With Friends Like These...

The appointment of Rep. Hastings (R-WA) to chairman of the House Ethics committee, replacing Rep. Hefley (R-CO) who allowed the admonishment of DeLay, didn't really surprise anyone--Hastings is a strong ally of Speaker Hastert. Two other members of the committee--Reps. Lamar S. Smith (R-TX) and Tom Cole (R-OK)--have contributed heavily to DeLay's defense fund. With friends like these, I'm betting "the Hammer" thinks those annoying "ethics" charges are now a thing of the past.

Both the Washington Post and New York Times had editorials over the weekend questioning the appointments, the new rules that now make it harder to file a complaint, and the extent that Speaker Hastert is willing to go to insulate and protect his friend “the Hammer.”