AP: Tom DeLay Denies Any Wrong-Doing

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay strongly denied wrongdoing Tuesday in connection with two overseas trips financed by outside organizations, and said he is eager to discuss the facts with leaders of the House ethics committee.

"I feel confident I've done nothing wrong," the Texas Republican said as fellow lawmakers and aides sought to assess the impact of fresh controversy on the party in general.

The Associated Press covers today's New York Times piece on the subpoenaed emails implicating DeLay, and adds in this curious response from the Majority Leader himself:

In Washington, DeLay said the civil case showed only that he took an interest in the committee he helped create.

From the CongressDaily:

DeLay dismissed a report today in The New York Times that suggested he was more closely involved in the daily activities of TRMPAC, a state PAC he helped found to back state candidates. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't read The New York Times," he said.

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?

From the New York Times:

Documents subpoenaed from an indicted fund-raiser for Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, suggest that Mr. DeLay was more actively involved than previously known in gathering corporate donations for a political committee that is the focus of a grand-jury investigation in Texas, his home state.

Five years ago today, at a hearing before the House Government Reform Committee investigating the 1996 Clinton-Gore fundraising scandals, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) expressed his outrage that the committee chairman, Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) had refused to investigate another scandal surrounding an obscure Texas businessman named Peter Cloeren.

Here's a post from the District 22 Political Forum that's worth looking at... Seems to be some GOP activists who aren't too happy with their Congressman.

Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute had the best quotes of the 60 Minutes piece, in my humble opinion. (Apologies to colleague and friend Craig McDonald and Mr. Earle.)

From the transcript on the CBS website:

Would this be considered a technicality – a way to revolve around a definition of administrative?

The transcript of tonight's show on 60 Minutes, from CBS's website. After it's over, post a comment with what you thought...

Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) has readied an amendment to the bankruptcy bill (otherwise known as the "Your Senator is in debt to credit card companies" bill) to raise the minimum wage. In response, Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) is offering a watered down version with all sorts of regulatory relief for business. (What's the matter? Can't do anything just for workers?)