While I generally support the idea of loyalty and supporting one's own, there can come a point where the object of the loyalty needs to look to the better interests of the group. Tom DeLay needs to do that looking.
Having been around Washington for a while and understanding a little of the ethics rules in question, what DeLay did is not, technically, improper. Plus, I do believe the media has made more of the story than is really there, but with the Democrats poised to make ethics an issue on the national scene, it may be time for DeLay to quietly step down from his leadership post. I am not saying he should resign from Congress as his re-election is a matter for the voters of his district rather than the editors of the New York Times and the Washington Post. But as the Majority Leader he is going to be more of a lightening rod for accusations of corrpution or arrogance.
But the broader issue of ethics is important to think about. In 1994, one of the reasons for the Republican Victory is the arrogance and outright flaunting of rules by the Democrats. One scandal that struck home was the check kiting scandal for the House Bank. Of course it was not just the check kiting that brought the Democrats down, but rather it was a series of abuses, compounding over the course of 40 years that led to the downfall and the GOP took advantage.
The question will be whether both parties can recognize the vulnerability of the GOP. True, the Democrats have a not had a great history of seizing these opportunities and they face the uphill battle inherent in Congress. Americans don't always like Congress but they love their Congressman. On the other hand the GOP has a chance to recover and show that they haven't let power go to their head--by coming clean about DeLay and asking him to step down.
DeLay Seeks GOP Senators' Support (washingtonpost.com)
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