The first casualty of the Abramoff corruption scandal?
Quote:
US Republicans calling for elections to replace DeLay
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About two dozen Republicans have promised to sign a petition calling for elections to permanently replace Rep. Tom DeLay as majority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, aides said on Friday.
"We have commitments for about 25 signatures. The letter calls for a leadership election for a permanent majority leader," said Matthew Specht, a spokesman for Rep. Jeff Flake, a conservative Arizona Republican.
Fifty House Republican signatures are needed to call elections, which would occur after the House reconvenes on January 31.
A source close to House Republicans, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters that the signatures were being collected from conservative and moderate Republicans. The source said Rep. Charles Bass, a New Hampshire moderate, was working closely with Flake.
DeLay, a Texas Republican, was forced to resign as House majority leader, the number-two leadership job, in September after he was indicted in Texas on money laundering and conspiracy charges.
At the time, DeLay said the move was temporary and that he would return to the majority leader job after he believed he would be cleared of the accusations. DeLay said the felony charges were engineered by Democratic opponents in Texas.
But more recently, DeLay's political future has been further clouded by his association with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Reuters
