More On DeLay and Family

From the Washington Examiner:

Last week's story in The New York Times breathlessly reported that DeLay had employed family members to work on his campaigns and for his political action committee. This story was so old it had whiskers. It was first reported in the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call in 2003.

Other news outlets dutifully followed the Times and created the impression that DeLay had put family members on the public payroll. In fact, no taxpayer money was involved. Nor was it in any way illegal or unethical for DeLay's privately funded PAC to employ his wife and daughter. The Times reported that DeLay's PAC paid his wife and daughter $500,000. This is only $50,000 a year each for the past five years, a solidly middle-class income and certainly a lot less than the editors at The New York Times earn.

In case you needed some more fodder for the left-wing media machine Democratic attack dog.

The Washington Post recently published a page-one "expose" about the financing of a 1997 trip to Russia. The facts are that the National Center for Public Policy Research, a nonprofit association, issued a statement last month describing its sponsorship of and payment for this trip: "The National Center for Public Policy Research was careful to pay all the expenses associated with Congressman DeLay's trip. Reports to the contrary are incorrect." Every year, dozens of members of Congress and staff participate in such trips financed by nonprofit organizations. This is perfectly legal, normal and even routine.

In fact, despite being in the minority, over the past four years Democrats have taken 54 percent of such trips and Democrats were the top five private trip-takers (in terms of money spent). They were in order: Sen. John Breaux. Rep. Robert Wexler, Rep. Gene Green, Rep. Maurice Hinchey and Rep. Cal Dooley. And when it comes to taxpayer financed trips, Democrat Nancy Pelosi has spent six times more on foreign travel than Tom DeLay.

Hmmmm.... Could it be that while DeLay crossed a line of propriety, the line represents a double standard according to Democrats?
Washington Examiner: Opinion