DeLay Debate Creates Rare Victory

CNN Political Play of the Week

By Bill Schneider
CNN Political Unit

This week a beleaguered minority enjoyed a rare victory in American politics – rare enough to make it the political Play of the Week.

You might call the minority party in the House of Representatives the most oppressed minority in American politics. Unlike the Senate minority, which can bottle up legislation, the House minority has no power.

Except on the House Ethics Committee, where both parties have equal representation.

In January, Republicans changed the ethics committee’s rules in an apparent move to protect beleaguered Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

Democrats were outraged.

“Four months ago, when they thought no one was looking,” New York Rep. Louise Slaughter, a Democrat, said, “the Republican majority of this House passed a rules package that gutted the house ethics standards and effectively neutered the house ethics committee.”

Democrats refused to allow the committee to organize. That put off any investigation And kept DeLay’s troubles on the front pages.

On Wednesday the Republicans gave in and repealed the rules changes.

Democrats were triumphant.

Republicans tried to put a positive spin on their retreat.

“Because I believe it is damaging to this institution to allow one side of the House to shut down the Ethics Committee,” Rep. Doc Hastings, a Republican of Washington and the committee chairman said, “I have concluded that we must return, for now, to the rules of the past Congress.”

The GOP leadership distributed “talking points,” one of which said, “Rather than let the Democrat ‘My way or the highway’ strategy drag on, House Republicans have elected to take the high road.”

Highway or high road, it was the only path to resolution of the Tom DeLay matter.

“I think there’s a member,” Speaker Dennis Hastert said, ” especially on our side, that needs to have the process move forward so he can clear his name. Right now, we can’t clear his name.’’

The long-suffering minority Democrats held fast. For them it was a moment to savor.

“For those of us who have opposed these rules changes from the outset,” senior committee Democrat Alan Mollohan of West Virginia said, “it has been a long, difficult effort, and it is gratifying to see it finally succeed.”

It is also the political Play of the Week.

Now that the ethics committee can function again, there is some concern over an ethics war, with members of each party filing charges against members of the other party.

So last week, a lot of House members were rushing to amend their travel reports. Just in case.