A Rostenkowski Moment

March 10, 2005

From Daily Kos:  Jesus, how many times can this guy make a mockery of ethics before House GOPers start worrying about their own private Rostenkowski moment?

A delegation of Republican House members including Majority Leader Tom DeLay accepted an expense-paid trip to South Korea in 2001 from a registered foreign agent despite House rules that bar the acceptance of travel expenses from foreign agents, according to government documents and travel reports filed by the House members [...]

DeLay was accompanied to Seoul by Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Ander Crenshaw, both Florida Republicans [...]

The purpose of the trip is spelled out in documents filed with the Justice Department by the Alexander Strategy Group, a firm created by former DeLay chief of staff Ed Buckham that boasts dozens of large corporations and trade associations among its clients. Buckham is close to DeLay, and associates of both men say that DeLay agrees to meetings with corporate officials on Buckham's recommendation.

DeLay is claiming ignorance.

Luntz' strategy memo argues Republicans should continue to run against DC and associate Democrats with DC. It's a lot easier for Democrats to heed the advice, since Republicans control all levers of power in the capital. There is rank corruption in DC, and it all comes from those in charge. Republicans.

Democrats can and must be the party of reform. DeLay and his cronies can't help but give us new ammunition almost daily to make our case.