Interesting news today from the Christian Science Monitor. Their hook is the set of parallels to Jim Wright and Newt Gingrich, previous House leaders who were forced out of their jobs.
In public, most Republicans say that what's driving the criticism of the House majority leader is politics, not ethics. The Democratic "hit machine" is pouring millions into a campaign to oust the most powerful Republican in Congress. But the real target is the Republican majority and its agenda.
But in private, some senior leaders are saying it's only a matter of time before the most powerful Republican in Congress is forced from office. "Democrats should save their money. Why murder someone who is committing suicide?" said a senior GOP lawmaker, on condition of anonymity.
Readers of my blog will recognize that I really, really do not like Tom DeLay. I find this report delightful. My only question is who is likely to replace him, and are they also as tightly connected with the religious right and Pat Robertson. Does the removal of Tom DeLay reduce the power of the Dominionists? (See here and here.
Is this paranoia on my part? Yeah, possibly. That's why I want to see who replaces DeLay. If it is someone as tightly connected to the Dominionists as DeLay is, then the problem is more likely to be real than just an internet conspiracy theory.
Then there is the fact that DeLay has been unusually effective in controlling, maintaining and expanding the Republican Party in the House. Frist has been less effective in the Senate than Lott was, and whoever replaces DeLay is not likely to be as effective as he has been. In fact, DeLay was clearly a major element in the effectiveness of Newt Gingrich.
In other words, I will be very interested to see who replaces DeLay. If you are reading this, you should be also. Watch to see what happens with religious connections when he leaves.
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