Morality in government

The mainstream media has finally recgnized that public ethics practiced by the the Republican leadership in House of Representatives satisfies at best minimal standards. At the focus is Rep. Tom DeLay, the majority leader, who has been reprimanded by the ethics committee three times in the last year, and three of his close political associates have been indicted in Texas. There are new reasons to look into DeLay's activities, having to do with a trip to Korea paid for by a registered agent of foreign principals (DeLay's defense: "I didn't know."), and a trip to England and Scotland paid for by an Indian tribe and a gambling services company just 2 months before DeLay, who has been hostile to gambling interests, helped kill a bill prohibiting betting over the Internet.

But this is not news, and that is not the focus of this post.

My interest is in the moral compass of the Speaker and those Illinois Republicans that support him and Mr. DeLay.

After having been spanked by the House ethics committee last year, Speaker Hastert removed its Republican Chair, Joel Hefley. The new Chairman, Doc Hastings, began his tenure by firing two top staffers who had the courage to investigat DeLay. The other two new Republican committeemen assigned by Speaker Hastert and his associates are interesting choices. Lamar Smith gave $10K to DeLay's defense fund and Tom Cole gave $5K. Smith co-hosted a benefit to raise money for a PAC DeLay founded (a PAC that is being investigated by ta Texas grand jury). Not exactly independent, impartial investigators to do the people's business of keeping members of the House honest.

Just to ensure that the ethics committee doesn't do anything useful, Speaker Hastert and the Republican leadership has tried to change the rules in the committee so that either party can block an investigation. Seems like ol' Denny has stacked the deck. Is that what it takes to protect an honest Congressman?

Finally, a bill to establish a bipartisan task force to make recommendations to restore public confidence in the ethics process was voted down by the Republicans. WE can forget about public morality in the House of Representatives; Speaker Hastert and his Republican colleagues have. If Denny Hastert has wrestled with these ethical issues, it's a match he has lost.

Where are the other Illinois Republicans on this? At least Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT) has expressd some carefully guarded reservations about what is going on. Don't our Illinois Republicans have the courage to speak out? Or are they as morally compromised as Hastert?