Another House Republican Reversal

GOP to Reverse Ethics Rule Blocking New DeLay Probe

House Republican leaders, acknowledging that ethics disputes are taking a heavy toll on the party's image, decided yesterday to rescind a controversial rule change that led to the three-month shutdown of the ethics committee, according to officials who participated in the talks.

Republicans touched off a political uproar in January by changing a rule that had required the ethics committee to continue considering a complaint against a House member if there was a deadlock between the committee's five Republicans and five Democrats. The January change reversed this, calling for automatic dismissal of an ethics complaint when a deadlock occurs.

This has to be bad news for DeLay. Four months ago the house Republicans reversed a decision that would have allowed a House member to retain their leadership position if indicted. The latest reversal indicates that the House Republicans recognize they were losing the public relations war. This can also be seen as an attempt by Republicans to distance themselves from the lunatic fringe of the religious right who continue to defend Mr DeLay.