The top Democrat on the Ethics Committee, ready to throw in the towel last week, is now
conferring with Pelosi on -- "timing" issues:
The top Democrat on the House ethics committee has quietly met with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to discuss the highly sensitive case of Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), as well as other matters before the panel.
While Pelosi has portrayed herself repeatedly as having no role in the DeLay case, or anything else before the ethics committee, Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) acknowledged in an interview last week that he has met with the Minority Leader recently on the DeLay matter, now at a critical juncture. The ethics committee may vote as early as this week on whether to open a full investigation into the Texas Republican's activities.
Mollohan said that there was nothing untoward about his talks with Pelosi and that the subject matter was strictly limited to timing and other procedural issues. Both Mollohan and Pelosi's office denied that she was applying any pressure on the West Virginia Democrats to move forward with the case against DeLay.
"Any time the Minority Leader would merit it or needed a briefing about the status of any ethics case, I would give it to her," said Mollohan, who added that Pelosi had herself requested updates on several occasions. "If she wants to know, she should know it."
Hopefully, Pelos IS putting pressure on committee Democrats to move forward with the probe. We live in a time where Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist campaigns in South Dakota against Tom Daschle. Republicans have destroyed any sembleance of collegiality. I fully expect that Pelosi is out for blood.
And the fact of the matter is, it's not even a partisan issue. We have criminal indictments issued for the very organization that DeLay founded. His top aides face life in prison.
To be fair, the committee rules forbid committee members of talking to anyone outside the committee about the deliberations, but who here really thinks anyone follows those rules? And in any case, if it's such a hideous crime, Republicans can ask for an ethics investigation in due time.
After they vote to investigate DeLay.