So, people need to get active?

One of the things that the ruling class is doing now is taking down all of the rules that they feel shouldn't apply to them, now that they run everything.

A bit of history on the Congress...in the late 80's and early 90's, a group of hardball Republicans were in charge of the party, and they were consumed with doing whatever it took to win. Led by Newt Gingrich, they were very smart in using the media, and all of the tools at their disposal to make their opponants look as bad as possible. The bad thing was that the Democrats let them, and to this day haven't figured out how to play the same game as the Republicans.

The Big Scandal in the early 90's were Congressmen kiting checks through the Congressional bank. There were no overdraft charges, and it was kind of an open secret in the House that you could pretty much spend your paycheck before you got it. However, Newt and his boys decided that they were going to use this, and they did so, brilliantly. Add to that the "Contract For America", and they were able to take the Congress by portraying the Democrats as corrupt bastards who couldn't balance their checkbooks and spent like drunken sailors.

One of the rules that they passed to hammer this home was that No Republican Could Hold A Leadership Position If They Were Under Indictment. This was mostly to make some of the more corrupt Chicago Democrats who chaired committees look like scumbags. They were, and it was a good rule.

Except that now, Texas Representative Tom DeLay is under investigation, and may be under indictment. So, what did the Republicans do?

They changed their rules.

And they did it with a voice vote so that they wouldn't have to be on the record about it.

THE DAILY DELAY: Votes on DeLay Rule is tracking what Republicans have said about their votes, but we need to keep the pressure up. Call, write or e-mail your Republican Representative and ask them how they voted on the rule change. Put in the message that you know how much they got from DeLay (which is only on The Daily Delay) and you are wondering if it means that their votes can be bought.

Time to quit sitting around and complaining. Let's start the fight TODAY.