A Sign Of Things To Come?
ShareWe're not sure whether this has any larger meaning, but no sooner did the AP move the story that Tom DeLay would not seek to reclaim his position then did 2 House GOPers who have been mentioned as potential DeLay successors issue email statements on their ex-Leader.
Rep. Mike Rogers' (R-MI) came first, at 12:38, calling DeLay "a leader who has consistently put the Conference before himself," and adding that "his announcement today exemplifies that quality."
Rep. John Boehner's (R-OH) missive came 17 minutes later, and, perhaps in an effort to put some distance between himself and the indicted DeLay, noted that he and the ex-Leader "have had our differences over the years. But not wanting to totally kick a man while he is down, Boehner added that DeLay had been on of the GOP's "most effective and gifted leaders."
Even before DeLay's indictment last fall, Boehner has been seen as wanting to reclaim a position in the House leadership. Now the always-dapper, cigarette-smoking Boehner, who served in the #4 postion in the Gingrich-led House GOP, may have his chance.
Rogers, though, is a new name in the mix. Having previously assisted in public corruption cases as an FBI agent, Rogers has been approached by House GOPers representing a "broad cross-section" of the Conference, a House source close to Rogers told The Hotline in a brief interview today.
The source confirmed that the members had, before the Congress recessed for the holidays in December, specifically urged Rogers to seek the Leader position. Asked directly if the third-term lawmaker would answer the call and mount a bid for the #2 position in the Conference, the source would only go as far as saying that Rogers is, for now, "assessing the situation."
Source: "All of us in the Conference are waiting on the Speaker to see where the process is going from here."
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