DeLay... Again!

It can only be a matter of time before DeLay gets sidelined... Oh, wait. The Republicans have changed the Ethics Committee's rules so that won't happen. Hopefully, the voters of Houston have enough decency to throw him out. Even if it is another Republican they elect, DeLay needs to go.

Report: Gambling Co. Foots DeLay Junket
WASHINGTON - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay traveled to Britain with his wife, several aides and lobbyists on a $70,000 junket mostly paid for with money from an Indian tribe and a gambling services company, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

Not long after the outing, Rep. DeLay, the second most powerful Republican in the House of Representatives, played a key role in killing gaming-related legislation opposed by the company and tribe.

DeLay, R-Texas, reported in House financial disclosures that the weeklong May 2000 trip was paid for by the National Center for Public Policy Research, a nonprofit organization. However, the Post reported, lobbyist Jack Abramoff suggested the trip and arranged for two of his clients, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and eLottery Inc., to send checks to the center to cover the travel.

A lawyer for the tribe and an eLottery official said they were unaware the checks were meant to pay for the DeLay trip, which included golf at Scotland's legendary St. Andrews course.

Edwin J. McGuinn, the president of eLot Inc., parent of eLottery, told the Post, "It certainly was our impression that any and all moneys were being positioned to get the attention and focus of our cause."

The newspaper's review of documents related to the trip found the dates on the two checks coincided with the day DeLay's party left on their trip. The Choctaw and eLottery each sent a $25,000 check, the Post found.

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