We need more women conservatives in the House and Senate. They'd show more backbone than these wimpy Republican jellyfish. It's all too common a story these days: Republicans afraid to take a stand because then they wouldn't be invited to the right parties.

They haven't thrown "the Hammer" under the bus just yet. The Democrats don't give a damn about what the rules are - they just want to use the publicity for this tempest in a teapot against Republicans. By offering the Dems what they have been claiming to want, Hastert just cut their throats. If Democrats take the deal and start the ball rolling on investigating DeLay (don't be fooled, investigating these put-up charges against DeLay is like throwing 'brer Rabbit into the briar patch), they will also be forced to investigate Democratic members who have recently been found to have the same sort of questionable trip reimbursements that started this whole fight. The problem is that while DeLay self-reported his violations and took care of them post haste, the Dems violations had to be found by the media. If the Dems fail to take the compromise, they give proof to the Republicans allegations that this whole thing is politically driven.

I'm not going to say that the Republican leadership are Machiavellian, but they've outmaneuvered the Dems on this one, unless you factor in the "nonexistent" MSM liberal bias driving the story. It's not 1995 anymore - the media has lost it's luster, and a significant portion of the public will see the truth behind the story.

While I understand what you're saying and am handing over the props for your analysis, I still think Hastert has just had enough with DeLay. He's become more of a liability than an asset (not to mention one corrupt son of a bitch!) Hastert's smart enough to know when enough is enough. He's been there long enough to remember Jim Wright.

No, methinks this is less about ethics violations than it is about the moves DeLay has been making in regards to his haymaking during and after the whole Terri Schiavo mess. Some of the stuff he's pulled since then has been just been out there. "Moral codes" for judges? Fundraisers where speakers quote Stalin? Impeachment for judges who don't do what he wants? Yeesh. This, to my mind, is a direct move toward appeasing the party moderates. (Not to mention getting business back on track, which is something that, just from my observations, annoys Denny)

You want Machiavellian? Denny just outmaneuvered the majority leader of his own party. That's Machiavellian. He waited patiently, kept feeding DeLay rope and, sure enough, DeLay hung himself.

I could be wrong, but if I'm right?

You could be right, and Hastert COULD be making a play to the moderates. Either way the Dems are going to look like idiots here, and I think DeLay survives. He's dealt with trumped up charges before, and he's lived to tell the tale. I hope the Repubs learned from the Trent Lott debacle. Lott was a wuss and needed to be replaced, but the Repubs who turned on him got NO credit from the Dems & the MSM for letting him go.

Now that the Dems have gotten "what they wanted", they have to deal with the fact that MANY of their own have the same problem with lobbyist trips. If they don't go after their own, they'll look like, well, DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSPERSONS.