# Pubbies to make it harder to investigate ethics violations. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 30, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubbies-to-make-it-harder-to-investigate-ethics-violations/282310 "2004-12-30T20:56:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubbies-to-make-it-harder-to-investigate-ethics-violations/282310/21 "2004-12-31T03:08:50Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Full disclosure: I _loathe_ Tom DeLay. He’s like a Betty Noyer, ya know? As a recovering Texan, I have followed Texas politics at a safe remove. I have become increasingly dismayed at the disproportion of Texas as a political center, and its malignant impact on our beloved country. > > You live in New York, right? You think you know something about political corruption. I remind you of Upton Sinclair’s remark: There are two things no civilized person should have to know. One is what really goes into sausage, and the other is what a Texas politician does for his daily bread. Honeyboy, he ain’t shitting one little bit. > > The fate of our nation rests in the hands of the honest conservatives. I include you, with the boundless optimism that I commit no flattery. I have said this before: if the nation finally sickens of GeeDubya (from my lips to the ears of Allah!), the first bellwhether would be the fall of DeLay. If GeeDubya gets to be a political liability, congresscritters will do the rat-dive, overboard. If they lose their fear of DeLay, the blood will be in the water. > > This latest set of moves are intended either to _demonstrate_ DeLay’s power or to _protect_ it. And if ever a Congressman’s behavior rated a thorough investigation, its him. Google Tom Delay and ethics. Take a sandwhich, you’ll be a while. OOooh, I just finished reading _The Hammer: Tom Delay_ and I can’t describe how my skin crawls now when his name is mentioned. He wants to take us back to the days of Tammany Hall. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubbies-to-make-it-harder-to-investigate-ethics-violations/282310/22 "2004-12-31T05:00:50Z")
> [@manhattan](#): > > Yes. That’s why I don’t have a position just yet – I’m still thinking about it. That said, Congress is still a political body. If DeLay were to be indicted, for example, I have complete confidence that no amout of cajoling could convince all five members to prevent further investigation of him. Issue Id point out is: when, as currently, ONE party has complete control of both houses (not even close), itd be fairly simple for that political party to exert quite a bit of influence over their members - as in, go along w/ committee deal and pork city will be yours. Politics as usual, but w/a twist - more dangerous w/one party in control of Congress and executive branch- a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubbies-to-make-it-harder-to-investigate-ethics-violations/282310/23 "2004-12-31T06:49:50Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > But she uses footnotes, I tells ya! Footnotes! As Al Franken demonstrated in **Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them,** Ann is a virtuoso at lying with _endnotes,_ not footnotes. As for the OP, I don’t know which fact depressed me more: that I was completely unsurprised at the maneuver by the House Republicans, or the belief (now confirmed) that some of the resident SDMB conservatives would actually defend the practice. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubbies-to-make-it-harder-to-investigate-ethics-violations/282310/24 "2004-12-31T06:58:53Z")
I see no one defending. Closest we got is **Manny** , and he’s only insisting on not forming an opinion, which is considerable short of actually _defending_. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubbies-to-make-it-harder-to-investigate-ethics-violations/282310/25 "2004-12-31T07:50:56Z")
Upon re-review, I stand corrected, and withdraw the earlier statement. I blame the lateness of the hour. My hypothesis is that staying at home with a stir-crazy tyke causes brain damage after the seventh hour… ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubbies-to-make-it-harder-to-investigate-ethics-violations/282310/26 "2004-12-31T07:52:45Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > My hypothesis is that staying at home with a stir-crazy tyke causes brain damage after the seventh hour… You lasted that long before the brain damage set in? What are you using for anaesthesia? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubbies-to-make-it-harder-to-investigate-ethics-violations/282310/27 "2005-01-01T02:35:16Z")
Let’s just say, I worked for a year at an insurance company, and the meetings on premium rate adjustments proved to be excellent for building up tolerance for mind-numbingly boredom. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubbies-to-make-it-harder-to-investigate-ethics-violations/282310/28 "2005-01-01T09:22:07Z")
> [@manhattan](#): > > Without commenting on the merits of the proposal, you are aware, I assume, that if it were to pass it would become equally difficult for the Republicans to initiate BS partisan ethics investigations against Democrats as the converse, right? Manhattan, I think that some of the outrage is that the rules that the Republicans set up a few years ago under the Clinton administration to restore a little honor and dignity to politics are now being changed by the Republicans as soon as a big important Republican is subjected to those rules. To my jaded eye that’s what it looks like. Which doubtless means that I’ve missed some critical details. But it just smells bad. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubbies-to-make-it-harder-to-investigate-ethics-violations/282310/29 "2005-01-01T09:26:06Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Let’s just say, I worked for a year at an insurance company, and the meetings on premium rate adjustments proved to be excellent for building up tolerance for mind-numbingly boredom. 😃 Not to mention jaw dropping shock at the ways those people find to bilk people and STILL manage to convince everyone that they’re protecting them from the evil doctor people. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubbies-to-make-it-harder-to-investigate-ethics-violations/282310/30 "2005-01-01T14:37:45Z")
While this might be defensible as a response to baseless allegations initiated by the Democrats… it’s NOT acceptable in the absence of such an event. In other words, if the GOP wants to make this change, I’d buy it – if they were solving a legitimate, existing problem. They are apparently solving a prospective, hypothetical problem. Sorry - not even close. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubbies-to-make-it-harder-to-investigate-ethics-violations/282310/31 "2005-01-01T15:10:35Z")
No, they’re addressing a real, present problem - the need to prevent their own leader’s misconduct from becoming a real political liability to them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pubbies-to-make-it-harder-to-investigate-ethics-violations/282310.md?page=1)