The Denver Post ran an editorial over the weekend describing how convenient it was for DeLay to offer to sit down with members of the Ethics Committee after he had already evicerated the rules and replaced independent thinkings with yes-men.

The key passage, from my perspective:

An op-ed from Bill Press warns GOP that a train wreck is coming unless they get behind the wheel of the ethics process.

Ken Bode, formerly of CNN and now a journalism professor at DePauw University, pens an oped for the Indianapolis Star that starts out with language from an urgent email alert asking recipients to pray for "Christian statesman" Tom DeLay. It's reminiscent of the statements made by Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation earlier this week that the attacks against DeLay were "spiritual warfare." The op-ed invokes the late Hunter S. Thompson at the end:

An editorial from the Austin American-Statesman hit the nail (or the Hammer) on the head. The last four paragraphs are exactly right:

How long the GOP will put up with DeLay's power plays and ethical lapses is a matter for speculation. But some Republicans already are acknowledging that DeLay's position is weakening.

Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH) and Congressman Jeb Bradley (R-NH) should take special note of the ending to this editorial from today's Keene Sentinel:

What? Ethics?

The Washington Post editorializes this morning in favor of comprehensive public financing with spending limits for state races in Maryland. While you may think this has nothing to do with Tom DeLay (frankly, on the surface it doesn't), it has everything to do with the kind of big money politics practiced by DeLay and far too many other political leaders. Read the editorial here.

An editorial in the San Antonio Express News urges the Texas Legislature to throw out HB 913, the bill designed to protection Tom DeLay, Tom Craddick and their corporate friends from prosecution. The editorial board rightly connects this bill to the rule pushed by U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX) -- the DeLay Rule -- last November:

No wonder a watchdog group is calling this a "Politician Protection Act."

Interesting column by Cragg Hines in today's Houston Chronicle entitled "If Newt is warning DeLay about ethics, times are bad."

LA Times: Texas GOP Trying to Gut Ethics Inquiry, Critics Say

The appointment of Rep. Hastings (R-WA) to chairman of the House Ethics committee, replacing Rep. Hefley (R-CO) who allowed the admonishment of DeLay, didn't really surprise anyone--Hastings is a strong ally of Speaker Hastert. Two other members of the committee--Reps. Lamar S. Smith (R-TX) and Tom Cole (R-OK)--have contributed heavily to DeLay's defense fund. With friends like these, I'm betting "the Hammer" thinks those annoying "ethics" charges are now a thing of the past.