Craddick to receive donations to their campaign).

The big question circulating in the political world this spring is, Who is at risk of criminal indictment? At the bottom of the political food chain are operatives like Jim Ellis, a DeLay staff member, and John Colyandro, the executive director of DeLay's TRMPAC. Both were involved in day-to-day decisions about fundraising and spending. At the next level are two prominent business lobbyists who were deeply involved in the election campaign and whose clients stood to gain from the election of a Republican House: TAB's Hammond and Mike Toomey, now Governor Rick Perry's chief of staff. Both met frequently with Colyandro during the campaign season to discuss politics and may have known about any mischief. And finally there are the Big Fish: Craddick and DeLay, each of whom was actively engaged in raising money for TRMPAC. If criminal charges reach this level, the state's political establishment could be rocked to the degree it was 33 years ago by Sharpstown, the scandal that involved bribery by Houston developer and banker Frank Sharp to secure the passage of two banking bills. A young state representative named Tom Craddick was part of the Dirty Thirty opposition to then-Speaker Gus Mutscher, who was eventually convicted of accepting a bribe. In the end the governor, the lieutenant governor, and half the Legislature were swept out of office, even though few of those who lost their seats had any connection to Sharp.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/mag/issues/2004-05-01/hart.php?1996244070

[Gothmog]

5. Delay is a jerk and needs to be voted out

I hope that the Ethics Commission actually gets to hear Chris Bell's charges. DeLay is a jerk and is so dirty that he needs to be taken down.

[Warpy]

7. Even if he's taken down

even if the publicity defeats him at the polls (unlikely, Sugarland's like an alternative universe), he will continue to be a major player both in Texas politics and in the RNC.

People as dirty as DeLay is don't just go away nicely.

[jdj]

8. And twenty years from now he'll be vice president.

If we have learned nothing else from this admin. let us learn this.

Evil bastards don't fade away, they fester and then explode into infestation at the previously agreed upon moment.

[Jane Austin]

9. So we shouldn't try to take him down?

We've had some pretty bad hats in Texas over the years, and when they've been taken out, in general, they've stayed out.

[NoPasaran]

13. Let's take him down

And acquaint him with the fine art of busting rocks.

[lostnfound]

10. Yes, I fear Bush would just give him a cabinet position..

assuming Bush were to steal the election with help from the Urosevich's, that is.

I'm a bit discouraged hearing tonight that 80% of the country's votes will be counted by 2 companies -- both run by a Urosevich brother.

[struggle4progress]

11. kick for bell!

:kick:

[Ksec]

14. I saw Delay the other day on TV

He looks like hes scared. Id bet my right arm that he would run from a real fight. He hides behind his job.

[Sabriel]

15. I hope Bell hasn't been "depressed" lately

"Bell's friends state the Representative had been feeling depressed lately. 'No doubt that's the reason he shot himself twice in the back of the head today,' said a co-worker."

(Thanks to the Onion last week.)