Beyond DeLay: New leaders could help GOP - and country

Dallas Morning News | Editorials:

"Tom DeLay's legal future and the GOP agenda may look like they are knitted together like bone and muscle. But Republicans will hurt themselves, and the country, if they assume they can't succeed without the indicted representative in their leadership ranks. ... The Grand Old Party deserves a congressional leader with an untarnished record, somebody who commands respect, leads by example and displays the sort of integrity too often found lacking in public life these days."

The GOP has a low bar for ethical behavior for their leaders. Anything short of indictment seems to be a qualification for consideration for the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Karl Rove is under federal investigation for leaking information about a covert CIA officer. He continues to serve the President in the absence of an indictment. A half dozen Congressmen, including Rep. Tom Delay (R-TX), are under investigation as part of the federal investigation into Jack Abramoff's lobbying efforts. Mr. Delay is already under indictment for money laundering in an effort to circumvent Texas state law against corporate contributions to political candidates. Rep. "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) was embroiled in influence peddling accusations for months before resigning when he was finally indicted. Yet the Ethics Committee of the House of Representatives opened no hearings on these matters, imposed no discipline, shows no concern about these scandals. In fact, the Speaker of the House proposes to delay the House's return to business until after Delay's trial in January, as if an acquittal is all that's necessary to hold a leadership position in the Republican Party in Congress. The country deserves a higher standard.