House GOP Leadership Race: An Update
ShareMany Republicans are waiting for word out of Sugar Land, TX. They hope Rep. Tom DeLay makes known his feelings about permanently relinquishing his post as majority leader.
Since news Abramoff plea deal broke, DeLay has said nothing. Privately, DeLay and his staff are in a holding mode.
Several well-connected Republicans, including two with ties to DeLay, say that, in light of the Abramoff indictment, DeLay has yet to personally lobbied colleagues to give him more time.
While one senior GOP leadership aide wondered if that meant DeLay's silence hinted at his intentions to give up the leadership position permanently, one DeLay aide cautioned against that interpretation, saying that it would be premature for DeLay to begin to lobby when no new House Republicans had publicly expressed their desire for elections.
No potential DeLay replacement --acting leader Rep. Roy Blunt, Rep. John Boehner, Rep. Mike Pence, Rep. Zack Wamp and Rep. John Shadegg, among others -- wants to be seen as campaigning before DeLay signals his tacit assent.
In recent weeks, DeLay has told colleagues that his trial in Austin could be over by March and asserted that new leadership elections could stall passage of signature caucus agenda items in an election year.
As for the Abramoff investigation, DeLay notes to colleagues that he's proactively called for the House ethics committee to examine his dealings with the lobbyist, and that he intends to cooperate fully with the Department of Justice.
One senior GOP aide sympathetic to DeLay, who in December said he should stay on as leader said today that "things have changed."
Said the aide: "If there was a pretty quick end to the trial, members would see the light at the end of the tunnel. It just seems now that there's no type of clear end in site. In the next few days and weeks, it seems inevitable there will be some type of public calling for an election. Members who aren't usual suspects will start to come forward."
Asked why they would do so now, the aide said that there is an "element of wanting to put our best foot forward and not be in a situation where we're reacting to Democrats who are pushing a lobbying reform package."
DeLay's spokesman, Kevin Madden, said DeLay "has always been a successful leader and respected by colleagues because he focuses on and fights for a positive legislative agenda for the Republican conference.
"He will continue to do so," Madden said.
Of the National Review article calling for his resignation, Madden said that "it's a considered opinion."
But, he said, Most important is the fact that Mr. DeLay has always maintained every action he has taken has been promptly and publicly disclosed according to House guidelines."
"For Mr. DeLay to follow the rules, act properly and abide by guidelines, but then give way to a pervading sense of character assassination by insinuation, would be a troublesome occurrence," Madden said. [MARC AMBINDER and JONATHAN MARTIN]
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