The Republican Party starts off an election year on the wrong foot. Paul Wulfsberg reports from Washington On Saturday, scandal-plagued ex-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay announced that he would not seek to reclaim his former position. He had been House majority leader since 2003, but was legally required to step down in late 2005 after being indicted by a Texas court on unrelated campaign finance charges. DeLay had still been expecting to regain the position if cleared on the campaign donation laundering charges, but was dealt a coup de grace by the emergence of the Abramoff scandal embroiling him and his staff in further trouble, and now he may be hard-pressed in November just to hold on to his suburban Houston seat. "Although DeLay remains legally innocent, his announcement will lead more people, perhaps including those within his own district, to believe that he is guilty. DeLay has clearly become a liability for the Republican Party," John Vile, chair of political science at Middle Tennessee State University, told Al-Ahram Weekly. The majority leader is the second most important figure in the House of Representatives, behind the speaker of the house. Two veteran Republicans and rivals within the party, Jay Blunt of Missouri and John Boehner of Ohio, have already begun campaigning for the vacant position. Leadership elections will be held after Congress returns from its recess for the 31 January State of the Union address. Generally, the recess does not last a full month, but House Republicans had hoped that the time off could allow DeLay to clear his name in the Texas case and become majority leader again. Like DeLay, who rose through the Republican ranks partly thanks to his effective Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee (ARMPAC), both Blunt and Boehner have curried favour by raising funds for their colleagues' campaign chests. DeLay's withdrawal may give the Republicans a better chance to distance themselves from his alleged wrongdoings, but a bigger scandal is unfolding. DeLay's announcement came only days after influential lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty on 3 January to charges of fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials. In exchange for reduced charges -- 10 years in prison and $26 million in fines -- Abramoff agreed to testify against former associates, a deal which could lead to several Republicans being indicted if the investigation is pursued aggressively. With his plea bargain, Abramoff may well bring about the political downfall of some of the leaders in Washington who have been close to him over the years. Representative Bob Ney is the only member of Congress who has been named so far in the Justice Department investigation into the Abramoff case, but there is little doubt that more names will follow. Among Abramoff's associates are such prominently moralistic figures as DeLay -- who had fondly referred to Abramoff one of his "closest and dearest friends" -- and Ralph Reed, the former head of the Christian Coalition who is now running for lieutenant governor in Georgia. Abramoff allegedly plied lawmakers and aides -- nearly all of them Republicans -- with gifts such as meals at his upscale restaurant, tickets in his skybox suites at various Washington-area sporting arenas, and even all-expenses-paid "fact-finding" golfing trips overseas. All of the perks were paid for by Abramoff's clients, including a number of Native American tribes which he allegedly embezzled of over $80 million. They too have been tainted by their association with him. Although the scandal thus far seems to only be threatening Congressional Republicans, some Democrats who accepted campaign contributions from the tribes which retained Abramoff have announced that they are returning the money or donating it to charitable causes. While not yet offering details on proposed reform, House Speaker Dennis Hastert was clearly eager to portray the issue of corruption as one crossing party lines, and vowed "to move forward aggressively and quickly to have the House of Representatives address lobbying reform." Hastert also quickly availed himself of $69,000 in contributions from Abramoff, as did several other Republicans who had received funding from the disgraced lobbyist. Vile downplayed the idea that the Abramoff scandal, despite its magnitude, would lead to major changes in the "pay to play" politics of Washington which DeLay and Abramoff had epitomised. "For a time, at least, lobbyists and legislators are likely to be a bit more careful, but I doubt that this will have a substantial long-term effect." In other Washington news, Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito Jr began his confirmation hearings before the Senate on Monday. Senator Edward Kennedy and other Democrats focussed on Alito's defence of a strong presidency as a potential point of objection. "I am gravely concerned by Judge Alito's clear record of support for vast presidential authority, unchecked by the other two branches of government... The Supreme Court must serve as an independent check on abuses by the executive branch, and a protector of our liberties, not as a cheerleader for an imperial presidency," stated Kennedy at the opening of the session. Despite Democrats' concerns over his conservative beliefs, colleagues have characterised Alito as a scrupulous defender of the law, and he seems likely to be confirmed barring the unexpected discovery of any skeletons in his closet. In a White House Rose Garden press conference Monday morning, President Bush described Alito as "eminently qualified" for the position, going on to emphasise the nominee's impressiveness and dignity. "I know the American people will be impressed, just like I have been impressed and a lot of other members of the Senate have been impressed. And my hope, of course, is that the American people will be impressed by the process. It's very important that members of the Senate conduct a dignified hearing. The Supreme Court is a dignified body; Sam is a dignified person. And my hope, of course, is that the Senate bring dignity to the process.
