Republicans Feel Left Out of Modern-Day Party
Kevin Agnese
Issue date: 5/4/05 Section: Perspectives
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Tom DeLay, who could be considered the most corrupt politician in Washington today, is the Republican House Leader. Bill Frist, who is now attempting to change long standing judicial laws, is the Republican Senate Majority leader. George W. Bush's nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, once said, "There is no such thing as the United Nations. There is an international community that may perhaps occasionally be guided by the sole real power left in the world, that is, the United States - when that suits our interests and when we can bring others to follow us." No wonder moderates are angry. The Republican leadership is drunk with power.
In her recent book "It's My Party Too," Gov. Whitman described her frustration with the extremism that she sees in her party. A life-long Republican and head of the EPA from 2001-2003, Whitman described how she became dismayed by the growing power of the extreme right-wing of the GOP. She wrote of how "social fundamentalists" are trying to control the party's platform, while trying to purge the party of moderate Republicans, herself included. Whitman disagreed with the directives from the White House on EPA policies in her time as chief. She resigned her position with the EPA in 2003 and joined the growing list of moderates who feel like they are being left out of their own party.
As the Senate Foreign Relations Committee concluded their meeting on John Bolton, Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio said, "I don't feel comfortable today voting on Mr. John Bolton, and maybe it would be in the best interest of the committee to take a little more time." Voinovich's decision delayed a vote on Bolton until next month, as the committee reviews allegations against Bolton's credibility. Bolton, whose previous statement about there not being a United Nations came in 1994, also once said that you could take ten floors off the UN building and it wouldn't make a difference. Carl Ford, a former state department official and self-described conservative Republican, called Bolton a "serial abuser." Bolton has been accused of verbally abusing those at the state department who disagreed with his previous statements on matters of U.S. intelligence.
As mounting political pressure ensued, the Republican-led House reversed rule changes that they made to the House ethics process. Democrats and some Republicans called for the reversal, as an investigation into allegations of corruption against Tom DeLay will now begin. DeLay has come under suspicion in recent weeks, as questions surround payments into foreign trips he made.
On April 24, The Washington Post reported, "The airfare to London and Scotland in 2000 for then-House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) was charged to an American Express card issued to Jack Abramoff, a Washington lobbyist at the center of a federal criminal and tax probe, according to two sources who know Abramoff's credit card account number and to a copy of a travel invoice displaying that number." The article also said: "DeLay's expenses during the same trip for food, phone calls and other items at a golf course hotel in Scotland were billed to a different credit card also used on the trip by a second registered Washington lobbyist, Edwin A. Buckham, according to receipts documenting that portion of the trip." The Ethics Committee, formerly known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, is responsible for reviewing the charges. According to House ethics rules, lawmakers are barred from accepting travel and related expenses from registered lobbyists.
Documents obtained by NBC News showed that during a trip DeLay made to an extravagant Russian golf resort in the late 90s, $885 was charged to Abramoff's credit card. Alexander Koulakovsky, the general manager of NAFTASIB, a Russian oil and gas company, charged the remaining $2417.50 to his credit card. DeLay came under fire last year when he used his power to redistrict Texas congressional districts so that Democratic strongholds would merge into conservative dominated areas. The move cost several Democrats their jobs. Charges of illegal fundraising have also been leveled at DeLay. Aides to DeLay are now facing criminal indictment for improper fundraising in previous campaigns. Several Republicans have joined Democrats in calling for an investigation into DeLay's activities.